My Books!

Thursday, December 31, 2020

Bolder Blindsided

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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Janice Tremayne will be awarding a paperback copy of the book (USA/UK) to two randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

An Australian alpine ghost town. A priest turned supernatural detective. A missing persons cold case. Will bolder track down the voracious demon?

When Detective Wellock hushers in Zack Bolder to investigate a missing person case in the Australian ghost town of Walhalla, they form the most formidable tag team of supernatural investigators, working for the police branch for unexplained crimes. Perched amongst the alpine area, this tourist backed ghost town is renowned for its gold mining past and stories of hardship, deprivation, and death. It becomes a perfect setting for an unexplained missing person's cold case.

When Bolder realizes every demon has a weakness—it’s blindside, he confronts the demonic presence, head on for an ultimate encounter to save the town. As this evil entity is sly as a fox with more turns that a two-mile car racetrack, Bolder must be at his best to overcome the devil that has cursed the town since 1876.

Can Bolder uncover the curse that strangleholds the town and thrust out the evil entity before more innocent people go missing and suffer an imminent fate?

Bolder Blindsided is the first book of the Zack Bolder Supernatural Suspense Thriller Series. If you like a fast-moving, energetic, and nail-biting supernatural suspense thriller guaranteed to raise your heartbeat, then you will love this story by 2020 USA Readers' Favorite International Book Awards Finalist in Supernatural Fiction, Janice Tremayne.

Pick up your copy today and meet Zack Bolder!

Read an Excerpt

The ghost wore a red-and-blue-checked shirt with suspended loose-fitted corduroy trousers, covered by an oversized sack coat and wavers for shoes—a type of waterproof gumboot. It had a white handkerchief tied around the neck and a broad felt hat. It peered with a skinny, sunken face, white and devoid of any existence. With an elongated nose and red bloodshot eyes—Gazza knew it was not from this world.

Gazza was a panderer, a good-looking guy that liked to mix with beautiful girls—he was not a fighter. And yet, he realized he was going to confront the most significant battle for his life. He stood firm, upright and arms folded—a natural reaction as his defence mechanism kicked into overdrive. But that could not hide his vulnerability as he trembled inside in fear for his life.

He continued flashing his torchlight at the phantasm circling him with prancing eyes, ready for its next move. Whatever happened to Jamie, I’m next, he thought.

The icy cold wind blew a gust across the mining shafts, and the moonlight made way for darkness as the clouds rolled in suffocating any virtue of hope. It was pitch black, and his torchlight was starting to fade slowly as the battery life dwindled. He tapped on his torch to get back the light he so desperately needed, but it was only temporary. The phantom continued circling and stomping on the hallowed turf, peering at him with penetrating eyes—ready to make its move. His phone torchlight was his next best thing, but that power source was also dwindling.

The phantom lifted a gold miner’s pickaxe and raised it into the air as a glitter of light reflected off the tips of the sharp end. Gazza instinctively covered his face by raising his right arm. The phantom came for him, and with an almighty swoop, the pickaxe fell on Gazza. He screamed for help, just like Jamie did—but no one was there to hear his final plight to the world. Had the demon murdered Gazza or taken him, prisoner?

About the Author:
Janice Tremayne is an Amazon bestselling and award-winning ghost and supernatural writer. Janice is a finalist in the Readers' Favorite 2020 International Book Awards in Fiction-Supernatural.

She is an emerging Australian author who lives with her family in Melbourne. Her recent publication, Haunting in Hartley, reached number one on the Amazon kindle ranking for Occult, Supernatural, and Ghosts and Haunted Houses categories, for hot new releases and bestsellers.

Janice is well-versed in her cultural superstitions and how they influence daily life and customs. She has developed a passion and style for writing ghost and supernatural novels for new adult readers.

The concept of writing the Haunting Clarisse series was spawned over a cup of coffee many years ago, and she has not looked back since. Her books contain heart-thumping, bone-chilling, and thought-provoking ghost and paranormal experiences that deliver a new twist to every tale.

Website: http://www.janicetremayne.com.au
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hauntingclarisse

Buy Link:

Amazon USA: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08J7V1S3K/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i6
Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/Bolder-Blindsided-Zack-Supernatural-Thriller-ebook/dp/B08J7V1S3K/ref=sr_1_14

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The Entitled

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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Nancy Boyarsky 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.

A deceptively complicated retrieval throws Nicole into London's criminal underworld

Travel to London and retrieve Abigail Fletcher, a 17-year-old in a study abroad program at the prestigious King’s College in London. The assignment sounds simple enough.

But Abigail’s return is put on indefinite hold when she’s charged with the murder of her boyfriend, a former student at King’s. Nicole believes Abigail has been framed, but the victim’s tight- knit circle of friends and relatives are most unwilling to talk to an American detective. Further complicating the case, is Abigail’s defiant and uncooperative demeanor.

As evidence stacks up against Abigail, Nicole discovers that she herself has become the next target. Nicole’s first solo case abroad as a private detective has just turned a lot deadlier than she ever anticipated.


Read an Excerpt

“Wait!” she said. “I heard you were a friend of his. I’m looking into his background. Won’t you just answer a few questions?” He paused, looking at her through a crack in the door.

“I knew him when I was little”—he pronounced it lit-ull— “in primary school. That’s a long time back, innit? He was a year older.” He gave a self-deprecating smile. “I thought he was a good bloke ‘cause he stuck up for me when the bullies were beatin’ on me. But later…"

"Later? What happened then?”

The young man shrugged, closing the door more so he was peeking through a slit.

“Anybody who talks about it…” He shook his head and shut the door.

About the Author:
Nancy Boyarsky is the bestselling author of the award-winning Nicole Graves Mysteries.

Reviews compared The Swap to the mysteries of Mary Higgins Clark and praised Nancy for contributing to the "women-driven mystery field with panache" (Foreword Reviews) as well as for their "hold-onto-the-bar roller coaster" plots (RT Book Reviews). Kirkus had special praise for The Bequest, concluding, "Boyarsky's weightless complications expertly combine menace with bling, making the heroine's adventures both nightmarish and dreamy." Her most recent mystery, The Entitled, fifth in the series, received praise from Foreword Reviews for "vibrant street scenes, swift pacing, and Nicole's steely nerve." It was chosen by Apple Books as one of the most anticipated books of the fall.

Before turning to mysteries, Nancy coauthored Backroom Politics, a New York Times notable book, with her husband, Bill Boyarsky. She has written several textbooks on the justice system as well as articles for publications including the Los Angeles Times, Forbes, and McCall's. She also contributed to political anthologies, including In the Running, about women's political campaigns. In addition to her writing career, she was communications director for political affairs for ARCO.

The first book in the series, The Swap, won a gold medal Erik Hoffer Book Award. In response to the controversial and incendiary themes explored in the third Nicole Graves mystery, Liar Liar, Nancy Boyarsky was invited to present at the American Library Association Annual Conference in 2018 on "Women-Driven Mysteries in a Post #MeToo World."

Each book of the Nicole Graves mystery series can be read as a stand alone. Readers are invited to connect with Nancy through her website.

Website: http://www.nancyboyarsky.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Entitled-Nicole-Graves-Mystery-Mysteries/dp/1611533244
BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-entitled-nancy-boyarsky/1136434135

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Wednesday, December 30, 2020

The Seven Spires




The Seven Spires

by Russell Archey

 

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GENRE: Fantasy

 

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BLURB:

 

An incredible high fantasy adventure set in a world based on familiar fairy tales, folklore, and mythology, "The Seven Spires" is an epic story of dragons, magic, conquering evil, and discovering magnificent new places.

 

When a fearsome creature known as Wyvern begins terrorizing Emrallt, one of the seven realms of the continent of Septer, a group of heroes are brought together seemingly by fate to rally against him. A prince, warrior, wizard, and mysterious, sorceress-like sybil try to discover why a common maiden could be the best chance their kingdoms have against Wyvern’s growing forces that threaten to dominate each and every one of the ancient, arcane spires that bind their kingdoms, and world, together.

 

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EXCERPT:

 

Wyvern recognized their broken language and knew that White-eye spoke of more than just a town guard or good-natured passerby. Ratlings cared little for the difference between common humans, merchants, and even nobility. It was only a difference in what goods they could pilfer; however, when a ratling described one as ‘important,’ that often meant ‘royalty’.

 

“The important man—what did he look like?” Wyvern asked.

 

The two deplorable rodents looked up at him in confusion. They looked through arms held in front of their faces as if toward off a pending strike. Wyvern leaned forward on his forelimbs.

 

“You said he was ‘important.’ He wore blue clothes. What did he look like? Face, hair—what?” he growled with small tongues of fire licking around his teeth.

 

“Also pretty, like lady!” Moss Blossom squealed. “Nice clothes! Long blue vest with another tower—different shiny stone, blue shiny stone…”

 

Wyvern growled in frustration. The Blue Prince of Avallonis. The little fop could bring Wyvern no end of misery; an army’s worth of misery to be exact. Especially if he had his sights set on the Maiden.

 

“He threatened you?” Wyvern asked of them.

 

“Y-yes, with sharp metal. He threaten blood,” White-eye answered. Moss Blossom nodded her head vigorously in agreement.

 

“Indeed, you had no choice but to flee,” Wyvern said. “But, rules are rules…” he added with menace.




A Word With the Author



 1.Did you always want to be an author?

 

            Ever since I can remember!  I’ve usually had trouble answering questions like, “Who’s your hero?” or “What’s your favorite (fill-in-the-blank)”, but from as long as I can remember I wanted to be author of some sort. Barely-known, well-known, or maybe even unknown. I’ve been writing stories since I was in elementary school and wrote in notebooks with a pencil and drew my own hand-drawn illustrations. 


2.Tell us about the publication of your first book.

 

            The Seven Spires is my first published novel. I wanted to write something that combined my love of world-building, epic stories, symbolism, and mythology/folklore/fairy-tale tropes. The result is what you see here! 5 Prince Publishing picked up the manuscript, for which I’m incredibly grateful, and is helping make the dream come true!


3.Besides yourself, who is your favorite author in the genre you write in?

 

            It may sound cliché, but as far as fantasy goes I like the more grounded, gritty settings in Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. I also love Tolkein’s prose and wish I could write in that style! I’m also a huge fan of horror and dark fantasy. Laird Barron is definitely one of my favorite horror authors. He takes the cosmic horror of Lovecraft but makes his monstrosities much more sinister and threatening. 


4.What's the best part of being an author? The worst?

 

            Creating worlds and characters and then tying them together in a narrative; feeling like you’re creating something out of nothing. Where once there was blank white paper, there’s now a living, breathing world. It’s definitely my favorite! 

 

            The worst would have to be putting your hard work out there and hoping others enjoy it. While criticism helps make you a better writer, it’s still scary to think your stories may land with a resounding thud.


5.What are you working on now?

 

            I’m currently working on a dark fantasy story that’s told as a series of short stories sharing a single, narrative umbrella. It combines inescapable cosmic horror with a high fantasy setting. I also have a mystery/thriller novel I’m planning, as well as a horror story of old creatures in a modern setting with a darker, Giambattista Basile-style fairy-tale feel. Oh, and I can’t forget the first part of a trilogy that’s a mix of Supernatural, Bloodborne, and The Witcher—a new dark fantasy setting that I’m excited to get started on!

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

“Russell Archey has been writing since he was old enough to hold a pencil. His love for narratives, world-building, and story-telling has fed into nearly every aspect of his life: from his video and board game hobbies to pressing his most cherished books onto his unfortunate children (who will, one day, read the Lord of the Rings trilogy whether they like it or not). When he's not creating new worlds and horrifying things to threaten them with destruction, he's bringing other author's fantastic works to life as an audiobook narrator, spending time with his two children, and pressing his dear wife's eternal patience with his quirky habits.”

 

Website: 5princebooks.com/russellarchey

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

Twitter: @RSArchey

Instagram: @RussArchey

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55353537-the-seven-spires

Smashwords : https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1043473

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08J8BS3NT/

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

 

Russell Archey will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 


 


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Simple Gifts

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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Anna DeForest will award a randomly drawn commenter a $20 Amazon/BN GC. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Christmas promises to be anything but merry for Robin Matthews who is waging a losing battle to keep her ranch and her family together. So when rugged ex-Marshal Nathaniel Hollister grudgingly agrees to help her run the Rocking M temporarily, he appears to be the answer to her prayers. But with Christmas fast approaching, Robin is going to need a miracle to keep from losing everything, including her heart to this kind but bitter man.

Though his attraction to her is growing by the day, Nathaniel knows he is too world-weary for a decent young woman like Robin. Once the most infamous lawman in the West, he turned in his badge after a tragedy left him guilt stricken and disillusioned. And yet Nathaniel is about to discover that the magic of Christmas has a way of making the impossible possible… and turning wishes into simple gifts that can last a lifetime.

* Simple Gifts was originally published as A Cowboy for Christmas from Kensington (2000)
Read an Excerpt

He kissed her with a tenderness that made her knees weak. The way he smoothed his hands across her hair and cheek made her feel cherished. The reverence in his touch made her feel feminine and precious in a way she never had before. This gruff, hard man had so much gentleness and caring hidden inside him. He was terribly wrong about himself. Someday, somehow she'd find a way to prove it to him.

She nestled closer, relishing the warmth of his body. The way he was holding her now, not too tightly, was just right. She breathed in the sweet scent of hay mingled with horse and a musky male odor that was all Nathaniel's own.

Of her own volition, she opened her mouth and invited him to kiss her the way he had kissed her once before. He made a sound of male satisfaction deep in his throat and promptly made the most of her invitation. They nipped, sampled, and explored, learning the texture and taste of each other. Her heart beat faster, and that delicious pang of longing was starting again somewhere deep in her belly.

About the Author:Anna DeForest wrote her first book-length piece of fiction in fifth grade. She taught history at the Colorado Heritage Center and a Denver private school. She was thrilled when Leisure Books bought her first historical romance, Golden Dreams. She was actually watching Sesame Street with her four-year-old when she received the good news call from her agent, but she managed to tear herself away from Big Bird long enough to listen to the terms of her new contract.

Growing up in Colorado gave Anna a lifelong taste for outdoor activities such as hiking, riding and skiing. She also enjoys gardening, which is currently quite a challenge because armadillos keep rooting around in her garden in Dallas.

Anna has always tried to write the kind of romances she likes to read—stories about warm, caring people who pursue their lives and loves with passion. These days, Anna is excited about offering four of her previously published romances to her new readers, along with three romances that have never been published before. You can learn more about Anna and her books at http://www.annadeforest.com.

The book will be on sale for only $0.99.

Buy links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Gifts-High-Country-Marshals-ebook/dp/B08MHY3V79

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1052552

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Beyond the Book: Holidays

This week I'm talking about how we celebrated Christmas this year. Like everyone else my plans were different this year.

We usually have a huge family breakfast on Christmas Eve with my husband’s family. We’ve been doing this so long I can’t remember when it began. Everybody brings some food, and we spend the morning laughing, talking, and eating. My sister in law makes a delicious punch that we demand every year. It wouldn’t be Christmas without it. 

We didn’t get to have that dinner this year. The breakfast is held at my niece’s house, but she and her family have covid. Plus, four other family members have it. So we’ve rescheduled for January. 

On Christmas Eve night my granddaughter invites both sides of her family to a big dinner at her house. I enjoy seeing everyone, and there are enough children to make the event feel special. We always buy a gift for all the children. It’s fun to watch them get their presents. We didn't that this year either. Our county has the highest Covid infection rate in the state, and she didn’t feel comfortable getting such a big group together. 

Christmas Day was pretty much like it always is. My sons came over with their families, but my granddaughter didn't come. She's a nurse for Covid patients so she didn't want to take any chances. We all took precautions during this time so we feel our gathering was safe. We had a big lunch around one thirty, and then we opened our Christmas presents. After all the excitement is over we watched A Christmas Carol on TV. It was the George C. Scott version. It’s the best one. 

No matter how you spent your Christmas I hope it was deeply satisfying and joyful for you. And next year maybe we can return to our well loved traditions. Happy New Year to you and yours!


The Salty Rose


 The Salty Rose

by Beth M. Caruso 

 

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GENRE: Historical Fiction

 

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BLURB:

 

Marie du Trieux, a tavern keeper with a salty tongue and a heart of gold, struggles as she navigates love and loss, Native wars, and possible banishment by authorities in the unruly trading port of New Amsterdam, an outpost of the Dutch West India Company.

 

In New England, John Tinker, merchant and assistant to a renowned alchemist and eventual leader of Connecticut Colony, must come to terms with a family tragedy of dark proportions, all the while supporting his mentor’s secret quest to find the Northwest Passage, a desired trading route purported to mystically unite the East with the West.

 

As the lives of Marie and John become intertwined through friendship and trade, a search for justice of a Dutch woman accused of witchcraft in Hartford puts them on a collision course affecting not only their own destinies but also the fate of colonial America.

 

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EXCERPT:

 

Chapter 5

 

“Aye. And now it is apparent that Robin comes from a line of sachems, but I worry that if this became widely known among some English, they would go after his life,” spoke Tinker. 

 

“You are a wise man, John Tinker. Had his exalted position been known during the war or even shortly after, he would be dead this day. We cannot allow for such a possibility. That brings me to my next point which ties all of our future goals neatly together,” he said. 

 

He paused to make sure his pupil and alchemical assistant grasped the significance of what he was about to say next. 

 

Tinker nodded. “Go on, sir,” he said. 

 

Winthrop riffled through his letters from Howes, finding the one that made their mission clear. 

 

“I did not share this correspondence from Howes with you before. But now you are ready and must understand the whole of our purpose here in these colonies.” 

 

Before Winthrop read the second letter from Howes, he pulled out a peculiar book. The title was The Circumference of the Earth, or a Treatise of the Northeast Passage by Sir Dudley Digges. The word east had been crossed out and replaced with west. 

 

“I will skip the familiarities and salutations and get to the heart of the matter,” Winthrop said and began to read. 

 

I shall and will by God’s leave endeavor towards you and the work. Here enclosed you shall find a book of probabilities of the Northwest Passage not in the 60 or 70 degrees of northern latitudes, but rather about the 40th. 

 

“That’s near the former Pequot territories and at the center of New Amsterdam!” John Tinker cried out, wide-eyed.

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Award-winning author, Beth M. Caruso, is passionate to discover and convey important and interesting stories of women from earlier times. She recently won the literary prize in Genre Fiction (2020) from IPNE (Independent Publishers of New England) for her most recent novel The Salty Rose: Alchemists, Witches & A Tapper In New Amsterdam (2019). The Salty Rose is Beth’s second historical novel and explores alchemy in early colonial times, an insider’s view of the takeover of the Dutch colony of New Netherland, and the Hartford Witch Panic with information she gathered from previous and ongoing research. Beth’s first historical novel is One of Windsor: The Untold Story of America’s First Witch Hanging (2015), a novel that tells the tale of Alice ‘Alse’ Young and the beginnings of the colonial witch trials. She based the story on original research she did by exploring early primary sources such as early Windsor land records, vital statistics, and other documents. She lives in Connecticut with her family. Beth kayaks and gardens to unwind.

 

Website: www.oneofwindsor.com

 

Email: oneofwindsor@yahoo.com

 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/oneofwindsor

 

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

 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Salty-Rose-Alchemists-Witches-Amsterdam/dp/1733373802

 

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-salty-rose-beth-m-caruso/1133991342

 

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

 

Beth M. Caruso will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.



a Rafflecopter giveaway




Monday, December 28, 2020

Kennedy Devereaux

 


Kennedy Deveraux

by Bernadette Marie

 

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GENRE: Contemporary Romance

 

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BLURB:

 

Kennedy Devereaux, owner of Kennedy Devereaux Designs, is a sight to behold in her signature pink colors, accented with custom designed jewelry. Intriguing enough that Joel Kingsley, the man building the new business next door, can’t help but keep coming around, just to get to know the woman in the designer clothes. He finds she’s not such a mystery, and his charm easily wins her over--until she finds that he’s forgotten to let her in on the secrets of his past.

 

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EXCERPT:

 

Pink doors, crystal light fixtures, white shelves. Joel cupped his hands around his eyes to get a better look at the feminine interior of the store he stood in front of. Kennedy Devereaux Designs, the lettering on the door said. Costume jewelry, purses, and a few pieces of clothing were elegantly displayed on uncluttered shelves. He could see a small sitting area toward the back of the store with white chairs on a plush pink rug.  

 

When he stepped back from the door, he inhaled. Could he even smell the store and all of its femininity?

 

“Can I help you?” A soft voice had him turning to see a woman, as feminine as the store, standing behind him.

 

She was the smell—sweet and floral. Soft golden hair framed a delicate face, and her lipstick matched the soft pastel pink of the doors he’d been looking through. Sharp blue eyes watched him as he stared at her.

 

Joel Kingsley was no idiot around women, but this one seemed to render him speechless.




A Word With the Author:


 1.Did you always want to be an author? I think that there was always a little bit of me that wanted to be an author, especially after falling in love with Laura Ingalls’ books. But I didn’t find the love until I was in junior high school, and then it was a passion from then on.


2.Tell us about the publication of your first book. My very first book was published in 2010 by a small press. It was an unfortunate event that ended badly, but, it introduced me to my first editor, whom I think is the best thing to happen to me. She was wonderful. When I left that publishing house, she followed me and was my editor for years. My first book was eventually given back to me years later, and now is in the catalog of my own publishing house.


3.Besides yourself, who is your favorite author in the genre you write in? I have always enjoyed Nora Roberts’ contemporary romances. I love her voice.


4.What's the best part of being an author? The worst? The best part of being an author is creating the stories you love to read and having others that beg for you to write more. The worst part is the algorithms from distributors that change all the time. One minute you’re a blockbuster, the next minute you’re just a pile of rocks! But, you keep writing!


5.What are you working on now? Right now I’m working on my Devereaux Family Series. This series, about four siblings, is releasing each month, November through February. They’ve been a lot of fun to create.



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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Bestselling Author Bernadette Marie is known for building families readers want to be part of. Her series The Keller Family has graced bestseller charts since its release in 2011. Since then she has authored and published over thirty-five books. The married mother of five sons promises romances with a Happily Ever After always…and says she can write it because she lives it.

 

Obsessed with the art of writing and the business of publishing, chronic entrepreneur Bernadette Marie established her own publishing house, 5 Prince Publishing, in 2011 to bring her own work to market as well as offer an opportunity for fresh voices in fiction to find a home as well. 

 

When not immersed in the writing/publishing world, Bernadette Marie and her husband are shuffling their five hockey playing boys around town to practices and games as well as running their family business. She is a lover of a good stout craft beer and might have an unhealthy addiction to chocolate.

 

 

SOCIAL MEDIA/CONTACT

 

Email: info@bernadettemarie.com

Website: www.bernadettemarie.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorbernadettemarie

Twitter: www.twitter.com/writesromance

Instagram: www.instagram.com/authorbernadettemarie

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/writerofromance

 

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Kennedy-Devereaux-Family-Book-ebook/dp/B08JZK8KKV

 

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

 

Bernadette Marie will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 


a Rafflecopter giveaway




Wednesday, December 23, 2020

This Is It

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Title: This Is It
Author: Tess Summers
Genre: Contemporary/Second Chance Romance Novella
Release Date: December 15, 2020





Paige

When I woke up Christmas morning, I didn’t know if I’d been on Santa’s nice list this year—or his naughty one. Thinking back to the prior evening’s events, I decided it was definitely the naughty one. There had to be a mistake—I was always on the nice list. But the gorgeous, naked man snuggled next to me seemed to suggest I had a lump of… something waiting for me. Maybe the nice list was overrated. Or maybe naughty girls really did end up with coal in their stockings.

Grant

I was now on the ‘every-other-weekend and alternating holiday schedule’ with my kids—one more thing about divorce that I detested. Attending my law partner’s Christmas Eve party seemed like a better alternative to drinking alone in my boring beige condo, staring at my new pipe-cleaner tree with its new, shiny ornaments. The last thing I expected was to be propositioned by a former PTA President. Or to wake up Christmas morning not wanting to leave her bed. But you don’t get to be our age without plenty of baggage. The question was, did ours match?

This sexy, feel-good, second chance romance will have you cheering for Paige and Grant to finally find their happily ever after together. But not before they discover that dating—at any age—isn’t so easy.



I closed the front door, and Grant instantly grabbed a handful of my hair and pushed me against it, staring into my eyes momentarily before bringing his lips down on mine.

For the briefest moment, it felt… weird. I hadn’t kissed anyone other than my ex-husband since high school. The way Grant’s lips moved against mine was unfamiliar—foreign. Then I relaxed and allowed myself to enjoy how soft his lips were, how he took control of the kiss—his tongue seeking mine and demanding reciprocity, and I realized… I liked it. I liked it a lot.





Tess Summers is a former businesswoman and teacher who always loved writing but never seemed to have time to sit down and write a short story, let alone a novel. Now battling MS, her life changed dramatically, and she has finally slowed down enough to start writing all the stories she’s been wanting to tell, including the fun and sexy ones!

Married over twenty-five years with three grown children, Tess is a former dog foster mom who ended up failing and adopting them instead. She and her husband (and their five dogs) split their time between the desert of Arizona and the lakes of Michigan, so she’s always in a climate that’s not too hot and not too cold, but just right!



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Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Beyond the Book: Edit, Edit, Edit.

Typically, how many drafts do you complete — of a novel or novella — before you submit it to a publisher / editor / agent? Why? 

To be perfectly honest, I’ve never counted. The first book I wrote was revised so many times it’s ridiculous. Not that I went over it from beginning to end each time I worked on it. Sometimes I’d just take a chapter and do just that one chapter, or maybe just a portion of the chapter.

In general, though, this is the way I write a novel. I first choose my hero and heroine and decide what kind of people they’ll be. I always name them a name that I think fits their personality. I then decide in general what the story is about. I have a beginning and an end, and the part in the middle is a mystery to me until I get started. 

I work on my first chapter pretty hard. I’ll write it, and the next day I’ll read it. I make changes as I go. Then, the second day I read it again and usually find more changes. You only have one chance to hook readers so I want my first chapter to be good. 

I’ll then start writing. I don’t always try to do a chapter a day. In fact, I seldom do, but the next day before I keep writing I’ll revise what I wrote the day before. Sometimes many revisions are necessary, and sometimes not so many, but I do revise before I continue.

When the book is finished I put it away for a while, sometimes for several months or more. Then, I start reading from the first chapter and make corrections as I go. And rest assured, there are always corrections to be made. Sometimes I wonder what I was thinking to write such a paragraph or sentence. 

I put the book away for a few weeks and then do the whole thing over again. At that point I’m either mostly satisfied or still feel as if the book needs more work. I’ll find myself concentrating on key scenes to make sure I’ve got them right. 

After all of this I’m ready to send the book to a publisher, editor, etc. I know that some people get the book professionally edited before they send it off, but I’ve never done that. 

If the work is accepted it has to be edited again. To my surprise I always find glaring errors and parts that I dislike. So I work on the book again. After about two edits the book is ready to go, but you know what? Even after it’s been published I see parts I’d like to change. I think most writers want their work to be the best it can be, and there’s always that nagging little thing you see that you wish you’d changed.

So how many times do I edit a book? I don’t know for sure, but I never feel like I’ve done enough.