Furbaby Friday with Linda Nightingale!

One Writer's Way

I’m happy to have the talented Linda Nightingale here to share memories of her beautiful beloved horse, and her contemporary western romance, Gambler’s Choice, a stellar story.

Linda: In 1980, the year my first son was born, I discovered the Andalusian horse. Like a poster on my wall says, ‘this horse will change your life’. We were breeding the Arabian at the time had garnered some success in the showring. But when I saw the magnificent Andalusian horses, I fell in love and immediately started liquidating my Arab breeding stock to purchase an Andy stallion.

As usual, I like to start off at the top and work my way up there. I looked all over the country for a THE horse I wanted. I planned for him to be high-schooled (the Andalusian is gifted for the baroque moves—passage, piaffe, lateral work and pirouette) and the airs-above the ground). I…

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Soft Iron by Megan Slayer

Tags

author giveaways, books about gods and goddesses, erotic romance, erotic romance books, goddesses, gods, rafflecopter giveaways, romance

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Megan is giving away a prize pack featuring a necklace made by the author. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Bia is the goddess of strength and compulsion, but those traits have her trapped in iron. A simple kiss could break the curse, but who wants to kiss a statue? Especially a statue of a woman stabbing a man in the heart? She knows better than to hope her celestial mate will find her, but what if her hopes are justified?

Oliver, a very quiet, geeky guy, knows his way around fabric and fashion. He excels at his job of dressing mannequins for storefronts, but he’s lonely. When he sees the statue of Bia, he’s smitten. She’s everything—strong, confident and sexy—everything he wishes to be. What will happen if the shy man overcomes his fears and gives in to his heart’s desire? He just might be able to harness the power of the goddess.

Read an Excerpt

©Megan Slayer, 2018 All Rights Reserved

He waited until the door closed and peeked around the closest boxes. He didn’t want anyone listening in to his conversation. Call him overly private, but he liked keeping some things to himself.

Oliver whipped his phone from his pocket and snapped a few shots of the statue for future reference. He draped his bag over his shoulder, then hesitated.

Oliver turned and ascended the ladder one more time. He stared into her black eyes. He didn’t know what to say, but he felt he owed her a good-bye of sorts. “I’ll do my best for you to make you beautiful,” he said, then pressed his lips to hers. His mouth tingled and he bit back a moan. He’d never forget the statue. He’d see her again, but still she was one in a million.

Oliver eased away from her and touched his mouth. “Good night, Bia. Until tomorrow.”

He climbed down the ladder and headed out of the stockroom. He’d find the best dress and make her look stunning. Now he had to get her out of his mind so he could focus on his other jobs. He waved at Kratos, who was on the phone, then left the store. His favorite consignment shop tended to have summery dresses in stock and always the one-of-a-kind garments he preferred. If he played his cards right, he’d be able to find what he needed, get the statue dressed, and still make it to his six o’clock appointment before Matilde had a snit fit. Time to hit the stores.

About the Author:

Megan Slayer, aka Wendi Zwaduk, is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to LGBTQ and BDSM themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been the runner up in the Kink Category at Love Romances Café as well as nominated at the LRC for best author, best contemporary, best ménage and best anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on Amazon.com.

When she’s not writing, Megan spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice.

Sign up for the newsletter here: http://ymlp.com/xgjmjumygmgj
Website: http://wendizwaduk.com/indexMegan.htm
Blog: https://wendizwaduk.wordpress.com/
Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/wendizwaduk.meganslayer/
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Megan-Slayer/e/B008BJCFSC
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/megan-slayer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendizwaduk/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5330530.Megan_Slayer
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/MeganSlayer

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His Midnight Sun by Viviana McKade

Tags

$.99 book, amazon Kindle, books about damaged heroes, independently published novels, love story, romance novels

Viviana has agreed to share some secrets with us, so:

What are some of your pet peeves?

Ah, I have so many…

• I dislike phone calls because they always barge into whatever I’m doing and I can’t ignore them. I just can’t.
• Unmade beds–what are we, animals that sleep in a dog basket? The bed needs to be redone daily, and very well. In fact, I’m the only one who can make an acceptable bed for me to sleep in.
• AC set any lower than 75. It makes my nose drip and my eyes water. If I wanted to be cold, I’d go and live in the artic.
• I hate when all those different vegetables, all so tasty that deserves their own space, mix together.

I really could go on and on, but I think I’ll stop here because I already come off as grumpy. Which I totally am.

Who is your hero and why?

I have 2. My mother’s father, Nonno Angelo, and my husband Marco. I had a crappy father, and let’s leave it at that. But those two, they never let me down and made me see there are good men around. Men that can be trusted and love me no matter what.

What kind of world ruler would you be?

Nah, I’d pass. I’d have to deal with too many people, and I’d have too little time alone for that. No, I’d give the crown to my husband. He’s be a good one. Very strict, but just and with his people’s wellbeing in mind.

Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?

All of them, come on. Jokes asides, I’m told my writing is very visual–none of my characters overthinks or spends pages and pages trying to figure something out. There’s a lot of action, so they would be good movies.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

I’d start the Margaritas sooner in the day… Joking. No, I wouldn’t change anything.

Summer and Aidan taught me so much, both on a personal level and a writer-characters interaction. For as maddening and frustrating as it was, I learned that it’s okay leave them more reins and simply see where they take you, even if it’s not where you wanted or needed to go.

Do you believe in writer’s block?

Not as much as I believe in writer’s burnout. You spend days, weeks, into someone else’s mind, living their problems as if they were yours. Here is where the crazy stuff starts. On one hand, you have the need to shut yourself up, negate yourself and the way you would act, talk, think. You’re channeling someone else, someone who has feelings, hopes, expectations, hurts that are not yours. You feel what they feel, all of it. Good and bad. But on the other side, to understand them you have to dig deep into yourself and find some old pain they can relate to. And you re-live it, over and over again.

It gets emotionally heavy, sometimes, and you just wish you could be alone in your head.

Of course, the only way out is to finish the story so the characters quiet down–so you keep pushing, keep forgetting about yourself while re-living your past pain. Awesome.

ABOUT HIS MIDNIGHT SUN:

Tormented, fierce, and broken, sculptor Aidan Murphy has judged himself guilty. He yearns for love but pushes everyone away. He longs for acceptance but has lost the key to open his heart. Until he meets Summer Williams. Beautiful and smart, Dr. Williams promises haven for a man who believes he deserves none. All he has to do is let her in and risk his heart and soul.

Summer’s managed to keep her inner light alive, even through tragedy. She’s created a new life for herself and her daughter in Crescent Creek with loving, caring and fun friends–well, except brooding, breathtaking Aidan. She’s used to keeping away from his type, though. All she has to do is ignore the pull of a man who’s turning up to be much more than snarls and storms. Will her compassion and medical instincts let her?

Love can heal a broken soul and shake up a timid heart. Or it can unleash devastation and revenge.

Will Aidan and Summer survive the hurricane?

$ 0.99 FREE with KU

Buy Link

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GDP26VB?

https://goo.gl/L8okF6

THE AUTHOR

Beach bum and country music addicted, Viviana lives in a small Floridian town with her husband and her son, her die-hard fans and personal cheer squad. She spends her days between typing on her beloved keyboard, playing in the pool with her boy, and eating whatever her husband puts on her plate (the guy is that good, and she really loves eating). Besides beaching, she enjoys long walks, horse-riding, hiking, and pretty much whatever she can do outside with her family.

Find me:

On my website http://www.viviana-mackade.blog/

On FB

On Twitter

Amazon Author page

Sweet Christmas Kisses 5

Tags

author giveaways rafflecotper giveaways, sweet romance, USA Today Bestselling author books

by Beate Boeker, Christine Bush, Milou Koenings, Josie Riviera, Roxanne Rustand, Kristin Wallace, Mary Alford,  Jean C Gordon, Liwen Y. Ho

NEWSFLASH: Sweet Christmas Kisses is on sale for $.99.

The buy link is https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Christmas-Kisses-Beate-Boeker-ebook/dp/B07FN4KVWP/ref=sr_1_1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: Contemporary Romance (sweet/Holiday)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURBS:

Blurb Intro:

Fill your holiday stocking with love and 9 sweet romance novellas, from USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, and award-winning authors.

Sweet Christmas Kisses 5 brings you heartwarming contemporary romances that celebrate the joy of the season around the world, including in snowy Maine and the sun-kissed skies of Florida, the mountains of Colorado, small-town Illinois and South Carolina, New York to San Francisco, and even the glittering lights of Paris and the old-world charm of Florence. The Sweet Christmas Kisses 5 bundle features all-new, standalone novellas that will make you smile and fill your heart with the Christmas spirit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christmas With The Poker Group by Beate Boeker, USA Today Bestselling Author. After losing her beloved grandmother and getting dumped by her boyfriend, Sabrina is left feeling like Scrooge this Christmas. She makes a plan to survive the holidays in Florence, only to realize her grieving grandfather has a plan of his own. One that involves the crazy Mantoni family and the distractingly handsome man she’s determined to avoid. It’s beginning to look a lot like a tricky Christmas.

Beate Boeker

Beate Boeker is a USA Today bestselling author with a passion for books that brim over with mischief & humor. She writes sweet, sophisticated romantic fiction and cozy mysteries, many of them set in beautiful Italy. While “Boeker” means “books” in a German dialect, her first name Beate can be translated as “Happy” . . . and with a name that reads “Happy Books,” what else could she do but write novels with a happy ending?

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Beate-Boeker-153573758044433/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BeateBoeker

Website:  http://www.happybooks.de/

Newsletter:  http://www.happybooks.de/newsletter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christmas With The Carmichaels by Christine Bush, USA Today Bestselling Author. Widow and retiree Gabby is ready for a rocking chair. At least according to her daughter. Except maybe she’s not. After getting stranded in a Maine snowstorm with a silver-haired fox, Gabby might find the courage to say “yes” to life once more, and find a Christmas love she never expected.

Christine Bush

Christine Bush is an award-winning author of many sweet romances, mysteries, and novellas. When she’s not writing, she can be found teaching Psychology at a local college, working as a Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice, or (mostly) spending time with her twelve grandchildren.

Links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/christineabush

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Christine_Bush

Website:  http://christinebush.com

~~~~~~~~~~~

The Mistletoe Bachelor Auction by Milou Koenings, USA Today bestselling author. When a supermodel with a string of bad news boyfriends “wins” a volunteer firefighter at a charity bachelor auction, Rose and Ryan might both discover they’ve found their perfect Christmas match. A fun and romantic holiday tale set in the fictional town of Green Pines, Illinois.

Milou Koenings

USA Today bestselling author Milou Koenings writes heartwarming romance novels because sweet stories with happy endings are like chocolate – they bring joy to the world and so make it a better place. She’s lived all over the world, working as an editor and newspaper columnist, but loves staying home with her family most of all. She’s the author of the Green Pines Romance series.

Links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/MilouKoenings

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/MilouKoenings

Website:  https://www.miloukoenings.com

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/milousnewletter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sweet Peppermint Kisses by Josie Riviera, USA Today Bestselling Author. Sometimes the best gifts are hiding right under your Christmas tree. His emotions were once trampled flat. Can he throw his heart over the fence toward the ultimate Christmas gift—a future filled with love? A holiday tale about the healing power of love, set in the charming fictional town of Cherish, South Carolina.

Josie Riviera

Author Josie Riviera writes Historical, Inspirational, and Sweet Romances. She lives in the Charlotte, NC, area with her wonderfully supportive husband. They share their empty nest with an adorable Shih Tzu who constantly needs grooming and an old house forever needing renovations.

Links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Josie.Riviera

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Josieriviera

Website:  https://josieriviera.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christmas In Paris by Roxanne Rustand, USA Today Bestselling Author. Kindergarten teacher Heather thought all her dreams were coming true—until she was jilted by her fiancé three months before their Christmas wedding. Since the honeymoon to Paris is already paid for, Heather determines to go sans groom and have a great time, no matter what. Love is not part of her travel plans, but when a handsome young doctor literally runs into her on the street, the magic of Christmas in Paris may cause a change of heart.

Roxanne Rustand

USA Today bestselling author Roxanne Rustand is the author of thirty-five traditionally published novels, plus four indie novels. She was a Golden Heart finalist twice, and a Golden Heart winner in 1995. She has won two RT Magazine Reviewers’ Choice Awards, and was nominated for an RT Magazine Career Achievement Award. Her earlier books were secular, but she now writes sweet indie romance, and inspirational romance for Love Inspired.

Links:

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/Roxanne.Rustand

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/RoxanneRustand

Website:  http://www.roxannerustand.com

Newsletter:  http://roxannerustand.com/newsletter-signup

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Second Chance Christmas by Kristin Wallace, USA Today Bestselling Author. Ten years ago, Mia Reynolds and Win Barrington spent one magical Christmas together—until lies and manipulation tore them apart, and left Mia to raise a daughter all on her own. Now, both are back in their hometown of Palm Cove, Florida just in time for the holidays. Once they uncover the truth about what happened, can Mia and Win rediscover love and celebrate a Second Chance Christmas with their daughter?

Kristin Wallace

Kristin Wallace is a USA Today bestselling author of inspirational, contemporary and women’s fiction filled with “Love, Laughter and a Leap of Faith.” Her popular series include the Covington Falls Chronicles and Shellwater Key Tales.

Links:

Facebook:  http://facebook.com/KristinWallaceAuthor

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/KWallaceAuthor

Website:  http://kristinwallaceauthor.com

Newsletter: https://www.instafreebie.com/free/wMWhn

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ghosts From Christmas Past by Mary Alford, Publisher’s Weekly Bestselling Author. She was the love of his life, until a tragic accident on Christmas Eve left Charlotte Swenson in a coma. For eight years, Sheriff Dylan Parker of Bitter Creek, Colorado has held on to the hope that somehow his love will find a way back to him. And when Charlotte opens her eyes, just days before Christmas, Dylan can’t help but believe a holiday miracle may grant his every wish.

Mary Alford

Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author Mary Alford was inspired to become a writer after reading such romantic suspense greats as Victoria Holt and Phyllis Whitney. Creating characters and throwing them into dangerous situations that test their faith was a challenge, but 2012 Mary received “the call” to publish her first book — a dream come true. Today, Mary writes Christian romantic suspense, and small-town contemporary romances.

Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaryAlfordAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/maryalford13
Website: http://maryalford.net

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christmas Pizza To The Rescue by Jean C. Gordon. When a freak winter storm strands them alone at the Team Macachek barracks in Central New York, champion motocross racer Royce Evans and out-of-work investigative reporter turned pizza deliverer Samantha Linder strike a bargain that benefits them both. But when it appears Sam has broken the agreement, will the spirit of Christmas be strong enough to save their blossoming holiday love?

Jean C. Gordon

Award-winning sweet and inspirational author Jean C. Gordon writes what she knows best — small-town, happily-ever-afters set in her native Upstate New York.

Links:

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/JeanCGordon.Author

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/JeanCGordon

Website:  https://www.jeancgordon.com/

Newsletter:  http://bit.ly/2wFYzPq

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Love Clause by Liwen. Y. Ho. He needs a fake girlfriend to advance his career. She needs a pretend date to keep her mom off her case during the holidays. The solution to both of their problems? A contractual relationship with one clause: neither of them can fall in love. A Christmas tale set in romantic San Francisco that will cause this reluctant couple to rethink the “no love” clause.

Liwen Y. Ho

Liwen Y. Ho writes sweet and inspirational romance infused with heart, humor, and a taste of home (her Asian roots). She lives in California with her family and blogs about life as a recovering perfectionist.

Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2square2behip/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/2square2behip

Website: http://www.2square2behip.com/

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bt2nEL 

 

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

 The authors will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 
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New Contract for Sinners’ Opera!

Tags

Black Rose Line, paranormal romance, publishing rights, The Wild Rose Press

In June, my rights to Sinners’ Opera, the book of my heart, reverted to me. YAY! Five years I had waited for this to happen.  I read through the manuscript, then shot it off to my editor at The Wild Rose Press.

Yesterday, I heard from Callie in an email attaching a contract! I’m so very happy that Morgan, the hero, will be published by my new publisher.  He already has one book, an anthology of novellas, with The Wild Rose Press, but Sinners’ Opera is his book.

I’d like to share, in part, my editor’s email:

I loved it…  A wonderfully sad story…  I think it gives us so much more of Morgan.  And, of course, we finally meet the elusive Isabeau.  I look forward to getting this on the market. Morgan fans will love it. Nice twist beginning at the end and coming back full circle.

I’m one happy little writer!

Happy Friday

Linda

 

Taken by the Beast by Anya Summers

Tags

Anya Summers, erotic paranormal romance, romance

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Anya will be giving away a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn commenter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Gemma’s life was nearly perfect. She’s just graduated from college and is heading off to graduate school in the fall. She and her best friends are taking a trip she’s always dreamed about. Only, nothing goes as planned. After being chased on the streets of Dublin by a freaking monster, they get sucked into a portal and wind up on another world. As in, not Earth. Now she can’t find her friends, but there is this really hot, naked guy who calls himself a king and is offering her aid.

There’s only one teensy little problem: He says she’s his mate and is planning on keeping her—forever. Oh, and there’s one more thing: He’s a beast most of the time. And Gemma has to decide if she’s willing to give up everything for the one man she’s meant to be with in the universe.

Read an Excerpt

The big beast followed them from above. Its great wings stirred air currents and created a wind tunnel in the alley. Dust and rocks pelted them. She searched for an escape, a doorway or a window they could climb through to safety. But the windows were too high up for them to reach. Their footsteps slowed as they reached the gray brick wall. A dead end. Their dead end.

“What are we going to do?” Moira gasped, frantically searching for a way out of their situation.

Anna whimpered. “I’m not seeing this. We’re not here. We just had something put in our drinks, and we’re back at the hotel. This is just a nightmare.”

Gemma glanced down the alley, attempting to divine their odds of making it back out the way they’d run. And then the thing, for she couldn’t call it anything else, landed in the alley and blocked off their escape route. They were fucked.

They flattened themselves against the brick wall. Gemma searched for a way out, a way to survive.

Moira and Anna flanked her. She wished she could cry like they were doing. Anna was hysterical, telling herself to wake up. Moira was whimpering, her fearful moans guttural, sounding more like they were coming from a wounded animal than a human. But for Gemma, the night had taken on a surreal bent.

The creature approached. Its booted feet crunched over the pavement. What kind of monster wore leather boots? Her scientific brain tried to make sense of the tableau. The thing appeared to be male, judging by the lines of its chest on down to its groin. His large wings, even at rest behind him as he crept toward them, spanned the width of the alley and cut off any chance of escape. The pointed tips of his wings dragged along the brick, scraping the stone. The sound was like nails down a chalkboard.

That’s when things got really weird.

As if their entire night hadn’t become completely FUBAR. They awaited their fate. Pressed against brick. Gemma had always wondered how she would feel at the end of her days, and now she knew. Thoroughly livid. She was incensed that this thing thought to screw up her well-laid plans.

His glowing silver, otherworldly gaze stoked her fury. Anna and Moira were devolving into fear. Their choked sobs filled her with dread. She was the one who had suggested this trip to celebrate their graduation. Her best friends, her sisters of the heart—their deaths would be on her. Anna had wanted to go to the Bahamas. But Gemma had swayed them, persuaded them to go to Ireland instead.

Before she could apologize and tell them she loved them, the wall they were backed up against, awaiting their fates and most likely their final moments, dissolved. Although, maybe that was too simple a term. It melted. The bricks liquefied into nothingness. Instead of stone at their backs, a swirling black mass that reminded Gemma of clouds spiraling inside a tornado, took the brick wall’s place.

The monster was close. Too close now. And he—it—picked up its pace to capture them. She didn’t want to know what the creature had in store for them.

“Go,” Gemma cried, urging her friends to step into the swirling black mist.

About the Author: Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Anya grew up listening to Cardinals baseball and reading anything she could get her hands on. She remembers her mother saying if only she would read the right type of books instead binging her way through the romance aisles at the bookstore, she’d have been a doctor. While Anya never did get that doctorate, she graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with an M.A. in History.

Anya is a bestselling and award-winning author published in multiple fiction genres. She also writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance under the name Maggie Mae Gallagher. A total geek at her core, when she is not writing, she adores attending the latest comic con or spending time with her family. She currently lives in the Midwest with her two furry felines.

Visit her website here: http://www.anyasummers.com

Visit her on social media here:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AnyaSummersAuthor
Twitter: @AnyaBSummers https://twitter.com/anyabsummers
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15183606.Anya_Summers
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Anya-Summers/e/B01EGTVRKC/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/anya-summers
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anyasummersauthor

Buy Links:

Amazon Kindle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FYNT21L
Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1129299444;jsessionid=C9649FCB9932EA5DD4035CA038AC073A.prodny_store01-va04
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/taken-by-the-beast-4
iBooks https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1426028194
Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/books/taken-by-the-beast-the-alcyran-chronicles-book-1-by-anya-summers

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Living Forward Looking Backward by Nate Nasralla

Tags

memoir, non-fiction, self-help

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Nate Nasralla will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

If we’re honest, we’ll admit our days are filled with normal routines, like eating cereal and sitting in traffic. We often wonder, “is this it?”

But do we really have to quit our jobs and travel the world to find a fulfilling, purposeful life? Is it possible to find significance in our daily routines, right here and now?

After experiencing a rapid series of major life changes within a single year, Nate stumbled upon a reality that’s shared by us all: there’s profound meaning in our ordinary, everyday moments, but we can’t see it.

Through painfully-honest storytelling and candid conversation, Nate shares how years of mistakes and missteps uncovered a simple framework that reveals the greater purpose behind our everyday lives, and why the answers to life’s deep questions are often backward from what we expect.

Read an Excerpt:

As I faded between my thoughts and Michael’s words, I noticed something different about him. You know how there are those scenes in movies where someone is talking, and you see their mouth moving, but you don’t hear the words? Only the thoughts in the protagonist’s head?

This was like that. “Why does he look so calm?” I asked myself. There was a peace about him I hadn’t seen before. He looked rested, he spoke vibrantly, and he had a certain tranquility about him. Maybe he only looked extra peaceful in contrast to my own worn-down spirit that day. I couldn’t help feeling, however, that between the two of us, Michael was the one who was truly living.

All of our society’s values and ideals screamed, “that can’t be!” How was it that in a time when Michael was broke, working at McDonald’s, and living with his parents, he seemed less anxious than I was? I was the one leading a growing company with plenty of access to cash and investors; I drove a car and he walked; I picked up our dinner tab; I was going to sleep in a nice downtown loft while he was headed to sleep in his childhood bedroom. By all measures, I was the one who should have felt inner peace. At the same time, as I watched him, I knew those things didn’t matter. The storm stirring inside me, juxtaposed against Michael’s calm, said so.

About the Author:

Nate is an author and entrepreneur who helps us find more meaning in the ordinary, everyday moments of our lives.

Nate and his wife, Erin, were raised in Chicago and now hail from Denver. After moving cities and cycling through a rapid series of major life changes, Nate launched his publishing company, Live Forward, to help others find more meaning in their everyday lives.

Building on his experience as the co-founder of a successful, venture-backed startup company, and as a frequent speaker and trainer on storytelling for nonprofit leaders, Nate’s recent book, Living Forward, Looking Backward, helps others understand the greater purpose behind their own life stories.

Through Nate’s memories, stories, and candor, we learn how the principle of paradox and the story of the Gospel shows up in each of our lives, often in ways we don’t expect, and ways that feel even a little backward to us.

https://www.livefwd.org
https://twitter.com/NNasrall
https://www.amazon.com/Living-Forward-Looking-Backward-Ordinary-ebook/dp/B07DYXHNFM/

Nate will be awarding a $25 Gift Card: a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Featuring Linda Nightingale, author

Behind the Scenes with Diana Stout & Featured Guests

Linda has lived an interesting life from breeding horses to working for a Circuit Judge. She’s won some prestigious awards for her writing. Find out more about her on her website and various social media, and she’d love to hear from you via email.

What is your primary or favorite genre to write? – Paranormal. All of my heroes are supernatural in some way, except Austen, the hero in Gambler’s Choice, my book about the horsey set. Out of all my books, he alone is simply human—well, a handsome human!

Do you have other genres you write for? – I really write across the board: sci-fi romance, fantasy romance, dark fantasy, and, of course, paranormal. I also write erotic romance under the pen name Bianca Swan.

Which project is your favorite so far? Why? –  Sinners’ Opera, first published with a Canadian publisher. When I got my rights…

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Tail of the Dragon by Connie di Marco

Tags

astrology, books about astrology, romance, San Francisco

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Connie di Marco will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

San Francisco astrologer Julia Bonatti never thought murder would be part of her practice, but now, Julia’s former boss and current client has asked for help. He has serious problems at his law firm. Three people have received death threats and the only common denominator between them is a case long settled — the infamous Bank of San Francisco fire. Julia’s convinced a woman is behind the threats, perhaps even the widow of the man who died in that same fire, but no one wants to believe that astrology could provide a clue. Before Julia can help her client, two lawyers are dead and her own life is threatened. Can she unmask the killer before he (or she) takes another life?

Read an Excerpt:

I settled into the office chair and flicked on the computer. Samantha, at the Chronicle, had sent forty-three AskZodia emails. I heaved a sigh. So many people asking for advice. I separated out the letters that asked no particular question and then separated the emails into male and female groups.

A few of the emails were quite intriguing. One woman wrote to ask about the dynamic between her brother, now deceased, and her mother. Her mother blamed herself for her son’s death and was torturing herself with guilt. I could tell by the brother’s chart, strong Uranus and Mars aspects, that there was absolutely nothing her mother could have done to control her son. The mother had done the best she could and needed to let go.

I clicked on another.

Dear Zodia ~

I’ve been happily married for twelve years. My wife is a wonderful woman and a loving wife and mother. For the past few months I’ve found myself attracted to another woman. I know I shouldn’t be, but I can’t help myself. It’s become an obsession and I don’t know what to do. I’ve never cheated on my wife but I find myself thinking about it all the time. I think this other woman is also attracted to me, but I’m not sure. I’m so confused, I don’t know what’s happening to me and I don’t know what to do.

~ Confused

Dear Confused ~

I’ll be very direct. It’s really not a choice between one woman or another. You are yearning. You are seeking an aspect of your own ‘anima’ or female self. Neptune is currently opposing your natal Venus and you, believe me, are most likely projecting all sorts of qualities on to this other person, most of which you would ultimately discover are not real.

We experience great yearnings with Neptune transits and tend to believe that the answer is ‘somewhere else.’ Under transits of Neptune, especially, it is not possible to see things clearly. You and your wife are quite compatible astrologically. It would be a shame to destroy your marriage for what may be no more than a passing wraith.

I recommend seeking professional help to discover what you are missing in your life and your love life. Often, the ‘other’ that you are attracted to turns out to be much like the person you are currently with. There is an excellent book on this very subject: ‘Love Triangles’ by Julia Bonatti, published by Stargazer Press. This might be a start in helping you sort out your feelings.

~ Zodia

Samantha would get a kick out of this response. Me, anonymously, plugging my own book, but I really did think it would be a help to this man.

About the Author:

Connie di Marco is the author of the Zodiac Mysteries from Midnight Ink featuring San Francisco astrologer Julia Bonatti. The Tail of the Dragon, third in the series, will be released on August 8, 2018.

Writing as Connie Archer, she is also the author of the national bestselling Soup Lover’s Mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime. You can find her excerpts and recipes in The Cozy Cookbook and The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook. Connie is a member of MWA, Sisters in Crime and International Thriller Writers.

http://www.conniedimarco.com
https://www.facebook.com/zodiacmysteries/
http://www.Twitter.com/askzodia

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Zodiac-Mystery-Connie-Marco/dp/0738751065/
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tail-of-the-dragon-connie-di-marco/1127149243

IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780738751061

Mysterious Galaxy: https://www.mystgalaxy.com/book/9780738751061

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