Madam in Silk

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Gini Grossenbacher will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble 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,1849. Despite her objections, twenty-year-old Ah Toy and her servant Chen voyage from China to San Francisco with her husband who dies on board ship. With little cash and bound feet, how is she to find employment in the Gold Rush town? Since she is the only Chinese woman there, she opens a "Lookee Shop," catering to miners who pay in gold dust to see her exotic beauty. As her notoriety grows, so does her attraction to the devoted policeman, John Clark. Yet should she put her faith in one man? Will their love survive despite her frightening encounter with Sydney Ducks, threats from rival madam Li Fan, and a tempting offer from Henry Conrad who promises her wealth and security? Armed with her mystical beliefs of the inner dragon and Goddess Mazu, Ah Toy faces much more than the journey from the ancient ways in China to the new world in America. In fact, she must find the true source of courage in a life or death struggle for her own fate, justice, and dignity. Based on page-turning accounts about the life of Ah Toy, one of San Francisco's most legendary madams.

Read an Excerpt

She glanced at the stranger, his dark sandy hair blowing about, his pants rolled up to his knees; his rucksack slung across his back. The man sported long sideburns that followed the jawline midway toward his chin.

She held up her pantaloons to the knees. The waves were curling, laughing, in and out, their foam capturing, then releasing her feet, then ankles, then calves as she ventured each step into the icy water. She shivered as the water splashed, making her skin tingle. . . .

“Careful, man,” the stranger said. “That undertow can take you out quick.” Though his words carried a warning, his voice was casual as if he knew her and Chen.

When the water rushed out, abandoning the bare sand, Chen pointed to a round brown knob sticking out of the water not far from shore. “Look!”

The stranger said, “I see it now.” His voice rose against the waves. “It came up before, but then it disappeared.” He said, “Do you see it, Miss?”

Wordless, Ah stood next to Chen who shielded his eyes from the glare and observed the sea creature. Holding the brim of her sunhat against the glare, she followed the direction of the stranger’s outstretched arm. Again, a brown knob rose above the water, and she saw two large chocolate-colored eyes, a snout like a dog’s, and gray whiskers. The shiny creature rose its head above the waves and fixed a stare in her direction.

About the Author:

MADAM IN SILK is California teacher and editor Gini Grossenbacher’s second historical fiction novel. Her debut novel MADAM OF MY HEART garnered the 2018 IPPY silver medal for Historical Fiction; finalist in the 2018 American Fiction Awards for Historical Fiction; honorable mention at the 2018 San Francisco Book Festival for General Fiction; and runner-up in the 2017 Hollywood Book Festival for Genre Fiction. She is also a copyeditor and leads an aspiring writers group called Elk Grove Writers and Artists, providing lessons in novel writing, memoir, poetry, and flash fiction. When she’s not writing, Gini can be found taking long walks, tending the roses in her garden, and barbecuing with her husband and beloved dog, Murphy Brown.

Amazon buy book link: https://www.amazon.com/Madam-Silk-Gini-Grossenbacher-ebook/dp/B07VH5SXVN/ref=sr_1_1

Social Media Links:

Website: http://www.ginigrossenbacher.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ginigrossenbacherauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ggrossenbacher
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ggrossenbacher/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ggrossenbacher/

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The Baby Contract

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Nan Reinhardt will be awarding a set of 6 handmade wineglass charms and a $10 Starbucks gift card. (USA only) to 5 randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

She wants a baby…he wants a family

Firefighter and paramedic Tierney Ashton has always been a bold adventurer, but at thirty-four she longs to embark on a new adventure—motherhood. But who will be the father? Although financially challenging, a sperm bank appears to be her best option. That is, until she shares her dream with her long-time pal, Brendan Flaherty.

Government analyst and world traveler Brendan Flaherty returns home to River’s Edge to help out at his family’s thriving winery and his brother’s new community theater. He also plans to finally achieve his lifelong goal of writing a novel. But when Tierney shares her wish, Bren offers to be her baby daddy—with one condition. Marriage.

It seems like a perfect contract, but will love get in the way?

Read an Excerpt

This could work.

She wasn’t involved with anyone and neither was he. Fact was, his job kept him so busy with late nights and travel and meetings all over the world, it had been hard to maintain much of a romantic relationship with anyone in DC. Since he’d been home, he’d dated a little, but that spark he’d waited for all his life had yet to materialize.

However, he truly meant what he’d said to Tierney. “Why?” he repeated with a bit more force. “Why is it any crazier than picking a father for your baby off a website?”

Tierney’s eyes narrowed. “You would do that? Go to Nell’s with me, collect a... a sample, and let her inseminate me? Just like that?”

Brendan nearly had to pick his jaw up off the table. That’s what she thinks I'm suggesting? How could she have known him for her whole life and believe for one moment that he’d simply give her his... his... Oh, good Lord. And then what? Walk away? He ran one hand over his face “Of course not!”

She sat up straighter. “Then what, Bren? Because, honestly, right now, that’s all I’m looking for.”

“Well, we... I... I-I can’t do that.” He was floundering, which frustrated him because he rarely floundered. He made presentations regularly to large groups of highly placed government officials all over the world. He could explain the intricacies of diplomacy, answer questions, and meet-and-greet in seven different languages. Now, he was stuttering in front of a woman he’d known since they were both kids. Who knew the most awkward moment of his life would be with Tee? Go figure.

Dammit.

About the Author:

Nan Reinhardt is a USA Today-bestselling author of romantic fiction for women in their prime. Yeah, women still fall in love and have sex, even after 45! Imagine! She is a wife, a mom, a mother-in-law, and a grandmother. Nan has been a copyeditor and proofreader for over 25 years, and currently works on romantic fiction titles for a variety of clients, including Avon Books, St. Martin’s Press, HarperCollins, Kensington Books, Tule Publishing, and Entangled Publishing, as well as for many indie authors.

Although she loves her life as an editor, writing is Nan’s first and most enduring passion. She can’t remember a time in her life when she wasn’t writing—she wrote her first romance novel at the age of ten, a love story between the most sophisticated person she knew at the time, her older sister (who was in high school and had a driver’s license!), and a member of Herman’s Hermits. If you remember who they are, you are Nan’s audience! Her latest series, the Four Irish Brothers Winery series is available from Tule Publishing and all book retailers. Books 1 through 3 are currently available; Book 4 releases July 16, 2020 and is available for preorder.

Visit Nan’s website at www.nanreinhardt.com, where you’ll find links to all her books as well as blogs about writing, being a Baby Boomer, and aging gracefully…mostly. Nan also blogs every third Tuesday at Word Wranglers, sharing the spotlight with five other romance authors, is a frequent contributor the RWA Contemporary Romance blog, and she contributes to the Romance University blog where she writes as Editor Nan.

Website: http://www.nanreinhardt.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authornanreinhardt
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/NanReinhardt
Buy Link for The Baby Contract

BN https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-baby-contract-nan-reinhardt/1136768046
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-baby-contract-6
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Contract-Irish-Brothers-Winery-ebook/dp/B086L7MMYL/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0

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A Duke Never Forgets

Title: A Duke Never Forgets

Series: The Duke Hunters Club

Author: Bianca Blythe

Genre: Historical Romance

Release Date: July 30, 2020

Cover Design: Angela Waters

When the duke trying to evict Genevieve and her family from their cottage gets amnesia, Genevieve's mother declares that the duke and Genevieve are... married.

Sebastian, the Duke of Sandridge, has been looking forward to holidaying at his cottage in Cornwall. He is disgruntled when he discovers the cottage has been rented, and he is furious when he discovers the cottage has been rented to a woman he despises.

After Genevieve's father encountered financial difficulties, her mother took Genevieve and her younger brother to Cornwall, far from their home in the Lake District. Genevieve is determined to keep her family's new home, even after a grumpy duke demands to take the cottage away from Genevieve and her mother.

Still, when Genevieve witnesses the duke have a swimming mishap, she rescues him. When the duke wakes up, he has lost his memory. Her mother quickly announces that Genevieve is married to this man. Will the duke ever know that the woman he considers his wife is not only not his wife, but a woman he has always abhorred?

(ENTER HERE)

“He’s moving, Mama!” A high-pitched voice sounded beside Sebastian’s ear, and he shifted irritably. 

Whoever said children sounded like angels had been mistaken. 

Footsteps plodded through the room, as if a miniature elephant were roaming about it. Perhaps one of his friends had brought a foal or other animal into his house. It wouldn’t be the first time one of his friends from the now-defunct Hades’ Lair had decided to play a prank on him. 

No doubt, there was no small child here either. Just one of his friends, testing his falsetto abilities. 

Sebastian grudgingly opened his eyes. He blinked. Normally, when Sebastian opened his eyes, he gazed upon a particularly naughty French painting:

Venus in Repose. The white plaster before him was an imperfect replacement. Sebastian rather missed Venus’s soft, rounded curves and the manner in which her skin glowed on the silky strands of verdant grass the painter had depicted her on. 

Where on earth was he?

His head ached. Pain ripped through it, accompanied by an odd pounding, as if some tin miner had crawled into his head and had decided to dig his way out, armed solely with his hammer and chisel. 

Bang. 

Bang. 

Bang. 

Well, the horrible pain rather explained things. Obviously, he’d managed to get absolutely drunk last night. 

He scrunched his forehead together. Clearly, the public house needed to improve the quality of their spirits. They must have sold him firewater, at a potency that even he couldn’t be expected to drink unscathed. 

He would have to speak with the manager immediately. 

He nodded. If his head pounded in such a ferocious manner, then others’ heads must also pound in a ferocious manner. It was only polite to inform them of where they were going wrong. 

This bed, certainly, was imperfect. It was lumpy. He wriggled in it. Yes, it was decidedly lumpy. Clearly, they hadn’t changed the feathers in years. What sort of establishment used old feathers? He shook his head. Obviously, this place lacked standards. 

“Mama! Mama!” the boy called. “Genevieve!”

Sebastian frowned. Was this public house run entirely by females?

No doubt, this person’s mother was simply a servant here. 

Footsteps approached him. 

Sebastian didn’t bother to turn his head. Turning his head would be painful, given his outrageous hangover. 

“Can you please bring me some coffee?” Sebastian asked. 

“See? He’s talking,” said the high-pitched boy again. 

“How marvelous,” said a female voice. 

Sebastian shifted uncomfortably in the bed. Most of his friends said Sebastian was always quick to take an opportunity to brag, but he wondered whether he might have met someone even quicker to give him compliments than himself. 

Talking was an activity he’d mastered by the time he was two, and he’d just been increasing the frequency of his use of multi-syllabled words since then. Perhaps Sebastian hadn’t given himself enough credit for that achievement, and he flashed a beatific smile at the maids who approached. 

Born in Texas, Wellesley graduate Bianca Blythe spent four years in England. She worked in a fifteenth-century castle, though sadly that didn't actually involve spotting dukes and earls strutting about in Hessians.

She credits British weather for forcing her into a library, where she discovered her first Julia Quinn novel. She remains deeply grateful for blustery downpours.

Bianca lives in California with her husband.

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Our Friendship Matters

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Kimberley B. Jones will be awarding a $10 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.

Leah and Sasha are 17-year-old friends who had been close to one another since elementary school, but as the summer approaches they find their friendship tested in ways they never anticipated.

Following graduation, Sasha’s privileged life and perception of the world around her is suddenly altered when an old childhood friend persuades her to join in a campaign against an injustice after his best friend is killed by a cop.

But joining the protest has unforeseen consequences for Sasha, distancing her from Leah, who becomes jealous of Sasha’s new friends and finds herself on the opposing side, protesting alongside her group of new white friends.

As the tension mounts between the two bitterly opposed factions, a tragedy strikes and threatens to make Sasha and Leah enemies. Can they find a way to resolve their differences, putting them to the side and learn to accept each other’s viewpoints? Or is their long friendship finished for good?

Read an Excerpt

As I pulled up into Ricardo’s driveway, Victoria and two other girls who attended Eastview were standing there holding signs that said, “Justice for Mitchell.” I was sweating more than ever. Scared of both the police and the girls I didn’t even know who were going to be getting into my car.

“I didn’t know you were doing signs. I would’ve made me one.”

Ricardo and some guys were busy placing things in the car's trunk.

“Are you okay? The time is now,” said Ricardo.

“I’m ready but a little nervous, too.”

“You shouldn’t be nervous. All we are going to do is go downtown and making a statement that we want justice. Once we are done, we’ll come back home. I won’t let anything happen to you but, if something breaks out, I need you to look for Victoria and get in your car and go home. And if something happens to me, I need you to look for Victoria then go to my house and warn my peeps.”

As the girls got into my car, Victoria told me I could march, and chant the same thing they were planning on saying.

I was missing Leah. This could have been a positive moment that we could’ve shared together. I was still hoping she would come to her senses and realize that our fight from our disagreement was all crazy.

We arrived downtown, and I parked in the garage.

“Why didn’t you park on the streets?” Victoria said.

“My parents always told me to park in the garage so nothing would happen to my car.”

She laughed at me and said, “Well, you are driving a Mercedes. I would do the same if I had an expensive car.”

About the Author:

Kimberley is a professional early childhood educator. She was born in the small town of Saint George, South Carolina, on September 12, 1982. Graduated from Woodland High School in 2000, Benedict College in 2004 with B.S., Child & Family Development, and from Ashford University in 2013 with a Masters in Early Childhood Education.

After receiving her education and being a military spouse, she held several jobs as a preschool teacher and a preschool director, but she wanted to her education to use by writing children’s books. She wrote her first book in college for her children’s literature course. She has self-published several children books on Amazon.

Currently, she is branching off into writing fiction YA, NA, and A novels on issues in society. She loves writing and would not change it for nothing in this world She is now published by Rhetoric Askew. Kimberley is the author of Our Friendship Matters.

https://www.kimberleybjones.com/
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKimberleyBJones
https://www.instagram.com/historyforpreschool/
https://twitter.com/KimberlyBJones1
http://amazon.com/author/kimberlyboydjones.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-boyd-jones-88454a56/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAtYkf97rt4IcvPGQDrwlAA
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/628634226

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How Inspiring

“What are the nicest or most inspiring things people have said or written about your writing? How did it affect you?”

Whether a writer wants it to or not, what a reviewer says about his/her book always has an impact. One exception to this rule is when the review is obviously written just to trash a book. I’ve had one like that, and I don’t think the writer ever even read the book. I can only guess that the reviewer didn’t like the good reviews the book had gathered.

Not all of my reviews have been five stars, and when they aren’t I always read them and try to decide if the reviewer is right. You can learn a lot from such a review. Can you learn a lot if the review is really great? Well, when I get a great review I never stop to question it. I just think the reader had great taste, LOL.

What a great review does is confirm my belief in myself. Sometimes when I’m writing I’ll have a moment of doubt and wonder if what I’m doing is good enough, but most of the time I always like what I write. Sure, I have to tweak it, but I usually think what I’m doing is good. Getting those good reviews encourages me to keep writing, and as I said it makes me believe in myself. Can you be a good writer if you don’t believe in yourself? I’m not sure. I don’t think I could be.

I’m especially proud of the Amazon reviews I got for Blue 52. Every one of them is five stars, and I didn’t know a single person who posted them so no one was trying to flatter me. I wrote one inspirational romance that got a review that warmed my heart, but I think the one I most loved was a review that I got for Rest Thy Head. It isn’t profound; it doesn’t discuss the various aspects of writing, but I think it came from the heart, and it pleased me to death. It gave me inspiration to write more. I made a meme out of it, and I’ll post it here for you. The review is exactly as it was written on Amazon. This is exactly the reaction I hope all my readers have.

Annie's Choices

Annie's Choices

by Tricia McGill

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GENRE: Historical Romance

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BLURB:

In book 4 of the Settlers Series, we catch up with most members of the extended family from the previous three books. Annie at 18 is the eldest Carstairs girl. She has lived out at Bathurst west of the Blue Mountains, where she was born just after her Mama, Bella and Papa, Tiger settled there back in 1824. After visiting her brother Tim and his wife Jo just before Christmas 1843, Annie decides to stay in Port Philip, seeking adventure much as her brother did when he set out with Jo the previous year. Annie has inherited her mother’s independent streak, a character trait that sometimes leads her to make the wrong choices.

Jacob O’Quinn works for her brother, and the likeable young carpenter catches Annie’s eye. Jacob is quiet and reserved in his manner, having spent his life with his widowed mother. When handsome Zachary McDowell, the complete opposite to steady Jacob comes along, he sweeps Annie off her feet. Heedless of advice given by others, Annie makes a choice that turns out to be the worst she could ever make.

Restless, Annie decides to return to her home, and Jacob makes the decision to escort her. The journey back across the mountains proves to be a lot more eventful than she assumed it could ever be. The road itself may have seen improvements through the years but there will always be unexpected incidents to turn life around on its axis. A suspected murder brings the might of the law down on the shoulders of the young couple.

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EXCERPT:

The man who had held Annie’s attention took off his wide-brimmed hat and sauntered across to stand nearby as he took a swig from the water bag. “If that’s all today, boss,” he said, “I’ll get back to the workshop.” He grinned as he nodded Annie’s way. “Your brother is right, you know lass. You will ruin your lovely looks standing around in this sun.” He glanced up to where that sun glared from a cloudless sky. “If we don’t get rain soon, we’ll all melt away.”

He hesitated a moment, before strolling to the wagon and climbing up to the board. With a careless wave, he flapped the reins on the rump of the horse and clicked his tongue. As the wagon rolled away Annie’s cheeks flamed, and she knew the heat engulfing her had little to do with the sun. Why did she always have to go weak and tongue-tied in Jacob O’Quinn’s presence? Out at Bathurst across the mountains, where she had spent her entire life until travelling down here before Christmas with her Mama and Pa she was surrounded by men of all ages and not one of them had ever made her feel so unsure, and not one made her heart flutter with a feeling she could not understand.

My Review:

Annie’s Choices is an historical novel set in the early 1840’s in Australia. There were several things I liked about the book.

First, Annie didn’t behave as I thought a woman of that era would. She didn’t sit in the house wearing a corset and doing needlework. She dreamed of helping people and was adamant in making her dreams come true. She was blunt and honest and often acted on impulse, which sometimes caused problems for her. She was a well-drawn character whose path to emotional maturity I enjoyed following.

Second, the author created a vivid setting for the book. She didn’t have pages and pages of description or history, but she created a sense of place that was super well done. She chose her words wisely, and in this case less really was more. 

Third, Annie was surrounded by a large and loving family. If you like stories of family life, you should enjoy this book. It’s Book 4 in a series so you can get to know the family very well. Each book is stand alone. 

Fourth, the book is a clean read with no graphic sex.

And last of all, there are several surprises in the story that you probably won’t see coming.

All in all, I got immersed in the story and couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. I totally recommend it.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Award winning author Tricia McGill was born in London, England, and moved to Australia many years ago, settling near Melbourne. The youngest in a large, loving family she was never lonely or alone. Surrounded by avid readers, who encouraged her to read from an early age, is it any wonder she became a writer? The local library was a treasure trove and magical world of discovery through her childhood and growing years. Although her published works cross sub-genres, romance is always at their heart. 

Tricia’s love of animals has always shown up in her books. Tricia devotes as much time and money as she can spare to supporting worldwide conservation groups and is passionate about supporting those who do all they can to preserve our wildlife for future generations. She also volunteers for a local community group that helps disabled adults and children to connect to the internet with provided computer equipment. When people ask what she does in her spare time, she is heard to ask, “Spare time, what is that?” 

www.triciamcgill.com

http://triciamg.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/authorTriciaMcGill

Buy Link: https://books2read.com/Annies-Choices

Author page: https://bookswelove.net/mcgill-tricia/

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

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

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Saturday Sample and Weekend Writing Warriors: Never Trust a Pretty Wolf

Welcome to Saturday Sample and Weekend Writing Warriors. Today we'll continue to share excerpts from Never Trust a Pretty Wolf. On Sunday when you finish here, do go to http://www.wewriwa.blogspot.com for more excerpts from a bunch of great authors.

Blurb:

Liesel Wolf has a secret, a dangerous secret she’ll go to any lengths to conceal. When she’s paired in a charity game with sexy marshal Andy Bryce, a man with secrets of his own, her carefully constructed world comes crashing down, and Liesel’s on a collision course with her past.

Buy link:  https://amzn.to/2KY04Rj

Excerpt: 

Chapter One

Last Week

This week: I've skipped a few paragraphs and we pick up the next morning after Liesel and Andy arrive at the place where they expect to find the next set of coordinates.

“Slow down. I think we’re close.”

“I hope...”

“This must be it,” Liesel said, gesturing at a rustic sign that announced the location of the park.

They stopped at the gate, where Andy paid the entrance fee, then they drove inside. 
Liesel fell in love with the little park. She saw a campground and general store as they drove through the gate. On the hill behind the campground she saw what looked like a big barn, probably for dancing or concerts.

Dense brush and trees lined both sides of the road, giving way to picnic tables and a swimming area. Oh, and she adored the neat playground near the picnic area. They crossed a little bridge where she saw several children feeding bread to the fish and entered a parking lot near the nature center.

The Life God Gives You

 Write Now Literary is pleased to be organizing a two-week book tour for The Life God Gives You by Shaquia M. Jimson. The book tour will run July 20-31.

           

Genre: Non-Fiction

Paperback: ISBN-13: 979-8642355381

E-book: ASIN: B08BJB9SXZ

Meet Shaquia

Shaquia is a  Certified Life Coach and the owner of Overcoming Bondage, a consulting business, where clients come and received emotional, spiritual, and physical therapy. Shaquia also is a pillar in her community where she donates to local shelter and assist at food banks for the homeless.

She resides in Kings Mountain, North Carolina with her family.

About the Book

Do you know your family history and the struggles they endured? Have you ever taken a moment to realize the sacrifices your parents made to give you a better life?

Take a Journey with Shaquia Jimson as she reminisces the journey of Grace Ann Jimson. Shaquia shares her family lifeline as they struggle through financial hardships, social acceptance, mental and physical abuse. This riveting book shows how Shaquia’s family made it through some of the most difficult

circumstances so that she could live a better life.

Shaquia’s book brings awareness to the cause of sex trafficking and domestic violence.

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