Tag: adventure

Charity Sunday: United Through Reading

How Charity Sunday works: for every comment made on this blog post, I will donate money to the charity named. The same promise is made for every blog site listed in the group–click the Linky Links link at the bottom of this post to see the list of participants and read/comment on any of them to see a donation go to that blogger’s charity. We’re all different! Thanks for your help and your participation!

United Through Reading is a unique charity that should be near and dear to every author’s heart because it seeks to instill the love of books and reading in children of all ages through reading time with their military parent. Their mission: “United Through Reading strengthens military families’ literacy, emotional bonds, and well-being through the power of reading together at every age, no matter the distance.”

Because of parent deployments, over a quarter million children are left at home, meaning lots of story times are missed—for both the child and parent. Story time is typically at the end of the day when quiet and comfort take priority and parent and child have a moment for closeness. With United Through Reading, prerecorded videos can be watched by the child (along with their own copy of the recorded book) whenever they want that special closeness to their deployed parent. “Being read to by a parent helps military children feel like their parents are closer to home, reducing stress and anxiety levels and making it easier to cope while their parents are away.”

Charity Navigator gives United Through Reading a top rating. I think this is a great charity. Please comment!

Blurb:
Bride of the Pryde (Jenna Stewart)

DAT agent Susan McAllister escapes Earth with killers in hot pursuit. She normally runs toward danger not away, and she likes controlling her own fate, not relying on three strange men and an irreverent cyberbot. Skilled and experienced, she doesn’t believe there’s any way the three crewmen of the cargo ship Erik’s Pryde can help her.

Captain John Erik thinks the sexy, headstrong passenger is nothing but trouble, but he also knows she needs help. And not being men to shrink from adventure, he’s convinced that he and his crew are the ones to provide it. When they’re infected by an illegal drug that releases inhibitions, the crew of the Pryde shows they are men who not only can fight, but can satisfy a woman’s every fantasy.

It’s no surprise when Susan discovers that being a member of the Pryde’s crew has unexpected, lasting benefits.

Buy link:
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Bride-Pryde-Siren-Publishing-Menage-ebook/dp/B007NIR4HO/

Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bride-of-the-pryde-dee-s-knight/1109689352

Excerpt:
The smell hit Susan McAllister first. The sharp scent of iron, immediately recognizable, stung her nostrils and made her gag. Then she noticed the door, normally locked at all times, hung open a crack.

She’d been ready to call out that she’d brought back French pastries from the restaurant where she enjoyed an early lunch but instead dropped the white bakery bag on the back steps. Removing her Renthaur X-89 laser pistol from her oversized shoulder bag, she inched forward and released the safety. She eased open the door and stepped inside and then pushed it nearly closed. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust from sunlight to the dim interior.

The office fronted as a real estate agency but actually served as Centre District’s Domestic Anti-Terrorism headquarters. Susan had arrived that morning from the global headquarters in Mt. Saussat. In fact, if not for the fact that she never ate while flying and wanted an early lunch upon arrival, she would have been here for whatever shit had gone down.

Hugging the wall, she edged toward the workroom where her close friend and office manager, Lisle Hamilton, had set up the hologram generator, coffeepot, and storage shelving that helped form their cover of handling real estate. Behind an encrypted-lock vault door and out of sight, secure phones and code-deciphering, sub-particle computers were used for the real business of the storefront.

The Centre City office took a lot of ribbing in the Agency because of their cover. The joke was, what’s more boring than a DAT agent on desk duty? A realtor. What’s deadly boring? A DAT gent on desk duty posing as a realtor.

Deadly boring?The overwhelming scent of blood seemed to prove it. Criminy. What in hell happened?

Susan dropped to a crouch at the corner where the back hall entered the workroom. Pistol aimed up and grasped with two hands in classic shooter pose, she slowly leaned forward and peeked into the workroom.

Blood had begun to congeal where it covered the floor. Mark Nichols, who she’d just met that morning, lay on his back, his right hand inside his jacket pocket as though reaching for his weapon. Anne Barnewell lay face down. The size of the hole in the back of her head indicated a Succher 380, the weapon of choice for big-time drug dealers.

Also for cops’ personal weapons. The thought ran quickly through her mind and left just as fast.

The workroom connected to the main office by a swinging door of louvered wood, reminiscent of mid-twentieth-century architecture. From under the door she saw the body of Kyle Angustino, the son of one of Lisle’s friends and an actual real estate intern who had nothing to do with the DAT. Six people worked in the office, including Kyle, five of whom were DAT agents. Susan had no hope any of them were alive unless, like her, they’d been out of the office when hell struck.

The place appeared to be empty, but Susan didn’t change her position. Instead, she examined everything in her line of sight and listened with an intensity that had her shoulders tight with tension. Peering along the wall to the left she scrunched her brows in worry. The vault door stood ajar.

The only person in the office who had the combination was Lisle. A woman’s foot extended out the door, her burgundy shoe half-off. Lisle!

Her friend had bragged about the “killer burgundy pumps with little gold bows” when Susan had called to make arrangements to use one of the office cubicles for the week she would be in Centre City. They’d gone through Agency training together, and their paths crossed regularly. Later she would grieve for Lisle, but right now she needed to keep her wits about her and her emotions in check.

The bell over the front door tinkled, indicating someone entering from the street. A woman said, “Here’s a box for—Oh, dear God, what is this? What’s going on here?” There was no answer. Then, “No, please, no! Oh—”

Susan heard the unmistakable sound of the Succher firing and then a loud noise as something fell to the floor.

“What the hell?” A man pushed the vault door farther open. All that showed was a cuff-linked, white-shirted arm and a hand with long fingers. “What’s going on out there?”

“Nothing,” came a male voice from the front. “I didn’t have the keys to lock the door. I thought pulling the blinds would be enough to make people think we were closed. Forgot about delivery people.”

“Goddamn it. Go through Hamilton’s purse, for Christ’s sake, and find the keys.”

“Okay,” the guy in the front grumbled.

“Jesus, I have to do everything,” Vault Man said.

Susan pulled back. The lead guy knew Lisle’s name. Because he knew her or because of information gleaned while there? And how did he know about the vault room? Had he come to the office because of it, or had he and his buddy happened into the office and thought the heavy door hid more than it did? She dismissed that idea right away because really, who in the world robbed a realtor’s office? So, assuming they already knew about the vault and Lisle, the conclusion was ominous—the murderers were associated with DAT.

Quiet footsteps alerted Susan to the emergence of the man from the vault. He carried her suitcase to the table, holding the hologram generator. Lisle had suggested she leave the suitcase in the vault and out of traffic areas when she arrived earlier. She hadn’t given a second thought to the security of her things when she dashed out to eat. Now, unceremoniously, Vault Man pulled out the contents and dumped them on the floor.

“Any hints on where McAllister is staying?” the second man asked.

They’re looking for me?How could that be? Only a few people knew she was there.

“Nothing yet. Lisle wouldn’t say. Or maybe she didn’t know. I thought I might find a hint in here.”

Susan edged forward, trying to identify either man. She could see Vault Man from the back. He’d put on a dark suit jacket, wore black shoes and a fedora over short brown hair. He looked to be about five feet ten or eleven. The second man leaned just inside the doorway separating the two rooms, but Vault Man hid him from view. His shoes were shiny and his pants were light gray. That was all she could see—which was as good as nothing.

She pulled back from the wall’s edge. At most, the men stood ten feet away. If either of them looked her way at the wrong time or decided to check the back parking area, she’d be caught like a virgin between two punks on Pheron.

Pheron, the newest designer street drug—and the latest form of domestic terrorism just hitting Earth cities—had brought her to Centre City, where the crime rate soared right along with the supply of the drug that released a person’s deepest desires and washed away their inhibitions. The effects of the drug sickened her. So did her prospects, if the two murderers in the other room found her.

Rising to her feet, she continued straining to hear everything the men said. Vault Man asked if Succher Guy had checked the hotel where she usually stayed in Centre City. The answer was affirmative but that she hadn’t arrived yet. And she hadn’t because that morning Lisle had invited Susan to stay with her instead. The two had a lot to catch up on, and not all of it business. Lisle had finally met Mr. Right, and they were talking marriage. Susan simply hadn’t called to cancel her hotel reservation yet.

Vault Man ordered Succher Guy to stake out the hotel and to call when he had Susan in sight. Succher Guy grumbled a reply, sounding not too happy to be relegated to the hotel lobby. The bell chimed again with the opening and closing of the street door, and then silence descended on the office.

Susan slowly sidestepped along the wall toward the back door. So intense was her focus that she jumped when her suitcase flew through the air and crashed into the flavored-water dispenser before hitting the floor.

“Goddamn it, McAllister, where the fuck are you?” Vault Man grumbled.

From her right, the back door opened. “Hey, Susan,” Buddy Knowlton called out with a smile. He held out the white bag from the steps. “Did you drop something?”

Two things happened at once. Footsteps pounded from the workroom toward the short hallway where Susan froze momentarily in shock, and she then leapt toward Buddy. Knocking him back out the door, she yelled, “Get out, Buddy! Move, move, move!”

They tripped down the steps. Buddy, looking confused and shocked at first, gathered his wits and withdrew his weapon from his suit jacket. She ran, hell-bent, for the street, assuming he was hot on her heels. The back door to the office slammed open. A laser bullet whizzed past her ear, missing her by an ando-width.

Ffttt! Another laser shot just missed her head. A grunt came from behind. She slowed enough to turn. Continuing with back steps, she saw Buddy on the ground. Had he tripped? Was he hit? Hesitating could kill her, but could she leave a fellow DAT agent behind?

He waved his arms, signaling her to go on. “Go!” he yelled. She didn’t like it, but she spun toward the street and kept on, not looking, not thinking, running on instinct alone. Around the corner of the building, she sprinted for the intersection and the hotel across the street. Cabs lined up in front, particularly at lunchtime.

“She’s headed for The Centre!” Vault Man shouted. “Converge there.”

Reviews:

“…desires are fulfilled and emotions are awakened. BRIDE OF THE PRYDEis an imaginative futuristic adventure overflowing with limitless fiery heat.”

Author Dee S. Knight:

A few years ago, Dee S. Knight began writing, making getting up in the morning fun. During the day, her characters killed people, fell in love, became drunk with power, or sober with responsibility. And they had sex, lots of sex.

After a while, Dee split her personality into thirds. She writes as Anne Krist for sweeter romances, and Jenna Stewart for ménage and shifter stories. All three of her personas are found on the Nomad Authors website (www.nomadauthors.com). Fortunately, Dee’s high school sweetheart is the love of her life and husband to all three ladies! On the last Sunday of the month, look for Dee’s Charity Sunday blog posts, where your comment can support a selected charity. Sign up for her newsletter for exclusive access to free novellas, poetry, and stuff.

Author links:
Website: https://nomadauthors.com
Blog: http://nomadauthors.com/blog
Twitter: http://twitter.com/DeeSKnight
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeeSKnight2018
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/265222.Dee_S_Knight
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B079BGZNDN
Newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/h8t2y6
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/dee-s-knight-0500749
Sweet ‘n Sassy Divas http://bit.ly/1ChWN3K

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New! Sci-Fi pre-order: The Moon Crossing by Eileen Troemel and Jan Selbourne

The Moon Crossing: Troemel and Selbourne

USA Today Bestselling Author Eileen Troemel and 2019 Coffee Pot Book Club Historical Book of the Year Silver Medal winner Jan Selbourne present an alternate history, sweet romance of life after the Moon Landing in 1969. Release date: November 13.

Blurb:

In 2030, World Correction Center – the Earth’s most secure prison – is a miserable place to land. Since it’s on the moon, it’s inescapable. It contains the worst criminals Earth has ever seen. So why are the brilliant minds across the globe being sent to this black hole of the justice system. When renown archaeologist Micky Cooper is charged with embezzling, his sister Susan knows it’s a set up.  It’s up to her to prove his innocence. Susan thinks she might be paranoid but she swears she’s being followed and should she trust the nice man whose cousin has disappeared as well? Was it a chance meeting or is he against her too? Teaming up with Greg Tanner, a man equally resolved to prove the innocence of his cousin, Samantha Tanner – a word leading linguist – Susan and Greg seek clues wherever they can find them, but they’re barely keeping one step ahead of those who want them to stop.  They begin to unravel the web of lies, fraud and cover up. Just when they start to put pieces together, Susan and Greg are forced to run for their lives.  With a nudge from Samantha they find someone to help. Is this woman an ally? Or simply part of a greater conspiracy to hide the truth? What exactly is on the moon and why are the Earth’s greatest minds being sent there to serve time?

Pre-order link Get your copy now for 99¢:
Amazon US

The Moon Crossing: Troemel and SelbourneExcerpt:
Could the government really make someone disappear? The little voice in her head replied, ‘yes they could. Taking a step back into the alley, she watched Greg enter the coffee shop. “Okay. Do I trust his or not?” she muttered. “What if I just listen? Would it hurt to listen?

“Shit, I’m nutso standing in a dark alley talking to myself,” Susan said. Closing her eyes, she tried to consider her gut instinct. She didn’t know. At five minutes past, she raised her chin and opted to trust – for now.

Looking both ways, she crossed the street. She deliberately wore practical clothes, tennis shoes, blue jeans, and a tank top. Over the top, she wore a hooded sweatshirt. Seeing herself reflected in the glass door, she wondered if she dressed too casual. Too late to change now.

He sat in the back facing the door. A smile lit his face as soon as he saw her. Is he faking it?  It looks like a real smile.  He stood, sort of old fashioned but Susan liked it. He seems sincere. Feeling awkward for analysing his every expression, she approached the table. “Hi.”

“I wasn’t sure you’d come,” he said.

“Me neither,” she slid into the booth. He sat opposite her as the waitress brought their coffee. “They have a good peach pie here.

“It’s really good today,” the waitress said

“Give us two pieces,” Greg said.

Waiting for the waitress to leave, Susan assessed him. She liked what she saw but this was not a date. “Did you find out more about your cousin,” she asked as she sipped her coffee

“A colleague of hers said she worked day and night on a project. It’s who my appointment was with yesterday,” he said. “I know how she gets. She has a puzzle, and she won’t stop until she solves it.”

“Do you think she got sent to the moon as well,” Susan reached out to touch his hand. It felt warm and strong.

“I don’t know,” he said. He gripped her hand. “They said a secured facility. The moon is for the worst of the worst… or so their website says.”

“The prisoners are only allowed visitors once a month,” she said. “I get they’re bad people but they still deserve to have visits. Do you know how much it costs to get to the moon?”

“You’d go,” Greg said. “I watched a few of the first launches.”

“They have the shuttle now,” Susan said. “I saw a video of a recent launch.”

“From their site,” Greg asked.

“No this was on the internet,” Susan said. “It was in one of the chat rooms.”

“You’re a bit of a computer geek,” Greg grinned.

She liked his smile, firm lips surrounding white teeth, a light in his eyes indicated laughter even though he hadn’t laughed yet. “A bit,” she said. “I tinker a bit with it.”

“If we believe our loved ones are innocent,” Greg said.

“We do,” Susan said.

“Then how were they both falsely accused and convicted of crimes they didn’t commit,” he asked.

“It’s more than that,” Susan said. “Not only were they convicted but they were sent to the worst prison. Why? How does it serve them? What could they have been working on to annoy someone so much they wanted them out of the picture? They timed it well.  I was out of the country.”

“Wait, so was I,” Greg interrupted.

“See, it’s no coincidence you and I, their closest relatives, were out of the country. That’s what we’re talking about isn’t it?”

Greg sat back and rubbed a hand through his hair. “What if it wasn’t they wanted them out of the picture but rather, they needed them on the moon for some purpose,” Greg asked.

“Why wouldn’t they just ask them to work for them or with them,” Susan countered.

“Maybe they did but they turned them down,” Greg leaned forward again gripping her hands.

Susan glanced at their hands. “This is crazy. You know what this sounds like?”

“We’re a couple of conspiracy theorists,” Greg shook his head.

She couldn’t look at him, staring at their hands she considered all they discussed. Could the government kidnap scientists?

“I… I’m staying at my brother’s house,” she said slowly. “I’ll have a look through his things.”

“Want help,” Greg asked.

She stared into his warm caramel eyes. Did she trust him? Was this too convenient? She hadn’t a clue how to help Micky, but could she rely on this man? With a deep breath, she said, “Sure.”

The waitress returned with two plates of pie. Greg asked, “I’m really sorry. Can we get those to go?’

“Sure,” she said. They rose and followed her to the counter.

Susan paid, she insisted on it. As they stepped out of the coffee shop, Susan saw a flash of light. Across the street, a black SUV parked in the line of mid-sized cars. It looked out of place. She couldn’t see the plates. Were they watching her, following her?

“Everything all right,” Greg asked.

“No, it’s not,” Susan said walking away from the street. “Have you ever felt like you were being followed?”

“Yeah,” he scanned the street. “More often recently.”

She stepped close to him, pulled him close to her. She brushed her lips across his. His arms slowly closed around her. “I think we’re being watched,” she murmured as she made it look like they flirted and had an assignation rather than plotting… whatever they were plotting.

Meet the authors:

Eileen TroemelUSA Today Bestseller Author Eileen Troemel writes action packed and emotionally powerful fantasy, scifi, romance. She’s versatile and writes in many genres.  She’ll try almost any genre if it means she can tell a good story.  In addition to her writing, she loves to read, crochet, and research genealogy. Her best days are spent with her family of three adult daughters and her husband or writing.  

Website: https://eileentroemel.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/EileenTroemel
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/EileenTroemelAuthor/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/eileentroemel/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/eileen-troemel-6667825b/
MeWe https://mewe.com/i/eileentroemel
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7868345.Eileen_Troemel

Jan SelbourneJan Selbourne was born and educated in Melbourne, Australia and her love of literature and history began as soon as she learned to read and hold a pen. After graduating from a Melbourne Business College her career began in the dusty world of ledgers and accounting, working in Victoria, Queensland and the United Kingdom. On the point of retiring, she changed course to work as secretary of a large NSW historical society. Now retired, Jan is enjoying her love of travelling and literature. She has two children, a stray live-in cat and lives near Maitland, New South Wales.

Website: https://nomadauthors.com/JanSelbourne/index.html
Blog: http://nomadauthors.com/blog
Twitter: http://twitter.com/JanSelbourne
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jan.selbourne
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14661584.Jan_Selbourne?from_search=true
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Jan-Selbourne/e/B0184OSZ6E/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/h8t2y6
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-selbourne-2817b6140/

The Last Dragon review (Daryl Devore)

Last month Daryl Devore told us about her book The Last Dragon. This month I’d like to share my review for the book. I genuinely enjoyed it! Plus, I love that cover!

The Last Dragon by Daryl DevoreIn The Last Dragon, we have good and evil fighting (in the form of dragons, of course), a young man learning what courage is as he grows into a man, a young woman who discovers love as she discovers secrets in her own life, and a prince who sets the ideal for love of family and country. It’s a fabulous story—and a wonderful twist ending.

Review:
An epic adventure!

In the age of dragons, villages, towns, and even kingdoms are at risk of being decimated. In legend, three dragons ruled supreme: Ayrradex was said to steal people’s souls, leaving them heartless and half dead. Yidithe is Ayrradex’s opposite and brings protection from his fiery wrath. Demora ruled thought, but he had been lost to memory and time.

The devil dragon Ayrradex has destroyed the kingdom Prince Hawkyns’ father rules. Worse, the dragon killed his pregnant wife, destroyed his mother’s wits, and brought his father to his knees. Hawkyns’ two brothers have been killed while trying to find and kill Ayrradex. Now the task falls to Hawkyns. Through his many trials and travels, Hawkyns meets a strange but wonderful woman named Derry who can miraculously heal and a brave young man named Pariset. On an epic journey, the three set out to find the lair of Ayrradex. Will the three of them live through the fight? Are there more surprises in their futures? Will Hawkyns return home to acclaim and honor? So many questions in this great quest!

What a great story! Hawkyns has quite the adventure with dragons, magick, and mayhem, and he changes as his quest advances. This is a story of acceptance, trust, and good over evil. Ms. Devore draws us through the journey and brings us to the other side through her writing skill for suspense, characterization, and description. I especially liked how she handled the character of Derry, who has to accept herself and all she is, plus be willing to give everything for love before the little group can succeed. All of the characters were great, which made this a wonderful book to read and enjoy. Ms. Devore has the knack for epics and adventure. I hope she does more of it!

Buy links:
Amazon Kindle: :https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QPW4CVF
Print: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QRVJ59P

 Surrender Her Touch by Kari Thomas

If you enjoy fantasy (and especially dragons), and great adventure, you won’t go wrong with The Last Dragon!

Meet Daryl:
Two writers in one. Daryl Devoré writes hot romances with sexy heroes and strong heroines and sweet romances with little to no heat. She has several published books available on Amazon in ebook or print book and available at other book retailers via Books2Read.

Daryl (@daryldevore) lives in an old farmhouse in Ontario, Canada, with her husband and 2 cats. Daryl loves to take long walks on her quiet country road or snowshoe across the back acres, and in the summer, kayak along the St. Lawrence River. She has touched a moon rock, a mammoth, and a meteorite. She’s been deep in the ocean in a submarine, flown high over Niagara Falls in a helicopter, and used the ladies room in a royal palace. Life’s an adventure and Daryl’s having fun living it.

Blog – Romance – Sweet to Heat

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Evil, Good, and Great Adventure in Oric and the Alchemist’s Key from Leslie Wilson

Oric and the Alchemist's Key by Leslie WilsonBlurb:
Orphan boy Oric inherits an ornate key, along with a dire warning to keep it out of wrong hands at all costs.

Unaware that ownership of the key poses great danger an evil moneylender, Esica Figg, determines to seize it. With this idea in mind, he employs scoundrels and scallywags to help achieve his aim.

In his quest to unravel the mystery behind the puzzling inheritance, Oric is pursued by Figg’s mercenary killers. Deep winter snow, and summer drought conditions add to his many difficulties.

Ichtheus the apothecary, and kitchen maid Dian, assist Oric as best they can, and deep trusting friendships are formed between the trio. Together they experience many adventures, some life-threatening, some hilarious. They are helped, but more often hindered, by Ichtheus’ recalcitrant donkey, Braccus, and an overenthusiastic wolfhound named Parzifal.

Can Oric solve the mystery surrounding Deveril’s key, and how many people meet their maker in the process?

Buy links:
Amazon US
Amazon AU

Excerpt:
The apothecary’s departure from Kilterton was undignified. A goose, led by Ichtheus on a long cord around her neck, hissed and flapped. She spooked Braccus, causing him to buck. Ichtheus clung on. Oric was soon in trouble, too. He sneezed repeatedly as feathers from two chickens in a wicker cage flew up his nose.

Folks sniggered and nudged each other, some barely able to contain their mirth as they watched the spectacle.

Parzifal, thinking it all a wonderful game, ran in and out of the donkeys’ legs, yapping and snapping.

“Get out of the way, bonehead,” Oric yelled. The new donkey, unsettled by the noise, skittered sideways. Oric lost his grip on the coop and the chickens crashed to the ground.  The donkey continued to prance and Oric joined his feathered friends.

“You need to get a firmer grip on yon animal,” wheezed an old farmhand. The man’s weather-beaten face creased with humour as he grabbed the donkey’s bridle.

Seated on a bench outside the inn, Dian observed Oric’s struggles. Oric scrambled to his feet and came almost nose to nose with her. Two dimples indented Dian’s rosy cheeks as she tried not to giggle. The blood rushed to Oric’s face, and again he felt foolishly inadequate. Ye gods! Whatever must the girl think of him?

“What ails you now, boy?” Ichtheus reviewed their scattered possessions. “Pick up the coop and carry the chickens. I will lead the donkey. You can follow along at your own pace, on foot, and for goodness sake keep Parzifal out of my way.”

Sighing, Oric obeyed. “So much for me riding home,” he said, giving Dian a sickly grin.

Dian reluctantly trailed back to her parents’ cottage. Her father, Eadbald Cole, earned his living doing odd jobs around the village; he would soon return from the inn to demand his dinner. Finding nothing to eat, he would beat his wife. Well aware that her father’s earnings were paltry, Dian wished that he did not spend so much of his income on ale. Her mother, Frida was little better, for she also liked a tipple. With few funds left over to buy food, the Cole family often went hungry. Depression settled upon Dian like a dark cloak and she longed to escape; but where could she go?

-oOo-

Anticipation stirred Figg’s innards as he watched the Horzefells leave the village in pursuit of the apothecary and his apprentice. If everything went according to plan, he would soon have his hands on the apothecary’s takings, the boy, the alchemist’s key and, for all he knew, a vast fortune. Finished with the market, he stowed his table away and locked up his shop. Mounting his mare, he set off for St Griswald’s Church.

Figg had discovered St Griswald’s whilst out collecting loan repayments from farm-tenants and cottagers. The regular priest had abandoned the church, and its nearby manse, in favour of greatly superior lodgings beside Kilterton’s new priory. Deserted, the old buildings had soon fallen into overgrown disrepair. A gloomy crypt beneath the church provided an ideal place for what Figg had in mind. As part of Sir Edred’s estate, the buildings, hidden by a thick copse of trees, were only a short distance from Bayersby Manor.

A few days after finding the church, Figg had hidden most of his money there. He imprinted upon his brain each and every headstone above the graves in which he had buried his silver. Relieved that he had found a safe place to store his wealth, Figg relaxed for the first time in many moons. He instructed the Horzefell family to move from their hovel on High Moor into St Griswald’s crypt, and informed the remainder of his band of villains that they had a new meeting place.

-oOo-

Lavender twilight descended upon Oric and Ichtheus as they made their way home from the market. Damp mist rose from the earth and seeped into moorland hollows, transforming them into milky-looking pools. Bracken grew head-high on either side of the road and, hampered by the chicken-coop, Oric soon lost sight of his master. Whoever would have thought that two chickens could weigh so much? For two sticks he would release the wretched creatures and dump the cage.

Parzifal gazed at the birds and drooled.

Oric stopped to rest awhile and rubbed his sore arms. The day had been interesting, medically speaking, but the opportunity to try Deveril’s key in any of Kilterton’s locks had not presented itself. At his current rate of progress, the mystery might never be solved.

The memory of Dian’s laughing face temporarily wiped all thoughts of the key from Oric’s mind as he blushed scarlet for the third time that day. How he wished she had not witnessed his embarrassing mishap with the chickens and the donkey. He would like to know the girl better, but would she wish to befriend such a buffoon?

Hersica and Zebediah decided upon Digby Ford across Roxdale Beck as the ideal ambush site. Outside the village, they left the main road and took a shortcut. Unhampered by baggage, they soon came to the shallow crossing. Tall bracken gave them adequate cover as they settled down to await the apothecary and his apprentice.

Ichtheus and his animal entourage arrived at the ford. In the middle of the crossing, the new donkey’s leading rein pulled taut.

Exasperated, Ichtheus looked back. “Pish! What is the matter now?”

The new donkey, it seemed, had an aversion to water. Ichtheus tugged on her rein, but she steadfastly refused to enter the swiftly flowing beck.

“Where the devil is Oric?” Ichtheus muttered. “The lad is always missing when I need him most.”

Oric and the Alchemist's Key by Leslie Wilson

Let’s meet Leslie:
NA: What book(s) are you featuring today?
LW: Oric and the Alchemists Key

NA: How did you come up with the idea for your book?
LW: One of my hobbies was doll making.  I formed a medieval apothecary on a wire armature, and named him Ichtheus. As I needle-sculpted his facial features and fingers, he began talking to me. I talked back, and a lasting, hilarious relationship developed between us. Kind of spooky, but such is my author’s zany imagination. The rest is history.

NA: What sort of research did you do to write this book?
LW: My research is nonstop and ongoing. When writing medieval genres I dare not relax, for fear I add something that wasn’t in use during the fourteenth century. Since the story’s main protagonists are an apothecary and his apprentice, I often refer to Culpeper’s Complete Herbal, and the Reader’s Digest’s Magic and Medicine of Plants. I also have a small library of historical reference books for all manner of other queries that I need to follow up. Good old Google provides extra back up when all else fails.

NA: A fun fact about writing your book.
LW: My books portray a plethora of fascinating characters, all of whom talk to me. The little blighters take over, plunging me into the madness and mayhem that raged across the rugged, wild splendour of fourteenth-century North Yorkshire. Much of the history I write about is still there, albeit in a state of ruin. A cast of zany animals add fun, colour, and humour to my stories; Parzifal, an Irish wolfhound, who is a law unto himself, and a recalcitrant donkey named Braccus, who provides elderly apothecary,

Ichtheus, with questionable transport, to name but two. Both familiar and new characters, plus more animals, appear in the following two books in the Oric series, and I love them all. As long as I am able to write, I will never be lonely.

NA: Do you have a day job? What was your job before you started writing full time?
LW: I am now retired. As for occupations – I have had too many to list. From fashion model to cleaning lady, with all manner of things in between.  Might be a book about my nefarious endeavors one day. LOL.

NA: What do your friends and family think about your being a writer?
LW: I was a duffer at school, so I think surprise was their first reaction. That said, everyone is supportive, and most love to read my stories.

NA: The biggest surprise you had after becoming a writer.
LW: The thrill of achievement, and meeting so many like-minded people, in real life, and online. I was surprised how many wonderful indie authors there are.

NA: Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?
LW: I have always been a seat-of-the-pants writer but, after a particularly difficult edit and umpteenth re-write with my latest book, I’ve promised myself to be more organised in future. Time will tell, LOL.

NA: What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as an author?
LW: Standing in a supermarket queue, a fellow customer ran up to me and shouted, ‘You’re the Oric Lady, aren’t you? I love your books, they’re fantastic!’ Ahh, fame at last! 😊

NA: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
LW: Travel, though my wanderings have been severely curtailed – thanks to the Covid virus. Apart from that, I love reading, reviewing, gardening, embroidery, craftwork, entertaining friends, socializing with other authors, and cooking hearty meals for my family on Sundays.

NA: A pet peeve.
LW: Any kind of injustice, or cruelty, involving animals or humans.

NA: First thought when the alarm goes off in the in the morning?
LW: 4am, every day… I’m gonna kill that noisy darned bird! Of course, I wouldn’t, but I have been out with a torch and a hose pipe on a few occasions, lately.

NA: What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
LW: Ooh, that’s a curly one – there are so many. Maybe, as an ex-pat Yorkshire woman, Captain James Cook might be my first pick, especially if he brings his wife along.

NA: What are you working on now?The Final Twist by Leslie Wilson
LW: The Final Twist, a psychological thriller/romance c early 1960s set in England and Europe.

NA: What is any question we didn’t ask that you would like to answer?
LW: I think you pretty much covered it all. Thank you.

NA: Thank you, Leslie for joining us!

Leslie:
Leslie Wilson, authorLesley Wilson was born in North Yorkshire, UK and educated at St Martin’s Preparatory School Grimsby, Lincolnshire, Mill Hill School, Middlesbrough, and Pickering’s Commercial College, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire. She completed a course in Journalism with the London School of Writing, and has been an active member of a writers’ group in Australia.

In 1957, she met a young man on holiday in Italy. A whirlwind courtship followed before he joined the British Army. Fifteen months and hundreds of letters later, Lesley, aged seventeen, boarded a troop ship bound for Singapore, where she married the love of her life. She worked as a fashion model in Singapore for two years before returning to the UK. A three year posting to Germany with her husband followed.

Returned to the UK after her husband left the army, Lesley worked as Girl Friday for a well-known racing driver/motor dealer. She underwent training in London at Helena Rubinstein’s London Salon, and worked thereafter as a consultant for five years. Her other careers have included ownership of a sauna and health studio, and market research, which involved many miles of driving throughout North Yorkshire in all kinds of weather.

In 1982 she migrated to Australia with her husband and small son. She ran a craft shop for several years in which she manufactured all the items for sale. During this time she was also a volunteer in a Maritime Museum. Hunting wrecks off the coast of North Queensland became an absorbing a hobby, and she helped to rescue an ancient, decommissioned lighthouse for the city in which she lives.

Today she is retired and enjoys spending time with her grandchildren. She is also a member of an active quilting group who involve themselves in charitable endeavours from time to time. She reads and reviews books for other authors but writing is her major passion. When she isn’t glued to the computer keyboard she loves to travel, entertain friends, and work in her large garden in North Queensland.

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/LesleyWilsonAuthor
Twitter : https://twitter.com/OmlaLesley
Website and newsletter signup : https://lesleywilsonauthor.com/
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/lesleywilsonoric/

Relaunch! The Wayfarer series by Eileen Troemel

This is so exciting! Eileen Troemel is relaunching her fabulous Wayfarer series. What an opportunity to binge read–and no waiting for the next book to be published. I’m pumped!

Blurbs:

Wayfarer series by Eileen Troemel

Wayfarer Aegis (prequel)  (Pages: 75)
Pilot Adara Stone boarded the Aegis, an explorer class ship, to make a journey into unknown space.
https://books2read.com/Wayfarer-Aegis-prequel

Adara Stone – pilot for the Interstellar Planets Union services.

She’s half Wayfarer and half human and Captain James’ last choice as a pilot.  Excited for her first long contract and explorer class ship, Adara knows she’ll spend seven years flying a ship in unknown space. She can’t wait to see what’s out there.

By the book, Captain Alden James does not want anyone varying from his flight plan.  He quickly loses patience with Adara breaking protocol.

Adara craves a family but finds only recrimination and punishment.  She taps into the skills dismissed by her captain and the services in order to be the best pilot she can be.  When Fate intervenes, will her Wayfarer skills be enough?

Wayfarer  (Pages: 184)
“Just sign your contract and be there by 1700,” Decker said.  He knew he just hired trouble.
https://books2read.com/Wayfarer-book-1

Recovered from the disaster of the Aegis, Adara longs to fly in space again.

Emotionally and physically battered, she applies to every piloting position but her heart and soul long to fly the Pritchard.  The Manu investigatory ship requires all types of flying from chasing raiders, rescuing ships in danger, and getting investigators on site.

Captain Decker Flannery gets to hire his entire crew for the first time.  He doesn’t want some damaged pilot to mess with the balance of his crew.  When one of his pilots takes a better offer, he has no choice but to hire Adara Stone, highest ranking survivor from the Aegis.  He doesn’t want her on his ship, he thinks she’s trouble.

Can Decker see through Adara’s quiet and discover more than he bargained for?

Wayfarer Clans  (Pages: 175)
Estranged from her family at ten, Adara Stone finds herself embroiled in a crime wave where the Pritchard might be hunting her family.
https://books2read.com/Wayfarer-Clans-book-2

Are Wayfarer Clans kidnapping children, teen girls, and scientists?

A rash of kidnappings lead Adara to suggest a Wayfarer clan is adding to their clan. Chasing down a stolen Science Corp vessel, Adara Stone beats the pilot and rescues the ship and all its occupants.  The pilot of the ship shocks Adara.

Decker and Adara struggle to cope with her family relations as the crew dives deeper into the kidnapping cases.  Friction arises between the two.

Will her family put a wall between Decker and Adara?

Wayfarer Immemorial  (Pages: 195)
Hailed as Hero of the Aegis, Adara Stone confronts her fears while her enemies in the Barion race target her and her maite saol Decker Flannery.
https://books2read.com/Wayfarer-Immemorial-book-3

The Barions are back!

Decker wants Adara nowhere near the memorial but she insists on helping the survivors and the families of those lost on the Aegis.

With her plate full as a new clan leader, Adara leaves security up to Decker, Franklin, and Paul.  Her only requirement – she must attend the memorial service.

Barion battlecruisers invade the Services space while a rogue Barion attempts to meet privately with Adara.

Will Decker and Adara survive this encounter with the Barions?

The Wayfarer series by Eileen Troemel

Wayfarer Negotiator  (Pages: 266)
Chaos reigns – until Adara negotiates a settlement.
https://books2read.com/Wayfarer-Negotiator-book-4

A riot on a space station throws Adara Stone into a new role.

When Wayfarers clash with shopkeepers, Adara’s asked to step in to settle the dispute.

Decker’s parents are visiting but he doesn’t want her to meet them.  He leaves her on the ship while he spends time with his family.  Until Avin’s, the Etienne hunter, murder case interrupts with an important break.

Negotiating, Decker and Adara clash over her continued health issues.

Can they come together to negotiate a peaceful settlement?

Wayfarer Wedding  (Pages: 198)
A demanding future mother-in-law, a secret mission, and a thousand guests, Adara’s on edge and ready to elope.
https://books2read.com/Wayfarer-Wedding-book-5

Adara and Decker’s big day fast approaches!

Before they can wed, her family is sent on a covert mission to collect information on a hostile race.

Decker’s mother makes demands on how the wedding should be causes tension in an already stressful situation.

Will Adara and Decker be able to protect her family and return in time to have their wedding?

Wayfarer Trials  (Pages: 230)
Her senses on overload, Adara discovers more skills as she faces one hazard after another.
https://books2read.com/Wayfarer-Trials-book-6

Humans only!

Returning from their honeymoon, Adara and Decker with their crew face a rash of attacks on non-human females.

New trainees bring a sense of danger.  Decker and Paul try to protect Adara through a series of explosive events.

Can Adara protect her people with her skills?

The Wayfarer series by Eileen Troemel

Wayfarer Destruction  (Pages:  215)
Everything Adara loves is threatened.  Will she be able to save the Pritchard and her crew or will she lose all she loves again?
https://books2read.com/Wayfarer-Destruction-book-7

Someone wants Adara dead – again.

A disastrous first flight leads Franklin to expose sabotage and industrial espionage threatening Adara’s life.  Orders come down, Adara and Decker are to seek out and meet with the Hettians. They are to return the Hettian prisoners to their home world.

Dr. Nukpana is on the loose, trying to recruit Wayfarers and testing his formula on humans.  The bodies pile up while Adara and Decker cope with an arrogant and foolish diplomat.

Everything Adara loves is threatened. Many she holds dear are at risk. Will she be able to save the Pritchard and her crew? Or will she lose all she loves again?

Wayfarer Freedom  (Pages: 267)
Decker sustains an injury while protecting Adara.  Will the forces against Adara and the Wayfarer succeed in eliminating her?
https://books2read.com/Wayfarer-Freedom-book-8

Adara can’t shake her grief.

Without a ship and home, she feels untethered. Adara is pulled in many directions with her negotiations, training, and consulting. In the chaos of all her responsibilities, her life is threatened.  Is it because of the crimes she’s helped solve, the enemies she’s made at Command or with Nukpana?  Who is after her?  She struggles to find her balance as Decker is injured protecting her.

Wayfarer independence comes before the legislature.  The clan leaders decide Adara is the best woman for addressing the large assembly.  Adara would like anyone else to do it but agrees because her people need her to.

Will she be able to persuade them to give Wayfarer their independent status?

Wayfarer Salvation  (Pages: 252)
Adara, Decker and the Command staff fumble their way through a crime wave, a pregnancy, and the growing pains of a new ship.
https://books2read.com/Wayfarer-Salvation-book-9

Adara’s pregnant!

Adara and Decker experience the fears and joys of expecting their child.  Fears remain from the previous miscarriage.  Decker wants to protect her, shelter her.

With twists and turns of crime fighting, pregnancy issues, and growing pains, the crew of the Phoenix fumble their way through the first days of their contracts with Decker, Hal, Adara, and all the command staff trying to guide them.

Will they succeed on the new ship?

The Wayfarer series by Eileen Troemel

Wayfarer Expansion  (Pages: 232)
First contact with a new race, Adara’s assistants get in a bar fight, and Decker tries to restrict her.
https://books2read.com/Wayfarer-Expansion-book-10

Friend or foe?

Mostly over her morning sickness, Adara juggles Decker being over protective, a new relationship for her niece Jolen, and meeting a new race.  While escorting settlers to a new planet, Adara and Decker meet the Tuscalain people.

Will they be as dangerous as the Hettians or an ally?

Wayfarer Acceptance  (Pages: 204)
Giving birth in a shuttle, Adara and Decker escape kidnappers as they discover who has been behind all the threats.
https://books2read.com/Wayfarer-Acceptance-book-11

Adara gives birth!

Their daughter arrives early and under less than ideal circumstances.

Finally they learn why so many attempts have been made on Adara’s life. While Adara and Decker get used to being parents, Jolen and Tillie take on a hacker. Rhia and Bas work on a murder case.

Adara meets thirteen year old Bethania from the Holy Cross. The Holy Cross is an old private vessel carrying too many people.

It spells disaster.

Wayfarer Convictions  (Pages: 283)
Raiders, Tuscalains, a Services efficiency expert, and a firebug amounts to just another day on the job for Adara and Decker.
https://books2read.com/Wayfarer-Convictions-book-12

Raiders, Tuscalains, and cold cases!

Walter Farento, a services efficiency expert observes the Phoenix. Rhia fumbles for leads in her cold case, while the hacker eludes Jolen. Avin hunts a firebug. Sabotage threatens the assembly of a new station. A breakthrough in the cold case points to something deeper and more sinister.

It all amounts to just another day on the job for Adara and Decker

The Wayfarer series by Eileen Troemel

Wayfarer Limits  (Pages: 193)
Racial unrest ripples across the human territory, hitting close to home with Adara’s family.
https://books2read.com/Wayfarer-Limits-book-13

Command changes the rules.

Disagreeing without fighting, Adara and Decker face the new challenges as Command issues new mandates restricting how all members do their jobs.  Tension rises on the ship and across the human territory.  Diplomatic relations with the Tuscalains goes poorly for the humans but not for the Wayfarers. Racial unrest ripples across the human territory, hitting close to home with Adara’s family.

Will Decker and Adara get on the same page?

Wayfarer Contentious  (Pages: 199)
Command mandates, racial tensions, complaints from trainees lead to Command issuing an ultimatum to Adara.
https://books2read.com/Wayfarer-Contentious-book-14

More Mandates!

Escalating conflicts plague the command staff and Decker and Adara.  New trainees arrive with an unexpected addition.

Racial tensions rise with many attacks on other races. Allies are attacked, humans only is on the rise.

Have they reached a tipping point?

Wayfarer Home  (Pages: 225)
A saboteur dogs Adara’s new leadership as she builds a new society.
https://books2read.com/Wayfarer-Home-book-15

It’s time to leave!

Adara and Decker gather up the Wayfarers, Humans, Briskans, and a variety of other races to leave.  Friends, Georgette, Luke, and Drake, join them bringing needed skills.

Building a new society, Adara struggles with all the responsibilities on her shoulders.  An uncomfortable ship, seven months pregnant and a saboteur create an intolerable situation.  Teamwork and drawing on all resources, including the children, helps get all the tasks done and sets a precedent on how they move forward as they travel to their new home.

Will they survive the saboteur?

The Wayfarer series by Eileen Troemel

Wayfarer War  (Pages: 292)
In the wake of the Hettians invasion of human space, Adara, Decker, and the Wayfarers gather information and resources to aid the few survivors.
https://books2read.com/Wayfarer-War-book-16

The Hettians attack!

Rushing through Human territory, Command does not respond to the attack leaving the outer stations, planets and settlements undefended. Death and destruction follow the Hettians.

Pregnant with twins, Adara fears for her family and her people.  She wants to fight, to protect but doesn’t have the fire power to take on the Hettians.  Short staffed and short on supplies, she questions every decision.

The Lux becomes a way station for those escaping the Hettian invasion.  With assistance from the Etiennes, Adara works to rescue survivors but also tries to let the unsuspecting stations and settlements know what is headed their way.

Will the Hettians annihilate the Humans?  Will any race be safe from them?

Wayfarer Evolution  (Pages: 220)
Unrest with the Humans only group causes conflict and violence on the newly established home world of the Wayfarers.
https://books2read.com/Wayfarer-Evolution-book-17

Humans only survives

Old prejudices haunt the Wayfarers as they make room for the survivors of the human race.  Little incidents of vandalism and bigotry pile up.  Adara and Decker face the day to day running of the Wayfarers both on planet and off.  With Oakes’ reassurance and Decker’s support, she plans to take the new ship and explore their sectors.

Before they can go, humans only make an attempt to harm their children and family. Taking a hands off approach, the investigation is handled by people outside the family.  Violence against the family and Adara’s assistants lead to the Wayfarers first trial.

Back in space, Adara settles into running the Wayfarers and exploring space.  She finds comfort and excitement in learning how to delegate and balance her life.  But the conflict isn’t resolved and follows her.

Will the Wayfarers and Humans come together?

Wayfarer Resolve  (Pages: 233)
The family is threatened by the people Adara rescued. Can they find a way to peace or will the prejudice tear apart the connections Adara and the Wayfarers are making?
https://books2read.com/Wayfarer-Resolve-book-18

Bigotry haunts Adara.

Adara and Decker set out in their new ship to take workers to Monroe and find a new planet for the Etiennes.  While they address violent riots on Homeworld, their children are attacked.  Adara must be Mathair Naclan – mother of the clans.  She learns to take control and stand firm behind her decisions which follow beliefs from a range of races including her own heritage of human and Wayfarer. The bigotry threatens the most vulnerable of her family.

Bias within the Wayfarers and against the Wayfarers frustrates Adara as she and her admin council defend against the Humans only group.  The family is threatened by the people Adara rescued.

Can they find a way to peace or will the prejudice tear apart the connections Adara and the Wayfarers are making?

Excerpt from Wayfarer book one

Hair sprawled out over her pillows, Adara lay naked on her bed. She returned to her quarters after the fighter vessel detained the long hauler. Lolli was returned to her father frightened but relatively unharmed. The other victims of the human traffickers weren’t as lucky. Adara scrambled on hearing a knock at her door. She grabbed the first shirt in her drawer. “Just a minute,” she called rushing to find jeans.

The t-shirt hung to her mid-thighs, she gave up on trying to grab pants and answered her door, hoping it would be Lisa. Captain Flannery stood at her door. “Sir,” she said. She backed into her quarters.

Decker stepped into Adara’s quarters, noted the heap her uniform lay in on the floor. The t-shirt she wore was inside out. “Did I wake you?” he asked remembering she slept nude. He felt a tightening in his groin at the thought of her warm and naked in bed.

“No, sir,” she blushed.

“I see,” he said.

“I wasn’t up yet,” she tried to explain.

He paced around her small quarters. Seeing a basket with her crocheting in it, he noted the yarn was something he and Hal bought her. She still had no pictures or decorations in her quarters. He came to tell her she did a good job. The Etiennes certainly thought she had. Patr had scooped her up into another hug, kissed her forehead as she left the bridge. Frall had even hugged her warmly. What was with these other men touching her? He felt fire and rage in him as he thought of her being with them.

“What’s your relationship with Patr,” Decker demanded completely forgetting why he was there.

“I told you. He’s a brother to me.”

“The way the two of you fondled each other on the bridge didn’t seem very sibling like,” Decker accused.

“He… he put his hand,” she stumbled over her words.

“Yes. That’s my point. His hands were all over you,” Decker growled at her.

“His hands weren’t all over me. He took my hair down and he put his hands on my shoulder to offer support. I’d hardly call that fondling,” anger came to her defense.

“He certainly seemed to consider you his property,” Decker said.

“He did not,” she said. “Etiennes would never mate outside their species. The life span is too different.”

“Sex doesn’t have to mean mating,” Decker said. “I’ve heard Wayfarer women are quite amorous and promiscuous.”

“Hang on just a minute,” Adara’s temper flared. “What right do you have to question my relationship with someone? I’ve not reported any nor is it required I do unless it’s with someone in the services. Patr isn’t in the services so even if I were having sex with him, it would be none of your damn business.”

“I don’t like people man handling my crew,” he growled at her.

“He was hardly man handling me. If he was, it’s up to me to complain about it not you. It’s my body. You have no say in what happens to me in that way,” she said stepping so close their bodies almost touched.

He grabbed her arms and pulled her on tiptoe. He looked down at her breasts pushing against him, “Don’t push me, Adara.”

She put her hands on his chest. His heart thudded quickly under her hands. She caught her breath as he dragged her against him. She felt his arousal and felt an answering need in her own body. “You’ve overstepped your authority, captain,” she said. His mouth was so close, she wanted it on hers.

The Wayfarer series by Eileen Troemel

Let’s meet this amazing author!
NA: Eileen, before we get into the actual interview, I’d like to thank you for all you do to support and work with other authors. Will you tell us a bit about your blogs, the work you do with authors and publishers, your writing and philosophy? We all appreciate you!
ET: Thank you, I hope what I do helps the authors who are featured.  I have four categories which specifically pertain to authors. Tips for Authors (https://eileentroemel.com/category/tips-for-authors/).  This is a series of blog posts which I hope will help writers who think they are ready to step from final draft to editing and hopefully publishing.  As I think of more topics I plan to add to this.  Editor Interviews (https://eileentroemel.com/category/editor-interview/) which asks editors key questions.  This gives authors a chance to get to know editors and how they think. Book Tour (https://eileentroemel.com/category/book-tour/) which I get book information from companies who offer book tours.  However, I also post for any author who asks.  All they have to do is provide me with the information.  I’ve worked with a lot of authors and I’m now starting to get requests from publisher.  Author Interviews (https://eileentroemel.com/category/author-interview/) In this section, I send out 10 questions to authors who want to be interviewed and they provide me answers and pictures and graphics to post.  These all get posted on my web site and then they go out to my social media.

One last thing – though this isn’t on my blog but in my group on Facebook – I’ve been doing live (typed) interviews.  I create a post about the author and the book we’re talking about.  Then in the comments I ask question and the author answers.  Others are invited to ask as well.

One thing I want to say – I don’t charge for any of this.  Yes, it takes time and effort but I’m not out any money.  I’ve gotten to know some great authors and learned about genres I don’t write in.

My philosophy – hmmm well I’d like to have some lofty esoteric response here but the answer is simple.  I’m an author.  Almost daily, I get requests to advertise with some group or someone wants to do a review – but of course there’s a charge for it. Being an author is expensive.  Most of us in this field are saving for expensive items like editing and book covers.  While we put out a lot for these ($300+ for editing and anywhere from $50 up for covers) we make very little in royalties – even as a self published author a lot of people take their share first.  I don’t have the money to help in most situations but I can say – hey come put your stuff on my site and I’ll post them. One post – if it’s sent to me in an organized fashion – takes very little time and effort on my part.  If it takes very little effort and it helps people, then why not do it? So I do.

NA: How did you come up with the idea for your book?
 ET: For a long time, I tried to be traditionally published.  I finally gave up on publishers and decided to leap into the deep end of the pool.  Once I started, I published all my backlog which included a meditation book, romance novel, and three poetry books.  Then I sat back and said – ‘What’s next?’  During a discussion with my daughter, she told me to write her a scifi romance with a woman who wasn’t all that strong to begin with but by the end of the … book but in this case series as well, she was strong and confident.  So Wayfarer came to be.

NA: What sort of research did you do to write this book?
 ET: I’m not big on research.  First I write off the cuff.  So as the story comes to me, I write it.  If I need to know something, I use my phone and google it.  But prior to starting Wayfarer, I did a lot of things.  Science fiction for me put it squarely in the space arena.  I knew I wanted to focus on a woman.  I started thinking about her being different and how did she stand out.  This led me to well if she’s in space maybe she’s not fully human.  When I thought of an alien race, I considered what we here on earth didn’t like.  Prejudices… now this is a big topic and no I’m not diving into politics… but I grew up watching westerns and remember a lot of derogatory comments about people with mixed races – so part Native American and part white typically in those stories.  I also considered groups of people who are disliked.  Being partly Irish, I considered the Travelers – they have a bad reputation along with Gypsies or Romani – not trying to insult anyone here – just thinking of groups who’ve been disliked on sight.  Put all of this into a pot and stir and I came up with Adara, half human and half Wayfarer, pilot for spaceships who has skills because of her genetics but also because of her genetics people distrusted her.

NA: A fun fact about writing your book.
ET: Fun fact… well this was supposed to be a stand alone, one and done book.  I finished the first book, sent it to my readers, and started thinking about what next.  Then all of my readers came back and said – what’s next?  I said – no.  Her story is done.  Again my daughter who wanted the story in the first place said – but you left things incomplete.  Now I hate that in books so I panicked.  She said – well what about her family?  What happened with the Barions are they going to let go or will they come after her again? This started me thinking and the next thing I knew – book 2 happened – Wayfarer Clans

NA: Do you have a day job?
ET: Yes, I do have a day job.

NA: What was your job before you started writing full time?
ET: I work at a University as an administrative assistant.

NA: What started you on the path to writing?
ET: This is easy – my 3rd grade teacher when I was 8 assigned us a short story to write.  It’s the first time I realized I could create stories from my imagination.

NA: What do your friends and family think about your being a writer?
ET: I have a ridiculously large family between my family and my husband’s.  Some – well I’m not sure if they even know I write.  I’ve not had any negative reactions from them.  My mom even knew I write erotica (under a pen name) and she shrugged.  She never read it but she never said anything negative about it to me.  She loved my poetry books and any book with no sex in it.  She even read Wayfarer.  I said, you know there’s sex in there.  She said she skipped over it.  Many of my friends have been asked odd questions when I know they’re experts in something.  Some people have asked to be put in my books.  On occasion I’ve done that.  And yes, I’ve even killed off people in my story who annoy me.  But I’m not telling you who and why.

NA: Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?
ET: I write as I go. If the characters aren’t talking, I’m not writing.  I have almost 30 WIPs (works in progress).  I also write from start to finish.  If I write out of sequence, I struggle to make it all fit.

NA: What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as an author?
ET: This is easy – when a reader says – I love your books.  I feel such a sense of relief that my stories aren’t complete crap (yes on my bad days I think they are) and that someone actually likes them.

NA: Which kind of scenes are the hardest for you to write? Action, dialogue, sex?
ET: This varies for each story.  I think the first time I wrote an action scene where I had to describe in detail what happens to the human body when you stab it or slam a hammer into it – that was hard finding the right balance between me gagging because I hated the scene and still being descriptive enough that the reader wasn’t disappointed.  As for sex scenes, these are really technical.  You want the soft words and the sensual feeling but gauging the level of heat in them is crucial.  Additionally, you don’t want extra arms or readers saying – If they’re doing this, how can they be doing that?  So it’s technical.  Plus coming up with words which aren’t the anatomical words can be tricky because you don’t want them to sound completely ridiculous.  I actually find these scene particularly fun to write – not for the sexual content but because they make me think and work at writing.

NA: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
ET: Aside from writing, I love to crochet.  I’ve been crocheting since I was 12.  I’ve had patterns published in magazines and have even published my own patterns.  I also have a large family.  In my own family, I have a husband and three daughters but our expanded family is ridiculously large.

NA: A pet peeve.
ET: Let me preface this by saying I’ve been in customer service for most of my adult life.  I do not like rude people.  If you have a problem, state it politely and clearly.  Accept that sometimes the answer is no.  I’ve been in stores and other places where people are trying to get their way and they can’t – usually it’s against policy.  I remember standing in line at the DMV (department of motor vehicles) and this woman was complaining because the person behind the counter wouldn’t allow her to do what she wanted.  Now, I worked at the DMV phone line, and KNEW state statutes.  This woman got louder and louder.  I could see the person behind the counter getting more and more nervous.  I spoke up and said, you’re asking her to break state law.  She cannot do that.  She’ll lose her job.  The person didn’t like it but I think the people around me were happy the argument ended.  It probably helped the line moved forward too.

NA: First thought when the alarm goes off in the in the morning?
ET: Fair warning – this is not a polite answer …. SHUT THE FUCK UP!  I don’t like mornings. [NA: LOL!]

NA: What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
ET: They aren’t famous but I’d like to gather my mother and aunts, grandmothers, great grandmothers, and so on going back in my family.  I’d like to listen to all their stories and learn about their lives.  Of course it would need to be recorded so I get every word.    

NA: What are you working on now?
ET: Well typing this out is going to make me tired but just for you.  I’ve got two short stories I’m writing for two different anthologies. I’m working on a co-write with another author for a children’s book which is probably going to morph into three books.  I’m doing refreshes on a number of my early books.  I’m working on the third Wild Magic book.  I’ve got two finished books which need editing and prep for publishing. I’ve got three crochet pattern books to do final touches on.  Other authors have asked me to edit their books – we’re trading services – so two full length novels to edit. I’m helping someone hone their editing skills.  Did I mention the 30 or so WIPs that tug at me?

NA: What is any question we didn’t ask that you would like to answer?
ET: When I first started writing I said I wanted to write at least one book in every genre.  I know that will never happen because there are genres I won’t touch.  I typically write scifi fantasy romance.  I’m stretching out into paranormal and others.  I won’t write in horror, dark anything, and probably not historical – too much research is needed.  Fantasy is probably my favorite genre to read and write because I love seeing the different worlds and societies that come from people’s minds.  I get to make all the rules.  Who wouldn’t want ultimate control like that?

Author bio and links:
Author of Moon Affirmations as well as poetry, novels, and short stories, Eileen enjoys telling a good story or expressing a heartfelt emotion.  She’s been published in The American Tarot Association’s Quarterly Journal, What’s Cooking America, Children, Churches and Daddies, and many other publications.  In addition to her writing, she loves to read, crochet, crafting, research genealogy, and spend time with family.  She has three adult daughters and has been married to her husband for 38 years.

Website: https://eileentroemel.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/EileenTroemel
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/EileenTroemelAuthor/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/eileentroemel/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/eileen-troemel-6667825b/
MeWe https://mewe.com/i/eileentroemel

 

A very Perilous Love: Jan Selbourne #MFRWHooks

Perilous Love by Jan SelbournePerilous Love

Blurb
Barely tolerating each other, Adrian and Gabrielle are trapped in Belgium as the clouds of war loom over Europe. Plunged into a nightmare of lies and betrayal, they flee for their lives as the German forces cross the border. Narrowly evading capture, witnessing death and atrocities, they reach safety as two different people who’ve found deep love. But, the tentacles of treachery have spread to England where Adrian faces charges of treason and a woman who’ll stop at nothing to see him dead.

Buy links

Amazon

MFRW Book Hooks

Excerpt

The first soft shafts of sunlight woke Adrian. The ground was hard and he was cold. He’d barely slept because of his throbbing foot and he was as thirsty as hell. He hobbled to the canal and drank thirstily then dipped both his feet into the cold water. He let out a slow sigh as the pain eased. Gabrielle knelt at the water’s edge beside him and washed her face and pushed her wet fingers through her hair to slick down the untidy curls.

Her voice was low and angry. ‘What was she like?’

‘What are you talking about?’ He scowled, dreading what was coming.

‘Sigrid, Maryanne, whatever her name was,’ she snapped back.

‘What the hell are you trying to do Gaby? Force an argument?

‘No, I’m not forcing an argument. I really want to know! You preferred that woman’s company to mine and your children’s and because of her and my uncle and your unbelievable stupidity, two innocent people have died, and we are forced to rely on each other to stay alive.  Are you proud of yourself? And was her beauty and obvious bedroom expertise worth all of this?’

Adrian turned his head away, angry and embarrassed.

‘I’m waiting,’ she persisted. I presume you also showered her with gifts and expensive baubles while we would be lucky to see you on our birthdays.’

Something snapped inside him. He’d had enough of her barbs and sarcasm.

Furious, he turned to face her. ‘If I could get up and walk away, I would. Just what are you trying to achieve? We’ve avoided capture by the skin of our teeth, we have no idea how to get away, the Germans are pouring into Belgium, thousands will be killed and you want to know if I showered her with gifts. Why don’t we concentrate on getting out of here and then you will be free of me?  Now for Christ’s sake leave it alone.’

‘You want to get up and walk away?’ her voice dripped scorn. ‘Did I walk away from that lonely, empty life, in that big lonely house? Making excuses to your children, visiting neighbours on my own. Did I show such contempt for my marriage vows?’

‘You forgot to mention entertaining Charlton in my home,’ he snarled and flinched as Gabrielle’s hand slapped his face.

‘Yes, your home.’ Gabrielle yelled. ‘I may have lived there and given birth to your children there, but it was always your home. I pray to God we will return to England and you can enjoy your home with your expensive treacherous harlots!’  Her hands clenched into fists. ‘Yes! Brian did share my bed. You were never there, you couldn’t care less about me or our children, you were so besotted with that German harlot’s devious charms you had no idea what was going on. She was exceptionally clever, and you were exceptionally stupid.

Adrian rubbed his cheek and pointed his finger at her. ‘If you hit me again, you will be sorry. You want to know what she was like. She had long wavy auburn hair, a figure that made men’s eyes water and yes, she had expertise in the bedroom. She could drink me under the table and she could discuss politics like a man. She was exceptionally clever and yes you are right, I was exceptionally stupid, because I hadn’t a clue she was German or she’d bedded a cabinet minister or she’d been on other assignments for your uncle. I hope I’ve answered all your questions and I don’t give a damn whether you believe me or not, but I’m bloody ashamed of myself. And I hope to God we’ll get back to England, so you can do whatever you want and I won’t have to listen to your harping sarcastic tongue. Are you happy now?

‘Oh yes, very happy, thank you. Who wouldn’t be, sitting with you on the damp ground beside a canal without food or clean clothes,’ her eyes glittered with contempt, ‘How does it feel that you, a cabinet minister and my uncle shared her? I wonder if she kept an inventory of her jewellery and gifts to remember who gave her what.’

He pulled his feet from the water and stood up. ‘I’m not listening to your ranting, nor am I waiting here for them to find me.’

‘You can’t face the truth, can you?’ she shouted at him. ‘Well, unpleasant as it is, you need me and I need you to survive. When we reach safety, you can go back to the life you enjoyed with your sophisticated women without the inconvenience of an unwanted wife.  And if we get out of here, I don’t want anything from you. Not even a Christmas card.’ Her lip curled.  ‘A gentleman never breaks a business contract, but it’s of no consequence to break your marriage vows.’

Adrian reached down and roughly pulled her up to face him, his eyes black with fury.

‘I can’t face the truth? It’s a pity you didn’t meet and marry that useless fop Charlton eight years ago, because he’d have been the target for your sainted uncle’s lunacy instead of me!  Christ, you haven’t shut up about your miserable marriage but look where it’s got me!  Stitched up like a bloody weaver’s loom, set up as a traitor, hiding like a fugitive. And why?  Because I had the temerity to marry you!’ He turned his back and hobbled over to the grazing horse. ‘I’m leaving, are you coming with me or staying here?’

Gabrielle’s face mirrored the shock she felt at Adrian’s words. Her foot lashed out sending a small log into the water and she walked up to Adrian, her fists clenched, then without warning she burst into tears.

‘I have no choice.’ Her voice was raw with emotion. ‘All I want is to get out of Belgium and go back to my children and never see you again!’

Adrian gripped her arms, his fingers digging into her flesh. ‘You’ll get your bloody freedom one way or the other. If we get out of this, I’ll gladly give it. If I’m shot, you can play the grieving widow for a day or two. Now shut up and help me get this horse into the shafts.’

He heaved himself into the driving seat, knowing damn well they were suffering huge reactions to the events they had witnessed. His insides were ripped apart enough without her rubbing his face in it again and again. How could he have been so bloody naive?  It wouldn’t matter how loudly he protested his innocence, the fact remained his mistress had wheedled far too much information from him and a senior government minister named Edmund. Good God! Sir Edmund Charters! Close to the Prime Minister, related to the Foreign Minister. That old fool must be nearly seventy and you, Bryce, are the biggest fool of them all.

Jan

Jan Selbourne was born and educated in Melbourne, Australia and her love of literature and history began as soon as she learned to read and hold a pen. After graduating from a Melbourne Business College her career began in the dusty world of ledgers and accounting, working in Victoria, Queensland and the United Kingdom. On the point of retiring, she changed course to work as secretary of a large NSW historical society. Now retired Jan is enjoying her love of travelling and literature. She has two children, a stray live in cat and lives near Maitland, New South Wales.

Contact Jan:
https://www.facebook.com/jan.selbourne/
https://twitter.com/JanSelbourne
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-selbourne-2817b6140/
https://nomadauthors.com/

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Seeing stories as a journey: Amber Polo

Every Story Is a Journey

The Pharaoh and the Librarian by Amber PoloAfter writing for twenty years and publishing eight books, I finally figured out my brand—journeys. A road trip across country, a trip back in time, or a peek into a character’s mind, words take us on journeys. We don’t always know where we’ll end up, but sometimes we sit back and enjoy the journey.

The Pharaoh and the Librarian started as a prequel to a series. I rewrote. And rewrote. Along the way I asked for critiques. Editors said many nice things and some things I ignored. I sent the last version to my dream editor through Reedsy. She told me the same things. And finally I listened. She said the manuscript had an intriguing theme and series of events with an episodic life story kind of feel. And that it wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

I told her that her comments mirrored my life as well as my writing and, if I hadn’t been so shocked at the revelation, it would be funny. Yes! Intriguing theme? Series of events? Check. If I drew a map of my life it would be a maze of cross country travels. Yet episodic worked for me. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

Looking back, I see each of my books as a journey. I even included some maps to help the reader follow along. Recovered, the third in my shapeshifter librarian series, my favorite and the most episodic, featured villains chasing my protagonists across the country. Looking even further back, my first romance novel “Hearts in the Vortex,” had a traveling-around-Sedona episodic feel.

So what’s next? It’s time for me to pull out a manuscript that’s as close to autobiographical as I’ll ever write. And, no surprise, my protagonists jump all over the country living episodic lives. Over a 20 year period they stop at many of the places I loved on my own cross country adventures, not knowing the other is also there. (Yes, I do believe in coincidences.)

What’s most fun about a journey? Sharing the beloved places with friends and readers. Hope readers will join my two Egyptian girls and their journeys to a new world.

The Pharaoh and the Librarian by Amber PoloBlurb:

What if Cleopatra faked her death and escaped on a pirate ship? While her sister sailed for Wales with the most valuable ancient books from her Library of Alexandria? And they both landed in an imagined new world filled with crypto-creatures and historical humans?

Trekking to the desert of 1st century New Mexico, Cleo from the Yucatan and Alex from Nova Scotia, they’d need bravery and help from friends and lovers to evade inner demons and determined villains across an uncharted wilderness.

Alternate history- Fantasy-Romance – Adventure!

Map: The Pharaoh and the Librarian by Amber PoloExcerpt:

When Alex emerged from her hut the next morning, Dylan lay in wait. She looked up into his glowering countenance. “What do you want?”

“My sister told me you plan to accompany your books on the voyage? She must be mistaken.”

“She is correct. That is my plan.”

“Are you mad?”

She shrugged and walked on, facing forward, ignoring the giant Druid at her heels. “Perhaps.”

“Alexandria, wait. The journey is long and dangerous. And very cold.”

“So be it.” She kept walking.

He grasped her arm and made her stop and face him. “I’m not talking about ordinary danger. Entire ships do not survive the three-month ocean journey. The crossing is treacherous. Filled with hardships. A ship is no place for a woman.”

Her body stiffened. “No place for a woman! You told me Viking women captain ships.”

“You are no Viking.” He stepped back and rubbed his head.

Her face reddened. “I am Alexandria Ptolemy of Egypt. I will accompany the most valuable library in the world to its new home. If you refuse to go, then stay.” Alex turned on her heel and marched to the caves to continue preparations for the journey. She might not be as courageous as Cleo, but she could be as stubborn.

***

Months later, Alex furrowed her brows against the bitter cold wind. If this was what Vikings called spring, they were truly mad. The ships she’d purchased with Egyptian gold had arrived. Her library, now well-protected inside shells and sealed in skins, was packed into their holds. And, with word that the ice had cleared from their chosen route, Dylan and the Viking captain Skrymir, a giant man with a mustache curled like the horns of a wild mountain sheep, were ready to sail.

Gwynne led them, blue cape furling, to the standing stones for a Druid ceremony. Alex smiled, for the Druid queen no longer appeared ferocious. Her friend’s blue-stained face was lined with kindness and concern.

“Are you determined to make this voyage, dear daughter of the pyramids?”

Alex nodded. “I must go with my books to see them to a safe land.”

“Dylan is an adventurer, but a good sailor and navigator. Many have trusted their lives to him.”

“My library is more important than my life.”

Gwynne embraced Alex. “I have enjoyed your company and wished for you to stay here in Wales, but I understand your dedication. I, along with my librarians, will fight off the Roman wolves as long as we can, so none will know you have left. We have our swords, shields, and magic caldrons. My second, Boudicca, is most formidable. And Y Draid Goch, our Red Dragon, defends Wales.”

Alex held her friend tight. She would miss the Druid Ovate. She’d learned much from her and spent many days with books and tea of lemon balm and peppermint, and many evenings with mead and stories.

Gwynne’s eyes closed. “I have seen a vision. Your books safe in a valley where you will build a new library.”

“Thank you. I will do my best to make that happen.” As comforting as Gwynne’s vision had been, fear of the unknown filled Alex’s heart. Cleo had often called Alex an obsessive introvert who shunned life. Now she must prove Cleo’s words wrong.

Gwynne stepped to Alex and removed Alex’s cape. Then with a flourish took off her own blue cape and placed it over Alex’s shoulders. “May this keep you warm and safe with Druid magic.”

Alex felt the weight of the cape like a comfort and her eyes teared with gratitude. Through the blur she saw Gwynne point to the sky. She looked up and saw a crimson flash soar over the standing stones, then circle back. Flames burst from the dragon’s jaws. It flapped its sharp forked tail. The people below cheered.

“There is one more gift.” Gwynne waved Dylan to her side. “Come to the Circle.”

Alex and Dylan followed Gwynne to the center of the standing stones.

Gwynne’s eyes shone with tears as she took Alex’s left hand and placed it in Dylan’s right. “Alexandria of Alexandria, daughter of Pharaohs, I give you my most precious gift, my brother Dylan, Prince of the Anglesey Druids, and Lord of Ynys Môn.”

Alex’s mouth opened letting in a gulp of frigid air. “What do you mean?”

Dylan squeezed her hand. “My sister is giving me to you.”

Gwynne smiled. “My brother understands it will be a long and dangerous voyage. With Dylan as your husband, you will have protection.”

“No,” Alex protested, attempting to pull her hand back from Dylan’s warm grasp. “This cannot be. I have vowed never to wed.” She looked into Dylan’s sea-blue eyes. “Tell your sister she is mad.”

Dylan held Alex’s hand fast. “I bow to the authority of my Druid queen. Gwynne, make haste with the ritual. My bride and I sail with the tide.”

Alex opened her mouth to protest but only a very un-royal sputter escaped.

With that, Gwynne spoke quickly in the dialect Alex had not yet mastered, and in minutes Dylan had transferred a gold ring from his finger to hers and clasped her in a warm embrace. She stood stunned when Gwynne ordered, “Now circle the stones. Then all will be complete.”

Dylan’s voice was gentle. “Come with me three times around the stone circle and it shall be done. I promise you shall not regret what my sister has decreed.”

 Available: Amazon print and ebook

Bio:

Amber PoloAmber Polo, constantly asking “What if…?” has a hard time writing in one genre. Best known for The Shapeshifters’ Library urban fantasy series which asked what if librarian dog-shifters faced book-burning werewolves, she shares her love of libraries and fascination with creatures and places, real and not-so-real, in The Pharaoh and the Librarian.

Author of award-winning fantasies and Arizona romances, Amber relaxes stressed writers and readers. Her book, Relaxing the Writer offers a catalog of suggestions and simple exercises while her calming CDs help almost anyone relax and find restful sleep.  Heads in the Clouds won Best Romance in the New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards and her essay “Trick or Treat” won the national Story Circle Network Susan Wittig Albert LifeWriting Competition.

To learn more about Amber and her books, find her at:

Website and Blog

Facebook Author Page

Amazon Author Page

Goodreads

Savage Cinderella? YES! Novella series by P.J. Sharon

Savage Cinderella series

Series Blurb:

Eighteen-year-old Brinn Hathaway has survived on her own in the Northwest High Country of Georgia since she was left for dead in a shallow grave by the man who kidnapped her as a child. When a young nature photographer, Justin Spencer, catches the wild girl on film and the two form a tentative friendship, Brinn must decide if coming out of hiding is worth the hope—and the danger—that may await her.

The SAVAGE CINDERELLA Novella Series continues Brinn’s journey from kidnap victim to survivor. A year into her recovery she finds her life with Justin has become a safety net she relies on, but something is missing. After years of living wild in the mountains, taming her need for danger turns out to be her greatest challenge.

When Justin’s friend Cody—now in the FBI—asks for her help in solving a kidnapping case, it sparks new purpose for Brinn—as well as major complications in her relationship with both men.

Follow Brinn, Justin, Cody, and a cast of new characters through a series of novellas (30-40k word short novels). Each story will bring a new adventure, another crime to solve, and more danger for Brinn and company as she navigates her recovery and tries to find her place in the world.

Liberty's Promise by P.J. Sharon

Liberty’s Promise (A Savage Cinderella Novella-Book 5)

Short Blurb: Fresh out of the police academy, twenty-year-old Brinn Hathaway travels to New York City to help her friend, Dani, only to become embroiled in a dangerous mission to take on a corrupt NYC cop. When Sergeant Connor Trask—a superior officer and Dani’s former flame—threatens to destroy her career and her family’s legacy, Brinn vows to do whatever necessary to protect her friend. But taking down one of NYC’s finest could cost both women more than just their jobs.

Buy links:
Series link on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079VXM7JH/
Amazon Print: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1710322268
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081PK453X
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/brVAMk
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/libertys-promise-pj-sharon/1135082250

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/libertys-promise/id1489049305
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/liberty-s-promise-1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48921768-liberty-s-promise

Read First Chapter on Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/story/205301187-liberty%27s-promise-savage-cinderella-novella-5

Savage Cinderella by P.J. Sharon

Excerpt:

The truth was things weren’t fine. I was still no closer to deciding where my relationships with both Justin and Cody were going or whether I was even ready for a long-term relationship with anyone.

I dropped the phone on the table and headed for the best place I knew to forget my troubles, regroup, and get my game face on for what was ahead—the shower. I’d barely undressed and turned the water on when I heard something from the other room. The food couldn’t have arrived that quickly. My pulse shot up, and I came to full attention when I realized it was the front door closing and that I’d left my knife sitting on the coffee table.

It wasn’t Dani since she’d texted she was on her way to the hospital. I swore under my breath, wrapped a towel around me, grabbed the first thing I could find—a blow dryer hanging on the wall—and left the shower running as I positioned myself behind the door.

A second later, the doorknob began to turn. I held my breath and prepared for battle, wishing I was wearing more than a towel and my underwear. After a sharp knock, the door slowly opened, and waiting for it to reach the halfway point, I rammed it with my full weight, hitting the person on the other side with a force that made them stumble. Swearing loudly, a man stormed the bathroom with renewed fury and a “What the hell…?”

Unable to hold him back, I stepped away from the door, making him fall into the room. I turned the blow dryer on him at full heat. He yelped, shielded his face, and retreated.

With one hand covering his eyes and the other holding my knife loosely at his side, he started to say something, but I needed to take advantage or lose the upper hand.

I dove for the knife and tackled him to the floor.

Author info:
P.J. SharonIn addition to her day job as a Massage Therapist, PJ Sharon is an award-winning author of young adult books, including the contemporary novels PIECES of LOVE, HEAVEN is for HEROES, ON THIN ICE, and Holt Medallion winner SAVAGE CINDERELLA. Follow kidnap survivor turned rookie cop, Brinn Hathaway, in the Savage Cinderella Novella Series with FINDING HOPE, LOST BOYS, SACRED GROUND, BROKEN ANGEL, and her latest release, LIBERTY’S PROMISE.

If sci-fi/fantasy is more to your liking, WANING MOON, WESTERN DESERT, and HEALING WATERS completes her YA dystopian trilogy, The Chronicles of Lily Carmichael, which RT Book Reviews calls “An action-packed read with a strong female lead.”

On the road to publication, PJ decided indie publishing was the best fit for her books. Ms. Sharon’s aren’t your average high school stories. Instead, they are portraits of the real-life issues of older teens and their struggles with family, friends, and the guys they fall for as they navigate the transition to adulthood. Although the themes are mature, evoking plenty of drama and angst, PJ writes with a positive outlook and promises a hopefully-ever-after end to her stories. Because of this, readers of all ages will be captivated by the emotional and romantic journeys of her characters.

After a tumultuous youth and a challenging young adulthood that gave her plenty of personal experiences from which to draw, PJ has found her bliss in sharing her wisdom and stories with teens and adults alike. When she isn’t writing and publishing, she shares her 30+ years in the health and fitness industry with clients through ABSolute Fitness and Therapeutic Body Work, a private practice Massage Therapy and Personal Training business she founded in 2005. PJ lives with her husband in the Berkshire Hills of Western MA.

Social media links:
Website: http://www.pjsharon.com
Follow PJ on Twitter: @pjsharon      https://www.twitter.com/pjsharon
“Like” PJ on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pjsharonbooks
Find PJ on Amazon’s Author Central page: http://www.amazon.com/PJ-Sharon/e/B005ONR4IY/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/PJSharon
Read FREE chapters on Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/user/pjsharon
Book Trailers: http://www.youtube.com/pjsharon64
Signup for PJ’s Newsletter:  http://eepurl.com/bm7rj5

 

Taking a Risk by Lyncee Shillard

Taking a Risk by Lyncee Shillard

Blurb:
If Leigh Ronaldson is one thing, it’s predictable. What’s wrong with having a routine? Apparently, it makes her boring or so her ex-boyfriend claimed as he dumped her. And her best friend agrees.

She decides to prove them wrong and books an extreme adventure in Ecuador. The hiking, kayaking, and camping she signed up for. She didn’t plan on the hot guide who by just looking at her made her squirm with desire and definitely not the drug cartel who wants them dead.

Nick Greco golden rule is never to touch a client. NEVER. But rules can’t be broken. Regardless of how hard he is.

Once the local drug cartel starts hunting them, he knows it will take all his skill to get out of the Amazon jungle alive. And if your life is hanging in the balance even golden rules can be broken…

Buy links:
Amazon KU
Universal link

Excerpt:
Where are they?” Ben asked. “What if they heard us and are on their way back?”

“Back to where?” Paul snarled. “We’re in the middle of the fucking Amazon. It’s not like it’s a three-block stroll to the nearest police station.” He turned and pointed down the trail. “We sunk their kayaks.”

“Shit,” Nick silently cursed. They should have been more serious in handling the guys. The fact they had made it through customs without the drugs being detected should have made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. But he’d been too focused on Leigh.

Of course, Hector had arranged the entire thing as a way to entrap them into letting him use their business.

“They have gone nowhere. Their packs are still in the tent.” Hector kicked the food storage container over. “Nick, I know you can hear me.” The man grounded his heel into a package of noodles.

What had happened to Ty? How had the men escaped?

Lyncee ShillardLet’s meet Lyncee:

NA: What sort of research did you do to write this book?
LS: The animals of the Amazon and the Amazon river kayaking.

NA: What is the main thing you want readers to take away from your book? LS: That you need to love yourself and then other people will love you

NA: A fun fact about writing your book.
LS: That I bought 20 small packages of M&M’s. I opened them up to divide them into groups by color because my character starts every month with 20 bags of M&M’s that she does this with and then assigns each day of the week a color. She was peeved because green only had 10 so every Thursday she could only eat 3 M&M’s.

NA: Do you have a day job?
LS: Not any longer, I have guardianship of an amazing 8-year-old that suffers from serve trauma, so I spend my time hanging out with him.

NA: What was your job before you started writing full time?
LS: I worked in an inner-city school. The lives of some of these kiddos broke my heart and still haunt me.

NA: What started you on the path to writing?
LS: My daytime job. I needed an escape from reality so I created my own worlds. Where I could kill people that frustrated me and gave people a happy ever after ending.

NA: Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?
LS: Total seat of my pants. I have a general idea of what I want to happen but I have no idea how many people will die only that people will die…And there will be steamy sex.

NA: Do you have quirky writing habits?
LS: I write in a lot of different places – the lobby of my 8 year old therapy, at the kitchen table while he’s doing school, etc so sometimes I have trouble getting into the ‘zone’ so I start every writing time with the You Tube – Disney’s Top 10 Villains Songs. it’s about 25 minutes and it sets the mood for creating killers, romance, and happy ever after endings 😊

NA: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
LS: Of course, reading but I think that goes for all writers and I consider that part of my ‘writing time.’ I love to cook – in January I started Keto full time and I post the recipes and what I think on my blog. But my true passion which is also related to writing is journaling.

I have a side business – Writing with Crayons – that I do prompts that help people start down a path of self-discovery. I also do workshops in journaling. The key thing everyone needs to remember about journaling is that it’s not just a negative dumping ground then it loses it’s effectiveness.

NA: A pet peeve.
LS: That doughnuts aren’t calorie free

NA: First thought when the alarm goes off in the in the morning?
LS: I can’t remember the last time I set an alarm. My 8-year-old is up by 4:30 every morning regardless of what time I put him to bed, and no one needs to be up before that… and my first thought is “why doesn’t this child sleep…”

NA: What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
LS: Matthew Mcconaughey – Not just because I have a crush on him, but I really love listening to his motivational speeches and I enjoy most of movies.

NA: What are you working on now?
LS: A series of novella called Adrenaline Rush. It will be 3 novellas featuring men whose lifestyle falls into the adrenaline rush category and they must used those risk taking abilities to save someone they love.

NA: What is any question we didn’t ask that you would like to answer?
LS: If I could pack us up and moved anywhere, where would that be? An alpaca farm in New Zealand.

New! A Mermaid's Wish by Lyncee ShillardNew from Lyncee Shillard

About Lyncee:
I live in the cold Northern Michigan (the place of four seasons – they lie! It’sLyncee Shillard just different levels of winter) with my husband. Our children have begun their own adventures, and just as I got into the swing of empty nest, then my grandson came to live with us. Now I’m doing 8 again… they argue everything just case you forgot. And I now remember why I eat doughnuts and drink vodka. 😊

When I’m not hanging out with the 8-year-old, I’m writing, reading, crocheting, and making self-care products. I’m a planner babe and vodka wizard. I also enjoy taking pictures, I’m not claiming to have a talent it’s just something I like to do.

Come and hang out with me…we will talk doughnuts, vodka, and planners…Blog
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