When someone tries to kill her sister, it’s time for Julie Cavallo to don her sleuthing cap!
The Provence sweet shop owner rushes to the home of her twin sister in Paris. Julie’s main question is: Who would want Cat, a professional medium, dead? Unfortunately, Cat doesn’t have a clue. But since when has the absence of clues deterred Julie?
Soon enough, she uncovers a suspicious death, unsolved disappearances, and a spiritual community with a dark secret to protect. By the time Julie realizes she opened a big can of worms, she’s in too deep. And her life is in danger.
Cue the handsome captain Gabriel Adinian, Julie’s longtime crush. Why is he in Paris? Probably on assignment for the Gendarmerie Nationale. Or maybe a private matter unrelated to Julie. But what if he’s taken leave to watch over her? Then, Julie hopes he’ll do a little more than watch—professionally and… otherwise.
Can Julie, with the help of her friends, solve the far-reaching case and cheat death once again?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Enjoy an excerpt:
As always when I try to meditate, I grow sleepy. Just as I begin to nod off, someone near me farts.
It’s a whale of a fart, silent but deadly. In terms of impact, it’s closer to a biochemical attack than to an “oops, sorry” mishap. Incidentally, no one says “oops, sorry.”
I open my eyes and look around. Several other students do the same. Everyone shifts uncomfortably and turns their faces away from the source of the effluvium.
The woman on my left appears to be the culprit. Her cheeks, ears and neck are flaming red.
Oh my God, she’s the raw food eater!
The many health benefits of the uncooked peas and cabbage do come at a price. There’s no such thing as free lunch until proven otherwise. Like Faust signing a deal with Mephistopheles, one must give something to get something. Like Anakin Skywalker transforming into the powerful Darth Vader, one must join the dark side of the Fork.
I stifle a smile.
The raw eater half opens her left eye and looks around, as if trying to assess the damage she’s inflicted. When she catches me looking at her, she shuts her left eye… and immediately opens the right one to check if anyone besides me saw her looking and getting caught.
I crack up.
A deep belly laugh gushes out of me, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. I’m roaring and shaking. My face muscles hurt. Tears stream down my cheeks. I haven’t laughed like this in an awfully long time.
Perhaps not since childhood.
Maybe never.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Ana T. Drew is the evil mastermind behind the recent series of murders in the fictional French town of Beldoc. When she is not writing cozy mysteries or doing mom-and-wife things, she can be found watching “The Rookie” to help her get over “Castle”. She lives in Paris but her heart is in Provence. >>> Visit ana-drew.com for a free cookbook and a game!
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Heather Hallman 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.
CAREFUL WITH YOUR WORDS
1897 Tokyo is no different than anywhere else in the world: men are exploiting women. Specifically, Western men are exploiting Japanese women, and Suki Malveaux holds no punches in her condemnation of their behavior in her weekly column in the Tokyo Daily News.
Suki knows firsthand when Western men arrive at Tokyo Bay there’s only one outcome for Japanese women: a child and new mother left behind as nothing more than discarded shrapnel from the heartless war on love.
Griffith Spenser is her latest target. He’s been seen with Natsu Watanabe, one of Tokyo’s esteemed war widows. Under full anonymity of the moniker “The Tokyo Tattler,” Suki makes sure Griffith knows exactly why his behavior with Natsu won’t be tolerated.
Away from her Japanese mask as a columnist, Suki never intended to meet the cad. When he seeks her out to hire as a tutor for his niece and nephew, she’s faced with seeing him day in and day out without him ever knowing who she really is.
Caught in her struggle for anonymity so she can keep battling for women’s rights, Suki’s about to learn the full impact of her words on the people behind the story, especially on Griff.
Read an Excerpt
Tokyo 1897
Foreign Quarter of Tsukiji
Fluttering her eyelashes in a coquettish manner, which had much in common with trying to dislodge a flying insect, Suki faced the man who held her fate in the palm of his rather well-shaped hands. “I was admiring your fine home.”
“I quite like it myself.”
“Was it constructed after the quake of ’94?”
“We commissioned its construction when we arrived in ’95. I’m assured by its builders it could withstand another earthquake of that intensity. Japanese-style homes fare better than brick and stone.”
“Mother Nature has given us many opportunities to rebuild.”
“Mother Nature?” Spenser furrowed his brow. “I thought it was the giant catfish residing under Japan flipping its tail that caused all these earthquakes.” His tone was teasing, while the observation revealed Spenser as the type of foreigner who bothered learning about traditional culture.
“You know your Japanese folklore,” Suki replied.
“I like to be prepared for all the dragons and ghosts I’m certain to encounter,” Spenser said with a smile that brought out creases along his soft brown eyes. “I should introduce myself, although introductions are probably unnecessary. I’m Griffith Spenser, arrived from England, resident of Tsukiji for almost two years.”
Suki mentally added to the introduction: Spenser counted minor members of the British aristocracy among his family, although he himself had no chance of inheriting a title; his company was the most highly regarded foreign-owned trading firm in Tokyo; he’d arrived with a new bride who left him a year later; and he now graced the bed of war widow Natsu Watanabe. Also, he played lawn tennis.
The Tokyo Tattler’s job was to know these facts about Tsukiji’s most illustrious residents, and Suki needed to continue doing this job, which was why she couldn’t let Spenser’s allure compromise her defenses. The man had asked her to his home without explanation. Although she’d like to imagine he’d summoned her to discuss the modern significance of Japanese mythology, she was a realist. Spenser had a score to settle with the Tokyo Tattler, and all this pleasant banter about earthquakes was merely diversion.
About the Author:
Heather Hallman writes witty, sensual, contest-winning romances set in Meiji-era Japan (1868-1912). She is the author of the Tokyo Whispers series that includes Scandals of Tokyo and Talk of Tokyo.
She is fluent in Japanese language, history, and culture, and earned a doctoral degree in cultural anthropology based on fieldwork research in Japan. She lives in Tokyo with her professor husband and two young daughters. In her free time, she can be found translating ancient Japanese poetry and observing the passing of seasons while sipping green tea. Just kidding, she has no free time. But she does watch something that makes her laugh while she does the dishes.
Perennial obsessions include the weather forecast (she checks three different apps at least three times a day, as no single app can be trusted), Baltimore Ravens football (hometown obsession), and making smoothies that taste like candy bars.
Feel free to chat her up about any of her obsessions, or, even better, about historical Japan—any era is fine, she loves them all. She also enjoys exchanging book recommendations, discussions about the craft of romance writing, and stories about life in present-day Tokyo.
Being Grateful for Everything, Especially the Crappy Stuff
It’s Thanksgiving and everyone is thinking of things to be grateful for – food, friends, and the freedom to stuff ourselves silly and then watch football. (Did you like that alliteration? Wasn’t even trying!)
Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s great to be appreciative of all the good things in life, large and small. I also think for writers it’s important to be grateful for those times we’ve faced challenges, because how else do we create interesting, complex characters if we haven’t experienced both good and bad things in our lives?
Those mean girls in high school who made fun of your hair? Thank them for helping you understand that behind every bully is a scared person who isn’t necessarily evil, maybe even redeemable. The antagonist in your next book will be vivid because of it.
The friends who abandoned you in your time of need or grief? Knowing for sure that everyone is flawed and struggles with what to do in awkward situations can provide fuel for your next novel.
The dog next door who howls all night long? Pretty sure Arthur Conan Doyle must have had a neighbor like that as inspiration for “The Hound of the Baskervilles”.
An old boss of mine would say that life is like a quilt – without the dark patches to contrast with the light it would be pretty boring. The same is true of any book or character – without the lows there would be no highs. Or as Edgar Allan Poe put it, “Never to suffer would never to have been blessed.” Granted, that might not have worked out so well for him, but you get the idea.
Most people have heard the quote from German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche – “That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.” I’d alter it a little – that which does not kill us, will give us richer, deeper, more interesting characters to write about.”
Challenges are one thing, but if you are feeling a little too in touch with your inner-Poe, talk to someone. According to the website everyday HEALTH writers have depression or manic-depression more often than non-writers, so be aware of the difference between sadness and depression and get the help you need.
~*~
Blurb:
After injuring herself on the job as a Los Angeles cop, Mel O’Rourke leaves the force battered both physically and mentally. Looking for a fresh start, she moves to a quiet mountain town and opens the Babbling Brook Inn. Excited for her new life, Mel decides to participate in the town’s holiday cookie contest, but her newfound joy goes up in smoke when one of her guests turns up dead in her lobby.
Mel is tempted to attribute the death to natural causes but when another guest dies, her cop instincts kick in. The local Sheriff tells her to stand down, but Mel can’t let it go. With everything on the line, she has to push through her fears to catch the killer before more bodies drop, perhaps even her own.
Excerpt :
“Keep him in our freezer?”
It took Mel over twenty minutes to get through to the sheriff’s department. After telling the dispatcher what happened, that was the best advice he had to offer. No one was available to come out for a non-emergency until late tomorrow morning at the earliest. She thanked the dispatcher and returned to the Great Room to mentally measure the body. It surprised her when Jackson, apparently over his squeamishness, tagged along behind her.
The Babbling Brook only served breakfast, and when they replaced all the old appliances with gleaming new ones, thanks to her brother Liam being a contractor, Vinnie had insisted they’d be serving fresh food and wouldn’t need the big chest freezer that used to be in the laundry room. Instead, they bought a smaller upright one for the kitchen. Unless someone held the door to this smaller unit closed until Mr. Hubbard froze into an upright human popsicle, it wouldn’t do.
She scrubbed her hand across her eyes and heaved a sigh. “I don’t suppose we could just put him outside? Surely it’s cold enough?”
As she feared, Jackson shook his head. “Unless you’ve got a way to keep him in a high place, bears, coyotes or even dogs might get to him. What about a garage or tool shed?”
She gnawed at her thumbnail. “Nope, not yet anyway. Liam was going to get around to it this summer.”
“Liam?” Jackson’s attempt to act casual sounded strained. “Is he your husband?”
“Ewww, no. He’s my pain in the ass younger brother.”
For the moment, Mel pushed aside how oddly relieved Jackson appeared with her answer. There’s a dead guy under a sheet in her Great Room, and her marital status was what he’s worried about?
“I’ve got room in the freezer at my café, Ms. O’Rourke,” Jackson offered.
“You’d do that?”
He smiled, his dimples working their charm. “It’s a small town. Neighbors help each other out.”
“Yeah but keep a DB in with your food?” She shuddered. “That can’t be good for your ‘A’ rating.”
Mel was only partly joking. A thing like that would cause a stir for the health department in LA.
“Hey, if it’s good enough for a luxury cruise ship, it’s good enough for The Hungry Puppy.” He hurried to explain. “This one time on the Queen Mary they had to…never mind. I’m kidding, I have a spare chest freezer on my service porch. My dad likes to go hunting, and on the off chance that he actually shoots anything, we keep an extra one for storage. I have to turn it on, but in this weather I’m sure your Mr. Hubbard will be fine until it gets running.”
She put her hand out, surprised at how rough his hands were when he took it in reply. “Please, if you’re going to store dead bodies for me, call me Mel.”
“Jackson Thibodeaux. When I’m not blocking your drive, I run The Hungry Puppy Café.”
Marla White started her illustrious career as a storyteller at the age of four by drawing on the TV screen to help Winky Dink get out of mortal danger, earning her a firm spanking. Deterred by the negative feedback, she studied to be a park ranger instead until she realized it was really a TV show about park rangers she liked, not the actual outdoors. She enjoys a career in television as well as teaching story workshops at UCLA Extension.
Appropriately, she found out on April Fool’s Day she’d sold her first book, “The Starlight Mint Surprise Murder” to Wild Rose Press.
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Ernesto Patino will be awarding a $30 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.
Hired to investigate the murder of an 84-year-old widow, P.I. Joe Coopersmith hits one dead end after another in his search for leads. With few clues and no suspects, he nearly gives up, until he uncovers a connection to a bizarre plot to kill the descendants of Irish soldiers who fought for Mexico during the Mexican-American War. Known as San Patricios, they belonged to the St. Patrick’s Battalion, an elite Mexican unit composed mostly of Irish immigrants. When a well-preserved diary of an Irish soldier turns up, Coopersmith knows he’s on the right track. He digs deeper into the plot, soon learning the identity of the man behind it and his warped motive for the cold-blooded murder of the elderly widow.
Read an Excerpt
Excerpt from the diary of Kevin O’Leary.
September 13, 1847
I am writing this from the home of Father Bernardo, who is not only my protector but my only source of information about what is happening throughout the city. This morning the last of the condemned San Patricios were hanged within view of Chapultepec Castle. Father Bernardo witnessed the event, which he described as barbaric beyond belief. With nooses around their necks, they waited over 3 hours before they were hanged. May they rest in peace and may Mary, our Mother, watch over them for eternity.
As I deserted after the battle of Monterrey, I know the Americans will show me no mercy. But I thank God that David McElroy and John Brooke were spared the noose because of their youth. They were with me when we slipped away from the Americans as they celebrated their victory.
About the Author:Ernesto Patino has been a musician, soldier, schoolteacher, FBI agent and private investigator. He is a multi-genre author whose books range from Mysteries and Thrillers to Romance and Children’s books. His published works include In the Shadow of a Stranger, Web of Secrets, The Last of the Good Guys and One Last Dance. He lives in Southern Arizona with his wife Pamela with whom he shares a passion for ethnic cuisines, classical music and foreign films.
This is a fantastic, genre-bending series that weaves together the best mystery, visionary, and speculative fiction elements. With characters that span across books and time, The Rewired Series explores what plagues humanity and the impact each person can have while leaving you with the promise of a better tomorrow. Alexander Mukte wraps all of these themes inside edge-of-your-seat, engaging mysteries with larger-than-life characters you’ll want to revisit again and again.
Blurb: The Recruiter
A fast-paced and thought-provoking mystery that will keep you on your toes until the very end. The Recruiter is an entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable start to the series, full of intriguing twists and turns.
Leslie may be an idealist, but she’s no fool. She trusts her boss, Ori, implicitly. He has vision, principles, and a way with people. When a bomb is detonated at work, she finds herself caught up in a whirlwind of events. All of a sudden, their lives are on the line, and every choice matters.
Is Ori who she thinks he is? Why would anyone want to hurt him? And how do they get out of this mess? Leslie doesn’t have it all figured out, but what becomes clear is that there’s a lot the world doesn’t know about Ori Clayborn.
Jessica is driven to make a difference by uncovering the truth. Investigative reporting is her life. One day she gets a unique assignment that leads her back to her hometown and into Ori’s orbit. What will she find, and what’s her role in this?
The Recruiter is a captivating, imaginative story that draws you in deeper and deeper, page-by-page. Alexander Mukte creates a universe that pulls you in and doesn’t let you go.
Blurb – Deeply Rooted Dreams:
This bold and compelling sequel is an evocative page-turner on the journey to a better future.
Since her encounter with Ori years ago, Jessica, an investigative journalist, has continued her mission to print the truth that the world needs to hear. Her pursuit has led her to meet with a source, Zach Carver, a leading mind at Singularity Group. The meeting goes awry, and Jessica awakens to find that she has a gap in time and memory and that Zach is now missing.
What happened? Who is responsible? And how can she help Zach? It is imperative that Jessica find out, and to her surprise, Ori has reappeared to help her do just that.
Malik, an intelligent and inventive young man, is determined to find a way to overcome the virus that has impacted the world. When he crosses paths with powerful people at Confidence Biotech, the leading treatment and contact tracing company, they take an unusual interest in him. Then, all of a sudden, they paint Malik as public enemy number one, forcing him to go on the run.
What do they want from him, and does this mean that he is close to discovering something they couldn’t?
Deeply Rooted Dreams is the second installment of The Rewired Series, unveiling more of the universal trial that Ori alluded to in The Recruiter. Alexander Mukte’s second novel creates an even more intricate world, striking an engaging balance of mystery and wonder.
Excerpt From “The Recruiter”:
Chapter 6
Leslie’s ears were ringing as she began to regain her senses. She saw Ori kneeling over her. His lips were moving, but she was having trouble making out his words. Slowly she realized he was asking, “Are you ok?” She nodded feebly, and he extended his hand to pull her up to sitting.
Panic rose in her chest. She must have blacked out. She started looking around, trying to piece together what happened and if everyone was ok. Past Ori she saw fire and smoke coming from a car. And a few feet away from him, she saw Roger sitting and holding his head. She realized there was a pounding in her own head as well.
Ori touched her shoulder, and she realized he was saying something else to her. She tried to focus. “We’ve got to get you and Roger inside where it’s safe,” Ori was saying.
“Isn’t that your car?” Leslie asked.
“Don’t worry about it; everything is ok. We need to get inside where it’s safe,” Ori said.
“What about Ms. Hetty?” Leslie asked.
“She’s okay; she was inside the building,” Ori said. “Are you ok to stand up?”
Leslie noticed that Roger made his way over to her and extended his hand to help her up. Leslie took both of their hands, and the two men helped her to her feet.
Jordan appeared as well as a flood of other employees. Ori yelled, “Everyone, stay in the building, away from the windows. Jordan, call the police.”
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Alexander had an active imagination his whole life, but it wasn’t until the birth of his son that he began putting the stories in his mind on paper. He wanted to be an example of someone pursuing his passion, dreaming big, and taking chances.
Alexander loves people, their stories, and their backgrounds as well as what shapes them, how they think, and what they dream about. He has a passion for learning and is known by most as an intensely curious person who eagerly soaks up anything and everything he can. He dreamt of a career that allowed him to learn new things every day. In writing, he has found a life that allows him to do just that.
After graduating with a degree in business, Alexander volunteered in the U.S. Peace Corps where he aided in creating sustainable small business ventures in Central America. Before taking this leap of faith, Alexander did Business Development and Consulting for large domestic and international companies. These experiences weave themselves into the characters, places and stories he creates.
An avid traveler, Alexander enjoys exploring new places with his family. He was raised in Southeastern Arizona, and now calls Georgia home, along with his wife and two sons.
The Recruiter is Alexander’s first novel, though perhaps the 39th in his mind. We hope you enjoy it, and Deeply Rooted Dreams, as much as we have.
By way of introduction, Ms. Smith has agreed to a short interview, then we’ll dive into her post-apocalyptic science fiction with If Darkness Takes Us. Very intriguing title!
So, stay tuned. The author will be awarding a $50 Amazon or B/N Gift Card via Rafflecoptor (random drawing) during the tour.
What is your greatest temptation:
In food: Barbecue pork ribs. So bad for me, but so delicious. Luckily, I don’t have access to them very often.
In clothes: Flamboyant blouses with artistic designs.
What is your greatest weakness (example: buying shoes)?
Buying gifts for my family and friends, especially for Christmas, and almost any cocktail with tequila in it.
If you could have any kind of car, what would it be?
An electric blue Tesla Model Y – a bit sporty but also practical, and it would make me happy to create less pollution in the world.
Your dream home – mountains or ocean?
If I have to pick one of the two, it would be the ocean. But I’m a fan of low, rolling hills, and even the plains with their spectacular skies.
What inspired you to become a writer?
I’m not actually sure what inspired me, but I have wanted to be a writer ever since I wrote my first story as a six-year-old. Something just burns inside me so that I have to tell stories, and it’s most fulfilling if they are stories that I’ve invented myself.
Do you have a daily writing routine? If so, please share.
I don’t actually sit down to put words on paper every day—I work part-time doing accounting and income taxes, and it also takes a lot of time to market books. But I do think about my stories pretty much constantly, and for me, thinking is the most important part of writing. On the days that I do write, I usually start around noon and write until 6:30, when I stop to eat dinner and spend time with my husband. He goes to bed early because he has to get up at 4:00 a.m., so I often write more after he goes to bed. I have to stop a few hours before bedtime, or I will never get to sleep.
What is your favorite book?
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is my favorite, but there are so many other excellent books that I love: Cider House Rules, by John Irving; A Constant Gardener, by John LeCarré; Beloved, by Toni Morrison, and dozens more.
What is your favorite movie?
Cold Mountain, based on the book by Charles Frazier, is very high on the list, but also: The Sixth Sense, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, On the Beach (the Gregory Peck version), Mystic River, and dozens of apocalyptic movies, the best of which by far is The Road, based on the Cormac McCarthy novel.
Who is your favorite historical figure?
Mahatma Gandhi, for his courage and his love of justice and for coming up with a nonviolent means of accomplishing his peace and justice goals.
If you were given the opportunity to spend a day with any person, living or dead, who would it be?
My parents, who passed on in 2001. I have so much I want to ask them.
Who is your favorite heroine and please introduce her?
In If Darkness Takes Us, my favorite heroine is the protagonist, Bea Crenshaw. She’s almost seventy and has been worried about environmental collapse. When she inherited two million dollars, she hid it from her family and bought the house behind hers, which she filled with food, seed, water, and survival gear. A solar pulse destroys modern life while she’s alone with her four grandkids, and their parents don’t return home. Bea has to teach the kids to survive without power, phones, cars, or running water. She’s whip-smart, funny, and too controlling, but she is fierce about protecting her grandchildren and teaching them to live with love and grace in an altered world. I could only hope that I would be half as heroic if I were to find myself in Bea’s situation.
In your books, who is your favorite hero and please introduce him?
In If the Light Escapes, the protagonist hero is Keno Simms, Bea’s 18-year-old grandson. He’s a young man who loves his grandmother and the rest of his family mightily and will do what has to be done to protect them. He wears his heart on his sleeve and is under immense pressure to become a man in the face of an apocalypse with all its dangers. He lifts me up with his heroism, and he makes me ache for him.
Would you date your favorite hero/heroine?
No, dating Bea would be too much like dating myself. And Keno is fifty years younger than I am. He’s like a grandson to me, so no. Now, if I were a teenage girl who didn’t create Keno as a character, then absolutely. And there is an old man in both books that I would date, Jack Jeffers, who is based on my stellar husband. Also, in my first novel, Something Radiates, a paranormal thriller, I would totally date the hunky carpenter, Johnny Trahan. He is based on a younger version of my husband.
New releases anytime soon?
If the Light Escapes is a standalone sequel to If Darkness Takes Us, and will be published by SFK Press on August 24, 2021. It will go up for pre-order on Amazon by early August.
Thank you for hosting me and my books on your blog. It’s much appreciated. – **You are most welcome, and best wishes with your new novel!!**
GENRE: post-apocalyptic science-fiction
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
In suburban Austin, Texas, Bea Crenshaw secretly prepares for apocalypse, but when a solar pulse destroys modern life, she’s left alone with four grandkids whose parents don’t return home. She must teach these kids to survive without power, cars, phones, running water, or doctors in a world fraught with increasing danger. And deciding whether or not to share food with her starving neighbors puts her morality to the test.
If Darkness Takes Us is realistic post-apocalyptic science-fiction that focuses on a family in peril, led by a no-nonsense grandmother who is at once funny, controlling, and heroic in her struggle to hold her family together with civility and heart.
The book is available now. It’s sequel, If the Light Escapes, is told in the voice of Bea’s eighteen-year-old grandson, Keno Simms, and will be released by SFK Press on August 24, 2021.
“Bea Crenshaw is one of the most unique characters in modern literature—a kick-ass Grandma who is at once tough and vulnerable, and well-prepared to shepherd her extended family through an EMP disaster, or so she thinks.”
—Laura Creedle, Award-winning Author of The Love Letters of Abelard and Lily
“There is real, identifiable humanity, subtle and sweet and sad, and events utterly shattering in their intensity.”
—Pinckney Benedict, Author of Dogs of God, Miracle Boy, and more
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT:
No matter how desperately a mother loves you, she can only put up with so much. And so, the day came when Mother Nature lashed out against us.
I understood where Nature was coming from. My family never listened to me either, which is why I didn’t tell them about the guns I’d bought.
The whole thing started with the train wreck.
On a Friday in early October, the young adults in my family went to the Oklahoma-Texas game up in Dallas—a big football rivalry around here. They dragged my husband, Hank the Crank, along with them, leaving me in South Austin with my grandchildren.
At the time, I was glad to see Hank go. He’d been making me crazy since he retired: hovering like a gnat; micromanaging my coffee-making; griping at me for reading instead of waiting attentively for him to spout something terse. Lord, I needed a break from that man. The three-day trip to Dallas seemed perfect.
I wasn’t a built-in-babysitter type of grandma, and I only saw my four grandkids together as a group on birthdays and holidays. For weeks I’d been excited about spending a long weekend alone with them.
A cruel trick sometimes, getting what you ask for.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Brenda Marie Smith lived off the grid for many years in a farming collective where her sons were delivered by midwives. She’s been a community activist, managed student housing co-ops, produced concerts to raise money for causes, done massive quantities of bookkeeping, and raised a small herd of teenage boys.
Brenda is attracted to stories where everyday characters transcend their own limitations to find their inner heroism. She and her husband reside in a grid-connected, solar-powered home in South Austin, Texas. They have more grown kids and grandkids than they can count.
Her first novel, Something Radiates, is a paranormal romantic thriller; If Darkness Takes Us and its sequel, If the Light Escapes, are post-apocalyptic science fiction.
An act of rebellion, Marin doesn’t think that running into the new store in town will hurt anything. Her aunt will never know… right? One car wreck later, her aunt is hospitalized, Marin is forced to spend her twenty-first birthday fighting for her life, and magic – the very thing her aunt has always sworn to be for fools – is real. And so is the irresistible Fae dedicated to Marin’s protection.
Kyland has searched Earth-side and all the other realms, looking for a missing Fae child. A child his Queen prophesied would be able to one day save the Fae people from the Danshue, as the evil Fae threat tries to overwhelm the entire Supernatural Community. A child that would know nothing of her blocked gifts, or her Fae heritage waiting to be claimed. A child that has grown into a curvy, delicious morsel he would love to taste
Together Marin and Kyland will fight Fae assassins, overcome betrayals, and if they’re lucky … they will find the Danshue responsible for their plight. That’s if Marin doesn’t shock him to death with her erratic new gift, and her out of control emotions.
Marin needed answers. Like why had they been targeted? The parking lot hadn’t exactly been lacking for vehicular violence victim contenders. There had been a group of at least four women, standing by their cars, chatting. If there was a target more deserving of vehicular rage, it had definitely been that group of women. They had finished shopping, and courtesy demanded that their parking spots were to be relinquished as soon as possible. Why not them?
The man—and Marin was only guessing that the driver was a man—had bypassed those without parking lot etiquette and zeroed in on Lindal. If she had continued her slow progress through the parking lot, would Marin be in this horrible room with its beeping monitors and bleached air instead of Lindal.
Staring down at her aunt’s unmoving form, Marin tried to find a place to rest her hand. She needed to touch her. She needed to know that the only person willing to take her in, after the death of her mother, was really here and still alive.
“They will find him, Lindal. He won’t get away with this,” Marin made her vow as quietly as possible, not wanting to disturb Lindal’s recovery.
Glancing up to keep tears from falling from her eyes, Marin noticed something swinging off of Lindal’s oxygen line. “What the…” It looked like a Barbie doll with wings, perhaps six inches tall. The odd little creature wore a loin cloth and sported some overly obvious male attributes. Was it wrong to be checking out the abs of someone no larger than a child’s toy?
His arms tugged and his muscles bunched as he attempted to make a knot in Lindal’s oxygen line. His silver skin tone went beautifully with his tri-colored wings— a mix of light purple, maroon, and gold. The little man didn’t seem to realize that Marin was staring at him.
“Stop,” Marin shouted. Dammit, this was a hospital. She needed to lower her voice. She also needed to go upstairs to the psych ward. Head trauma, shock, or hallucinations¼ something wasn’t right. If she told Lindal about this, her aunt would call her every kind of fool.
Hallucination or not, she grabbed the little man by the wings, pulled him from Lindal’s oxygen line, and tried to speak more calmly. “What do you think you’re doing?”
She finally had her figment’s attention. A striking, though small, pair of lavender eyes glared at her through overly long sandy brown bangs. On closer inspection, she could see that his hair was actually multicolored. It seemed to go from crystal white sand to bronzed gold.
“Well, answer me. What do you think you’re doing?”
“Waiting for you, of course.”
“What are you?” She was losing it. The buzzing in her temples was increasing. And she was now speaking to a figment of her imagination. Yep, she needed to be medicated.
The creature put its tiny fists on narrow hips. “A Sprite, of course. Don’t you know anything? I have my work cut out for me.” Now she was being insulted by her imagination. Great.
“Nope. Too Much,” Marin said and tossed the little man with wings out of the hospital window. She needed coffee. Either that or a large dose of Thorazine. Maybe both.
All About Tracey Clark!!
I am a country-twang gal from the bluegrass state. Kentucky is a hot bed of horses, cave systems, and whiskey. And I love all three. With my pugs and bossy kitty cat, I spend my days writing and working social media. I write with the help of the voices pushing me to create worlds for them to live in. Fantasy Romance, Contemporary Romance, and eventually some cowboys (because cowboys live in a group all their own, yummmm)… These are the genres that I love best. Oil paints, crafts, dealing with Multiple Sclerosis, and writing into the dead of night… this I my life!!!
To Find out more about Tracey here are some links…
Interviewer: You’ve had quick the introduction to the Fae world, Marin… Can I call you Marin..
Marin (reddened cheeks): Uhh… sure… I mean, that’s what most people call me… Kyland has been call me, Minzet, but I’m pretty sure that’s something just between us since it means Sweet One… but…yeah… Marin would be best.
Interviewer (light chuckle): Great. Well, I nice to finally get to sit down with us… and as the new Princess to the Fae people, with such an odd upbringing… the Fae would love to know a little pit about you… Tell us a little bit about day to day life in the royal world…
Marin: Pfft… Most of the time I think they have the wrong girl… I mean… I was home schooled, and have worked at Finder’s Keepers since I turned 17… for the past four years I have been slipping into Finder’s Trances in order to locate everything from pets to abduction victims… from car keys to family heirlooms… it sounds like important work but really, I mostly had to pull a bunch of information together so that other Finder’s could go out on Mission to locate whatever the client had misplaced…
Interviewer: That sounds like important work to me… also, something that would take a toll on your emotions… do you have someone to cuddle up to at night to help you get through the day???
Marin (Cheeks now flaming red): Kyland… he came out of nowhere and changed my life… and he doesn’t even mind when I accidentally shock him with this new power that has a tendency to get out of control when I’m upset…
Interview: …. (shuffles through questions) … (scoots chair back and grits her teeth)… What goals and hardships do you face… what do you want for the Fae?? I mean… what are your plans to keep the Fae community safe?? (scoots back a little further…)
Marin (head cocked to the side): I’m still learning about the Fae world.. but I would say my goal is to keep as many people safe as I can… (fists clench) … if the evil Fae, those Danshue ********… sorry for my language, but if they would just stop getting in the way, I could learn a little faster… someone needs to stop the Danshue before this community I’m just getting to know dies out…
Sparks light up on Marin’s hands, but Interviewer merely gets a white
Knuckled grip on her set and continues…
Interviewer: One final questions and we will let you get back to your new duties as Princess… Can you tell us what fears you are facing in this new chapter of your life???
Marin: … (Deep Breath…) Lindal… that the woman that pretended to be my only family, that kidnapped me as a child (sparks on her fingertips) … that she will find a way to finish what she started… (more sparks) … that she will find a way to hurt the people I am coming to care about… that she will hurt KYLAND … (small explosion blowing out all the lights)
Interview warily pulls herself up out of the floor, where she dove to avoid flying glass…
Interview(voice shaky) : Alright… I think that’s all we have time for… thanks for stopping by Princess…
Multi-published author Linda K. Sienkiewicz writes women’s fiction/contemporary romance. Her debut novel is titledIn the Context of Love:
What makes us step back to examine the events and people that have shaped our lives? And what happens when what we discover leads to more questions? In the Context of Love revolves around the journey of Angelica Schirrick as she reevaluates her life, and its direction.
Returning with her children from their first visit with her now imprisoned husband, she tries to figure out where it all went so wrong. Can she face the failures and secrets of her past and move forward? Can she find love and purpose again? Her future, which once held so much promise, crumbled like dust after the mysterious disappearance of her first love, and the shattering revelation that derailed her life, and divided her parents. Only when she finally learns to accept the violence of her beginning can she be open to life again, and maybe to a second chance at love.
Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of #1 NYTimes Bestseller, DEEP END OF THE OCEAN, says: “With humor and tenderness, but without blinking, Linda K. Sienkiewicz turns her eye on the predator-prey savannah of the young and still somehow hopeful.”
Bonnie Jo Campbell, author of Michigan Notable Book MOTHERS TELL YOUR DAUGHTERS, says “Sienkiewicz’s powerful and richly detailed debut novel is at once a love story, a cautionary tale, and an inspirational journey. It should be required reading for all wayward daughters, and their mothers, too.”
Excerpt from In the Context of Love:
I lay, stomach down, on my bed with my head hanging off the edge. I was an analytical person, a conscientious honor roll student, a quick learner. I’d studied literature, ancient history, read Shakespeare and Salinger, yet none of it, nothing, had given me the skills or words to make sense of this.
The following morning, I wouldn’t have been surprised if I had opened my curtains to an ash-filled sky, charred houses, trees burnt to stubs, the ground still smoking. Instead, the sun had risen like a relentless machine, and the sky wafted like a freshly-washed blue sheet above us. My house was the same house, with the same eggshell white ceilings, dark wooden floors and braided rugs. The only difference: I understood reality was a dark beast, capable of shifting under my feet.
I fingered the silk edge of my blanket, trying to reframe my past in light of what I now understood to be the truth. Everything I’d thought about myself had been a falsehood. In many ways, our family operated like any other family. Dad paid the bills, fertilized the lawn, and kept us free from foot pain. Mom knitted and purled, chased after flesh-eating germs, and smothered me until the sound of my own name made me cringe. We played Uncle Wigglyand Chutes and Ladders. I went trick-or-treating on Halloween. I had a sandbox. I pushed my plastic baby doll in her flimsy buggy back and forth along the sidewalk while squirrels scolded me from the trees. We had two cars, one and a half baths, and a color television. Hot and cold water. Electricity. We ate pot roast on Sunday, spaghetti on Wednesday, and tuna casserole every Friday and we weren’t even Catholic.
My friend Becca was terrified to stay in the house alone with her addled grandfather because he would forget who she was and try to kick her out. Lizzy was ashamed to be seen with her mother, who was so obese she couldn’t walk to their mailbox without wheezing. Jessica’s father owned a motel where a man was found shot in the head in room thirty-six. Paige suspected her parents were swingers who went to sex parties. Skip seemed to have been deserted by his folks…
Yet, I was certain no one’s family had a secret as hideous as mine.
In the Context of Love won an Honorable Mention in the Great Midwest Book Festival. The book can be purchased in paperback or ebook on Amazon http://amzn.to/1IiVWEs and Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/1QFs340
Here’s an interview with Angelica Schirrick, the heroine fromIn the Context of Love:
Do you have a nickname?
I’ve been called troublemaker, short stuff, hot stuff, cupcake, angel, andhure(by my German grandmother — don’t ask why), but most people call me Angie.
What do you do for a living?
I’m pleased to say I’m the marketing and community service director for Safe Harbor, a non-profit women’s domestic violence shelter in Cleveland, Ohio. I love the work I do.
What’s your most important goal?
To see my two children grow up to be happy and well-adjusted, despite having an activist for a mother and a felon for a father.
What’s your worst fear or nightmare?
That my two children do not grow up to be happy and well-adjusted.
What’s your most embarrassing moment?
When I was a teen, I was furious with my parents and had this need to get away from them, so I snatched the keys to my dad’s Lincoln and took off. I don’t know what I was thinking because I didn’t have a license or much driving experience. I lost control and drove the car into a fir tree in the Brecksville Metropark. I was okay but the Lincoln was not.
Author Linda K. Sienkiewiczattributes her creative drive to her artistic mother, who taught her to sew, and her father, who let her monkey around with the gadgets in his workshop. Her short stories and poetry have been published in more than fifty literary journals in print and online. She has a poetry chapbook award from Bottom Dog Press, a Pushcart Prize nomination, and an MFA from The University of Southern Maine.
Blurb: Professional animal trainer, Carmen Rockwell, is happy living her life on the edge of society. She owns a high profile business that is run by her best friend, Lissy, the only person she thinks she needs in her life. Because of an unusual gift, she is the best in the country at what she does. She goes away for work and finds herself suddenly drawn into a new world- one that she never knew existed and against her will, it follows her home, demanding that she enter into the life she was destined to live. An important date is approaching fast, but will she turn away from this new world and hide or will she face her fate head on? One man could make all the difference- but does he love her or is she only a means to an end?