Friday, September 30, 2022

The Stained Glass Window


                                             The Stained Glass Window

by Kris Francoeur

 

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GENRE: Contemporary Romance

 

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BLURB:

 

Lilly has the perfect life... she's beautiful, successful, and financially independent.

 

Lilly inherits a mysterious house in Vermont. She sees it as her life only getting better. She hires a hot contractor to fix up and restore the grand old house, then meets a gorgeous Italian professor who showers her with attention. What seems like a perfect life can sometimes be masking dark secrets just beneath the surface and old houses have their memories.

 

Will Lilly do the reasonable, safe, and expected thing and marry the dashing professor or give in to the raw passion of a future with the one man who has not only discovered the secrets of the house, but also Lilly's?

 

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EXCERPT

 

The drive was uneventful, and by the time I pulled into my parking space, I was bored and lonely.

 

I slogged up the stairs to the front door. First, I’d throw a load of laundry in, and then I’d order an early dinner of takeout.

 

Standing at the kitchen counter with the menus, I picked up the phone and hit speed dial. The voice was warm. “Hey, how was New York?”

 

“Well, it was good for you. You are now a proud season ticket holder for the Yankees.”

 

“Really, Lil?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Thank you, sweetie.”

 

“You’re welcome.” I bit my lower lip. “Hey, can I come over?”

 

His voice deepened. “Megan is away.”

 

“I know.”

 

“Ah, that kind of visit.”

 

I leaned my head against the cabinet. Darn it. I wish I had more willpower. “Yes.”

 

“Come on over.”

 


 

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


 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Kris Francoeur is an author, ghostwriter, and educator who lives on her small family farm in Vermont. When not writing stories about strong women with interesting backstories, Kris loves to travel, knit, and garden.

 

Twitter: @KFAnnaBelleRose

FB: www.facebook.com/authorkfrancoeur

Website: www.authorkfrancoeur.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18490380.Kris_Francoeur

Instagram: @author.krisfrancoeur_aka_abr

 

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Stained-glass-Window-Kris-Francoeur-ebook/dp/B0B96YBLKD

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

 

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

 



 


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Thursday, September 29, 2022

An Amish Christmas Star


 

An Amish Christmas Star

by Charlotte Hubbard

 

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GENRE: Inspirational Romance (Amish)

 

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BLURB:

 

The crisp fragrance of pine trees and the warm spice of fresh cookies aren’t the only blessings that Christmas brings, and no one knows more about happy homecomings than three couples who are celebrating the greatest gift of all . . .

 

STAR OF WONDER by Charlotte Hubbard

When Raymond Overholt comes to Promise Lodge, hoping to sell the barnboard signs he’s painted with stars and Christmas messages, spirited young Mennonite Lizzie Zehr is intrigued. But any courtship between them will face fierce opposition from the bishop of Raymond’s Old Order community—unless someone can convince him that at the heart of faith lies love . . .

 

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EXCERPT

 

After a deadly dull Monday morning of filling small plastic containers with colored sugars and Christmas jimmies, Lizzie Zehr loaded them onto her wheeled cart and headed into the main room of Promise Lodge’s new bulk store. It was boring work, all that scooping and labeling—repetitive and downright lonely, being stuck back in the warehouse by herself. 

 

But compared to slaving in her older sister Maria’s bakery or, for years before that, running the household for their eldest, crippled sister, Malinda, it was a piece of cake.

            

And because Dale Kraybill was paying her, it was freedom. This job was her ticket to independence, an escape from the two bossy sisters who’d been running her ragged for most of her eighteen years. Their parents had passed when she was very young, so Lizzie’s sisters had raised her as best they could—and they expected her to be grateful. She was, of course. But she was also really tired of being at their beck and call.

            

Lizzie’s thoughts shifted into a higher gear the moment she spotted the guy who was talking to Dale. The two fellows were hanging wooden signboards, which caught her eye because of their sparkly gold stars—but the shimmer of their glittery paint paled the moment the younger fellow turned around. In his green paisley shirt, red jeans, and backswept black hair, he looked anything but Plain, and when he met her gaze through his red-framed glasses, Lizzie immediately knew they were soul mates. Like her, this free spirit was gnashing at the bit and refusing to conform to the religious limitations he’d been raised with.

            

Like her, he wanted out.

             

“Hey there,” he said. His voice, barely audible from across the cavernous room, spoke volumes to Lizzie’s restless heart.

            

Afraid to say something stupid, she merely nodded and held his gaze. She heard the secretive whisper of soft, small objects hitting a hard surface—or maybe it was the feathery swishing of angels’ wings—

            

“Lizzie, watch what—you’re spilling jimmies all over the floor!” Dale cried out.

            

She blinked. She had no memory of picking up a container, just as she didn’t realize she’d been squeezing it so tightly that the lid had popped off. The sight of red and green jimmies bouncing off her bare feet—she wore flip-flops year-round to show off her painted toenails—was suddenly the funniest thing she’d ever seen. As Lizzie sprinted into the warehouse for a broom, her laughter filled the store. 

            

Her life was finally taking a turn for the better. She just knew it.

 

 


 

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


 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

In 1983, Charlotte Hubbard sold her first story to True Story. She wrote around 70 of those confession stories, and she’s sold more than 60 books to traditional or online publishers. A longtime resident of Missouri, she’s currently writing Amish romances set in imaginary Missouri towns for Kensington. She now lives in Omaha, NE with her husband of 40+ years and their Border collie, Vera.

 

www.charlottehubbard.com

 

Facebook -- www.Facebook.com/Charlotte.Hubbard1

 

Buy Links: 

 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Amish-Christmas-Star-Shelley-Shepard-ebook/dp/B09PJ348C8

 

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/an-amish-christmas-star-shelley-shepard-gray/1140825147

 

Kensington Publishing:  https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9781496734273/an-amish-christmas-star/

 

Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/ip/An-Amish-Christmas-Star-Paperback-9781496734259/385381250

 

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/an-amish-christmas-star/id1602867197

 

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

 

Charlotte Hubbard will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 



 

 

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Wednesday, September 28, 2022

The Lost and Found of Green Tree

 


The Lost and Found of Green Tree

by Bobbie Candas

 

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GENRE: historical fiction

 

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BLURB:

 

Both heart-warming and gut-wrenching, the merging stories of Mariah and Nanette reveal their grit and determination as they attempt to carve out a better life for themselves during one the twentieth century’s most arduous decades.

 

Growing up in the rural village of Green Tree, Nanette is convinced she’s meant for a bigger life, perhaps in the spotlight of Hollywood. But selling popcorn in a Minnesota movie theater is a far cry from the glamor she dreams of; nevertheless, Nanette is undaunted by challenges.

 

Mariah, living just outside of Green Tree, yearns to move off the family farm and take on a modern job in a bustling city, but she’s sidetracked by love. By eighteen, she finds herself married to her high school sweetheart, giving birth to twin daughters, and living only a few miles from the home she grew up in.

 

As the economy worsens during the Great Depression, Nanette’s and Mariah’s lofty goals are forced to change as early tragedies confront both women. Brought together by a mutual friend, Nanette extends a generous offer to Mariah, but in time she exacts a frightening price.

 

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EXCERPT

 

 

Nanette:

 

“Best be quick,Nanette. No praying… no breakfast.”

 

That got me motivated. I raced to the bathroom, urinating and then vomiting. I would not miss another meal. I yanked the first dress I found from one of my suitcases and threw it over my head, as I slipped my feet into heels, and rather scandalously, didn’t bother with stockings. I finger combed my permed bob, folded yesterday’s newspaper into my pocket, then raced downstairs. I hustled into the large dining area that held two long tables of twelve chairs each. There was one chair left to be filled. It appeared I was the last to arrive.

 

The priss and prim house mistress and reader of rules, was standing at the far end of the room and stared at me as I plopped into my chair.

 

“Now that we are all here, let us bow our heads and pray.” I closed my eyes, pressed my hands together, and got busy. I prayed to find an apartment…very soon. I prayed not to be pregnant. I prayed to find another job, in addition to my part-time position, and then remembered to pray that I be discovered by a Hollywood agent that might be passing through Mankato, hoping he would whisk me away to California and all my problems would disappear. Were these prayers, dreams, or wishful thinking? Did it matter?

 

 

 

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

 


AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

I'm a Texas girl: grew up in San Antonio, went to school at UT in Austin where I earned my degree in journalism, and settled in Dallas where I raised a husband, two kids and a few cats. My husband, Mehmet, and the cats will probably disagree on who raised who, but I'm a sucker for a robust discussion. 

For years I was involved in retail management, but have more recently focused on my writing, taking deep dives into the lives of my characters. When you can pry my fingers off the keyboard, I enjoy entertaining, sharing food and drink with friends and family. I enjoy shopping, usually on the hunt for apparel, with a special weakness for shoes, and will frequently jump at the opportunity of an unexpected trip to a far-away place.

 

And I always make time for reading. I keep a stack of novels ready and waiting on my night stand, with a few tapping their toe in my Kindle. I bounce around genres, and I’m always ready for a good recommendation.

 

Novels by Bobbie Candas:

The Lost and Found of Green Tree

Imperfect Timing 

Luck, Love and a Lifeline

 

Follow Bobbie on:

Facebook: Author Bobbie Candas: https://www.facebook.com/bobbiecandasauthor

Good Reads author link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8292457.Bobbie.Candas 

Amazon Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/Books-Bobbie-Candas/s?3A283155%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ABobbie+Candas

Instagram: Author Bobbie Candas

 For author updates add your email at: bobbiecandas@gmail.com

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

 

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

  


 



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Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Beyond the Book: Wanna Play?

What were your favorite games to play as a child? As an adult? 

The first game I remember playing was Candy Land. My mother had a nice birthday party for me, and one of the guests gave me Candy Land. What fun! My sister and I played all the time, but we liked it most when my grandmother played with us. As I’ve said before, she’d cheat, but it was so obvious and she laughed so hard the game was twice as much fun. 

Old Maid was an early favorite too. Nobody wanted to be the old maid so we had lots of laughs playing it. We liked Bingo too. As we got older we spent hours playing our favorites. We loved Sorry, Grandma cheated big time in this one, Parcheesi, Snap, Black Jack, and Authors. I don’t know if Authors is still around now, but in a literature class at school I knew some test answers because of that game.

As an adult most of the games I played were with my husband and our friends. Uno was always fun as was Rummy. One that we still enjoy is Phase 10. It’s also fun to play online Mahjong. 

I’ve played Bridge before, but I didn’t especially like it. I don’t like Monopoly either nor Scrabble. You’d think I’d enjoy Scrabble, but when you put me in front of those letters I can’t think of the simplest words.

Truthfully, we don’t play very many games now. One of the friends we always played with died, and we never replaced her, which mostly brought game playing to a halt. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law like to play cards so maybe we’ll invite them over soon for a games night. I think we might have fun. 

What about all of you? What are your favorite games?

Forever Askole



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Gail Koger 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.

My name is Ella McAllister, I’m a psychic witch and a healer. My life is kinda nuts. Not only do I have the Coletti hunters chasing me, but now I also have a very determined Askole High Commander after me. Why? I shot his ship down and it crash landed, and it blew up. Yep, itty-bitty pieces everywhere. My bad, but his ship was a dead ringer for a Rodan Marauder, and it was my civic duty to blow the enemy spacecraft out of the sky. Wasn’t it? Any hoo, I healed his owies and boogied.

I thought that was the end of it, but oh no. For some unknown reason, Sariel, the Askole High Commander, decided I would make him the perfect mate. As if. I think the blow to his head made him completely bonkers.

Sariel informed me the mating dance had begun and there was nothing I could do to stop it. The idiot had obviously never dealt with a witch before. I didn’t have the time to play games with him, so I did a little abracadabra alakazam and ran.

Sigh. The persistent Askole found me. Now I have a decision to make. Keep running or surrender to the High Commander. He is a damn good kisser.

Would the mating dance bring two lonely souls together? Who knew?


Read an Excerpt:

Sariel abruptly changed the subject. “I had armor made for you.”

That got my attention. “Did you?” Since I was heading for the Wild West of the galaxy, body armor would come in handy. “What’s the catch?”

Amusement lit Sariel’s eyes. “So suspicious.”

“You bet your ass I am. What’s the catch?”

“A simple kiss and the armor is yours.” Sariel’s big hand cupped my ass.

Geeze, he was like an octopus. I removed his hand. “That’s it?”

“Yes.”

“Uh huh.” The sneaky bastard was planning something, but what? I kissed his chin. “There you go. Where’s my armor.

Sariel laughed. “A real kiss with tongue.”

I really wanted that armor. I pressed my lips to his and took small, careful tastes of his mouth. I didn’t want to impale myself on his fangs. Yep, Sariel definitely tasted like cinnamon. A wild, edgy excitement tore through me as our tongues tangled in a slow, sensual dance.

Sariel caught my chin in his hand and the hot friction of his mouth had me vibrating with pure, undiluted need. He was a fever in my blood. I burned for him. I had a sudden, overpowering need to fuck Sariel blind. No! No! No! This was bad on so many levels. I had to stop this before I did something stupid. “Stop! You’ve got your kiss. Where is my armor?”

“Obstinate to the end. Your former lover has much to answer for.”

About the Author:
I was a 9-1-1 dispatcher for the Glendale Police Department and to keep from going totally bonkers – I mean people have no idea what a real emergency is. Take this for example: I answered, “9-1-1 emergency, what’s your emergency?” And this hysterical woman yelled, “My bird is in a tree.” Sometimes I really couldn’t help myself, so I said, “Birds have a tendency to do that, ma’am.” The woman screeched, “No! You don’t understand. My pet parakeet is in the tree. I’ve just got to get him down.” Like I said, not a clue. “I’m sorry ma’am but we don’t get birds out of trees.” The woman then cried, “But… What about my husband? He’s up there, too.” See what I had to deal with? To keep from hitting myself repeatedly in the head with my phone I took up writing.

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Monday, September 26, 2022

Raise the Bar


 Raise the Bar

by Jay Ibrahim

 

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GENRE:   Self-Help

 

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BLURB:

 

Raise the Bar is about leaving the world of normalcy and mediocrity and raising yourself above your standard. It is about living a life of excellence and mastery in all aspects of your life, including health, wealth, relationships and spirituality. Most of us are good, but when we are told how to live great, we say, "I'm good enough." This mindset is damaging and limiting, hence we succumb to our thoughts, not our potential. This book will take you on a thirty-day journey to take your life to extraordinary levels and become whole. Raise the bar in everything that you do and become a legacy-maker.

 

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EXCERPT

 

As we start this new journey and embark on something bigger, we must do

one thing.

 

We must determine where you want to be? Where do you want to be in 30 days?

 

What type of person do you NEED to become?

 

Thirty days might not sound like a long time but let me tell you, it only takes one day to change the rest of your life, so do not be fooled by the duration of the days. What really matters is what today looks like. Shape your day, and the world will mould itself to fit within your mind.

 

We will touch on thousands of books in psychology, social psychology, forensics, behavioural psychology, relationships, mindset, spirituality, health, divine living, growth, leadership, and trauma. The list goes on during this journey that we are taking. I have over a decade of experience working in this field, impacting, empowering, leading, and influencing people around me.

 

The goal is that you will see the best version of yourself with every step in the journey. Every day that you take toward your goal is a day closer to a lifestyle of freedom, living, and a positive mindset. Over the years, my work has been to capture misplaced innocence, which allowed many to break away from their shackles and eliminate the impression that we have limits.

 

But I am here to tell you and show you that in our 30-day journey together, you are only limited by the mindset you have allowed others to create for you.

 

Therefore, you will soon realise that no matter where you are placed on Earth, your process of living can begin when you decide that today is the day.

 

Whenever you are held back or think of stopping because you are not good enough or whatever other reason people place on you, tell yourself one thing:

 

Not Today. Just NOT today.

 

So, let us begin your 30-day challenge of transformation by defining what you need to be.

 

Think long and hard about who you want to become within the next 30 days. Not just anyone. Really think hard and ask yourself: If I cannot be this person, then is my life worth living? I know it sounds morbid, but we need to dive deep into what truly motivates you so you can commit for 30 days and know that if you hesitate and miss a day, you must start all over again. However, when you think deep down why you are committing yourself to these 30 days, it needs to be something so divine that it pushes and motivates you because your life depends on it.

 

I promise you this process works, and everything that we will be doing over the upcoming weeks will lead toward a lifestyle you never saw possible.


 

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


 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Jay Ibrahim is an entrepreneur who revolutionized the relationship world. His background in psychology, behavioural psych, Applied Behavior Analysis, psychotherapy and rehab counselling over the last eleven years puts him ahead of the race when it comes to relationships, conflict and resorting to your love life once again. His decades of experience and profound knowledge of modern ages and classic strategies of resorting to relationships and communication give all his clients the comfort to know they are in good hands, and that there is no problem he can't handle. Jay has an online platform called Metanoia Academy. Ultimate Freedom Journey is one of his successful programs, helping thousands of people raise the bar in health, wealth, relationships, and spirituality and live a life of freedom mentality. He is a world-renowned love doctor mentoring clients on how to be the ultimate man.

 

 

CONNECT WITH JAY IBRAHIM

 

Website: https://jayibrahim.com.au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Lovefreedomjourney

https://www.facebook.com/Jaquan7

Instagram: @metanoia_academy

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH5aNJMgI5WtnIIGoPZCsgw

Podbean:

https://jayconsulting.podbean.com

 https://relationshipuniversity.podbean.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60147998-raise-the-bar

 

GET YOUR COPY OF RAISE THE BAR                  

 

 

Amazon.com https://amazon.com/dp/0228857724

 

Amazon Australia https://amazon.com.au/dp/0228857724

 

Kindle https://amazon.com/dp/B09PZKJRQG

 

Booktopia https://www.booktopia.com.au/raise-the-bar-jay-ibrahim/book/9780228857723.html

 

Indigo https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/raise-the-bar-to-live/9780228857747-item.html

 

Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/raise-the-bar-jay-ibrahim/1140870431

 

Book Depository https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/raise-the-bar-jay-ibrahim/1140870431

 

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1125523

 

Apple Books https://books.apple.com/us/book/raise-the-bar-to-live-a-life-of-excellence/id1606815737

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

 

Jay Ibrahim will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.


 


 


 

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Saturday, September 24, 2022

Saturday Sample and Weekend Writing Warriors


 Welcome to my blog. Today I'd like to share an excerpt from my all time favorite book Blue 52. On Sunday when you finish here you can go to www.wewriwa.blogspot.com for more excerpts from a talented group of authors. 

Blurb:

"First Lady Kills President Lovinggood" 

December 5, 2018 

Thirty years later, Hank Lovinggood embarks on a quest to prove his mother's innocence and punish the killers who took his family from him. Together Hank and lovely physicist Dr. Kathryn Sinclair confront an implacable, twisted, and merciless enemy who'll do whatever it takes to hide the truth forever.


Last Week's Excerpt: He sucked in another breath and turned to his mother’s coffin. Did she really deserve his regard?

She didn’t look like he thought she would. Death had treated his father kindly, but it hadn’t seemed to touch his mother at all. She looked breathtakingly beautiful with dark hair, a flawless complexion, and rosy pink lips. He had seen many pictures of her and watched every movie she had ever made, yet he still hadn’t expected her to look so beautiful. No wonder his father had loved her. No wonder her fans had idolized her.

She had a serene expression on her face, not the expression of a woman driven to murder and suicide. He looked carefully to see if he could spot the place under her jaw where the bullet had gone in, but the morticians had done a good job; the only thing he saw was a faint discoloration.

The diamond and wedding band his father had given her still graced her finger. Everyone always said how much they had loved each other, and in the few dim memories he had of them, they were always laughing and seemed happy.

Today's Excerpt: Hank and the Senator arrive at the Sinclair Mortuary to view the remains of Hank's mother and father. 

Today's Snippet

When he thought of them, he usually got a warm, safe feeling. He could distinctly remember both of them sitting on the bed with him reading him a story before he went to sleep.

A faint smile curved his lips when he thought of the time he and his mother had sneaked up on his father while he was asleep on the beach. They had poured ocean water from a little sand bucket onto his stomach. He had come awake with a roar and jumped up and chased them down the beach. When he caught them, he had threatened to throw both of them into the ocean. Instead, they had walked down the beach hand in hand and found a hot dog stand where his father bought everyone a hot dog.

Other memories clamored for attention, like the time his mother fell and broke her ankle. He could still picture the fear on his father’s face. His mother had bitten her lip and hidden her face against his father’s shoulder. His dad had hugged her and looked as if he were trying to take away her pain.

When they came home from the hospital, his father had carried her upstairs and stayed with her the entire evening. Had some of his father’s aides fussed at him for missing appointments? He thought he remembered his father bellowing at them and telling them to leave him alone.

What in the name of God happened on that mountain where they died?

The senator cleared his throat and claimed Hank’s attention. “I always regretted not keeping his watch for you.”

Hank stared at the watch on his father’s arm. “I guess he doesn’t have any need for it now,” he quavered. He bit his lip hard, but his eyes watered anyway. He swiped them with his hand before his grandfather could see.

Senator Lovinggood didn’t act a bit ashamed of his tears. “I’ll tell Sinclair to get it for you.”

Friday, September 23, 2022

The Worst Kind of Truth


                                                   The Worst Kind of Truth

by Frank Zafiro

 

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GENRE:   Mystery (police procedural)

 

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

 

BLURB:

 

Detective Katie MacLeod has her hands full.

It has been four years since her promotion to detective, and after paying her dues in property crimes investigations, she has made it to the Major Crimes unit. This is where the highest profile cases land—homicides, robberies, serious assaults, and sexual assaults.

Katie catches two rape cases almost back-to-back. One victim is a prostitute with an unknown suspect… who Katie fears may be gearing up for more assaults. The other victim is a college student who has accused her boyfriend, a popular baseball player, of raping her at a party.

Both cases have their own set of perils. Katie juggles her time investigating each one, encountering many obstacles—a lack of evidence in one, and wondering how to parse conflicting statements in the other.

As she battles past these difficulties, Katie faces another fact… that both cases hit home with her in very different ways. Solving them becomes more than just a job for her, but something deep-seated and personal… something that may exorcise some of her own demons from the past.

Or will they consume her?

 

 

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

 

EXCERPT


 

The woman in the emergency room hospital bed glanced away from Detective Katie MacLeod to fidget with the edge of the blanket. She looked down at her hands, avoiding Katie’s gaze. Her greasy brown hair with blond highlights hung limply past her shoulders. The state identification card she’d given Katie only a few minutes prior stated she was twenty-seven-years-old and five-foot-five. Not tall, Katie thought, but not tiny, either. Even so, she seemed smaller to the detective at the moment. Thinner, too, than the weight listed on the state ID.

 

“Nicole?” Katie asked gently. “Do you remember what happened next?”

 

Nicole nodded but didn’t speak.

 

Next to the bed, Crystal Docking took Nicole’s hand. Crystal was even thinner than Nicole, with sunken cheeks, black stringy hair, and dark eyes filled with anger. “He raped her, okay?” Crystal snapped. “She already told the nurse, who called you. Why does she have to say it again?”

 

On patrol, and even during her first year or two as a detective, Crystal’s interference would have frustrated Katie. She was a professional police officer, trying to accomplish an important task. People who got in the way of that were obstacles to her getting the larger job done. To make matters worse, hers was a job that usually had high stakes, so impediments had consequences.

 

Maybe it was her years of experience—seventeen years as a cop now, all told—or perhaps it was the result of staring down the big four-oh a couple of birthdays away, but she’d become far more patient these days. Instead of getting frustrated, she became efficient.

 

And right now, the most efficient thing to do was to ignore Crystal Docking.



A Word With the Author:


1.Did you always want to be an author?

Yes. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t think of myself in those terms.


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

It’s actually been published three times! The first was by a small press in 2006 called Wolfmont Press. I’d contributed to an interesting anthology called Seven by Seven that they published. The editor liked my work and we got to talking. He ultimately took on Under a Raging Moon, my first published novel and the beginning of the River City series (which starts in 1994).

 

Unfortunately, when I turned in the second book, the editor said he couldn’t publish it. Though he thought it was better-written than book one, his opinion was that readers wouldn’t accept a child victim. I disagreed, especially since nothing happens to her on the page. Not only that, but I pointed out that the popularity of Law and Order seemed to disprove his theory. Ultimately, we remained at an impasse, and so I took the second book elsewhere. 

 

When the contract ended a few years later, I got my rights back. By then, the series was with a Spokane-based publisher, Gray Dog Press (River City is a thinly veiled Spokane). GDP published the first four books in the River City series in print in 2010 and 2011, so that is the second time Under a Raging Moon was published. I did a slight revision for that edition, adding in a couple of deleted scenes, and polishing the previous draft. 

 

At the time, GDP wasn’t interested in ebooks, so I digitally published all four so that they’d be available. Around 2017, GDP discontinued its fiction line (they still publish trail guides), so I got the print rights back. That was when I re-published all of them under my own imprint, Code 4 Press. That’s the third publication for the first book!


3.Besides yourself, who is your favorite author in the genre you write in?
Colin Conway, without a doubt. We co-author the Charlie-316 series together but I am a big fan of his solo work. His writing universe of the 509 includes the main series of procedurals, a hard boiled PI series, and a lighter-hearted PI series. The procedurals feature an ensemble cast of rotating lead protagonists. They’re outstanding, gritty police procedurals. The John Cutler series is hard boiled in a mature way, and the Flip-Flop Detective series has great mysteries with some humor. And if none of that appeals to you, he writes the Cozy Up series of cozies, too (starting with Cozy Up to Death).

 

If that’s cheating because he’s my friend and sometimes co-author, then my answer is Dennis Lehane. He seems to be able to ride the line between literary and crime fiction in a way that is honest to both.

 

4.What's the best part of being an author? The worst?
The best part is that first flush of creation, when a scene comes together under your fingertips. It’s like a first kiss. Even better than that—it’s like your very first kiss ever. It is, as Queen sang, a kind of magic. The second best thing, by the way, is spending time with the characters over the course of a series. One is like a first date, the other like a long marriage.

 

The worst part? The self-doubt. The self-inflicted comparisons. The vulnerability. Like much of art, writing a book (or a story, or a poem) is like walking into a party with no clothes on, waving your arms in a flourish, and saying, “So? What do you think?”

 

5.What are you working on now?

Four things at once, which is fairly typical.

 

1. I’m almost finished with the first draft of my middle grade sports novel “Double Shifting” (Sam the Hockey Player series). It might be done by the time you read this, actually. I write those under my given name, Frank Scalise.

 

2. I’m about to start the final revision process for the new SpoCompton novel (#4), Live and Die This Way. LaDTW comes out in early October, so I’m unusually tight on this timeline. The SpoCompton series is the opposite side of the badge to the River City series—that is, the criminals are the protagonists.

 

3. I’ve been outlining the fourth Stefan Kopriva mystery and will be hard at work on the first draft by the time you read this. The Kopriva series is a spinoff from River City.

 

4. I’m in the early stages of developing the next River City novel, which will also feature Detective Katie MacLeod.

 

There are other projects—a collection of stories and poems, a novella-length family saga, a couple of PI novellas, as well as my editing duties on the novella anthology series that I created called A Grifter’s Song, which is about to enter its fifth and final season in January. But the four items listed above have the most urgency to them at the moment.

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Frank Zafiro writes gritty crime fiction from both sides of the badge. He was a police officer from 1993 to 2013, holding many different positions and ranks. He retired as a captain.

Frank is the award-winning author of over three dozen novels, most of them crime fiction. These include his River City series of police procedurals, Stefan Kopriva mysteries (PI), SpoCompton series (hardboiled), Jack McCrae mysteries (PI), and Sandy Banks thrillers. He has also co-authored multiple series with other authors, including the Charlie-316 series (procedurals with Colin Conway), Bricks and Cam Jobs (action, dark comedy with Eric Beetner), and the Ania series (hardboiled with Jim Wilsky).

In addition to writing, Frank hosted the crime fiction podcast Wrong Place, Write Crime. He has written a textbook on police report writing and taught police leadership all over the US and Canada. He is an avid hockey fan and a tortured guitarist. He currently lives in the high desert of Redmond, Oregon.

 

Buy/pre-order The Worst Kind of Truthhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B72GF6SW

Website:  http://frankzafiro.com

Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/dfab1c274c36/zafironewsletterhome

Blog: http://frankzafiro.blogspot.com/

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

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Frank_Zafiro

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frankzafiro370/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/frank-zafiro

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

 

Frank Zafiro will be awarding Winner #1 a box set of River City series 1-3 (Kindle version) AND Winner #2 a surprise package of out-of-print versions of Zafiro titles (paperbacks) - US Only. International readers may substitute digital version of any title in the author's back catalog to two randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.




 

a Rafflecopter giveaway