Beyond the Book: How Could You Pick Just One?

What is the one book that you feel you could read over and over without it ever feeling old?”

Wow, what a hard question! If I love a book I read it many times. Usually I’ll find something new and interesting that I missed the first time, and often I just want to experience the book once again. I’ve been doing this since I was a child. I read the Black Stallion series, the Little House Books, and I loved Little Women. There were others that I enjoyed, but I suppose as an older child the one I reread most is My Friend Flicka. It’s about a boy living in Wyoming. His father raises horses and finally lets him choose a horse to be his own personal horse. Unhappily, according to the boy’s father, the son chose poorly. I was totally invested in what would happen to Flicka. I hoped for a good ending, but I didn’t know if it would be possible or not. One reason I read it so many times is probably because the book was really written for an older person. As I grew I was able to pick up more and more things I’d missed before.

As an adult I don’t know what to say. I read a lot. My son saw my reading list and wondered how I read so many books. Well, I’m retired now, and I’ve had a few health issues. There’s nothing to stop me from reading, though. I don’t go back and reread as much as I did when I was younger because there’s so much new material to read. As of late, I find myself rereading Larry McMurtry’s work. The one I liked best was Leaving Cheyenne. I’ve also reread the Amelia Peabody series written by Elizabeth Peters. If you haven’t read about Amelia Peabody you’re missing a treat. 

I’m sorry I can’t narrow it down to just one, but I honestly can’t. What about you? Do you have ONE book you pick up over and over?

Deadly Betrayal

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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Sheila Kell 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.

When trusting the wrong person can be deadly.

From Romantic Suspense BEST-SELLING and AWARD-WINNING Author • What happens when a former FBI analyst quits her job to become a PI and ends up partnering with the man who left her fourteen years earlier? In Sheila Kell’s riveting novel of secrets, deceit, and romance, two people rush to find a killer while reckoning with their growing attraction.

Cassie McKay was tired of being passed over as a FBI field agent. She quits her job as a FBI analyst, moved back home with her mother, and takes a job as a PI. Only she hadn’t expected her partner to be the one man who’d left her years before.

Jack “JD” Walker had done a lot wrong in his life, but he hadn’t killed the mother of his child as the police believed, nor had he expected the only women he’d ever loved to come to his rescue. The two work diligently to prove JD’s innocence while someone is determined to make JD pay.

Deadly Betrayal is the first book in the Coastal Investigations series. If you enjoy a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat read, you’ll love this installment of Sheila Kell’s new romantic suspense series.

Read an Excerpt

“Well, it’s late. I’m going to get some sleep,” Cassie said.

Sleep? What? He planned to seduce her, and here she was kicking him out before he even had the chance. So, he did the only thing he could. He stood and strode toward his room. “Goodnight, my sweet Cassie.” He left the double doors separating their rooms open.

He listened to her shower, wishing he could jump in there with her and soap her body down. Thoughts whizzed through JD’s head as he clenched his eyes shut: 60.2 average passes per game, 328.2 average passing yards, second in the season, twelve weeks in. 52.9 average—he looked down. His erection still hadn’t subsided.

When she climbed into bed, he couldn’t take it anymore. He walked to the door separating their rooms and asked, “Are you coming to my bed, or am I coming to yours?”

About the Author:

Sheila Kell writes about the romantic men who leave women’s hearts pounding with a happily ever after built on memorable, adrenaline-pumping stories. Or, (since her editor tries to cut down on her long-windedness) simply “Smokin’ Hot Romance & Intrigue.” Her debut novel, His Desire (HIS Series #1), launched as an Amazon #1 romantic suspense bestseller and Top 100 overall, later winning the Readers’ Favorite award for best romantic suspense novel.

As a Southern girl who traveled the world with the United States Air Force, she remembers all the embarrassing moments of her fellow veterans to include in her books and laughs every time she does it. Having left behind her days as a College President, she can usually be found nestled in the Mississippi woods, where she lives with her cats and all the strays that magically find her front door. When she isn’t writing, you can find Sheila with her nose in a good book, dealing with the woodland critters who enjoy her back patio, or wishing she had a genie to do her bidding.

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Shine His Light 3: Instructions In Life

 

Shine His Light

by Marie McGaha

 

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GENRE: Christian devotional

 

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BLURB:

 

Life is the journey we take on our way to Heaven. It's not easy, it's not pretty, and sometimes, it's downright difficult. However, we have an Advocate unlike any other, Jesus Christ. In Shine His Light, the author uses scriptures and her own life lessons to help others get through the bumpy spots.

 

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EXCERPT

 

When I was a kid, the series “Star Trek” was the greatest sci-fi show on TV, with the most up-to-date special effects. People disappeared in the transporter, we saw the Enterprise fly through the stars at warp speed, and of course, we saw really strange people and creatures from other planets. Sometimes, the planets were inhospitable and wouldn’t support life as we know it, so the crew moved on. 

 

Of course, it didn’t take long for technology to leap forward and when I watch the old “Star Trek” episodes now, the special effects seem so antiquated, they’re something we laugh about. We can take what is already there and turn it into something better, something brand new and more efficient but we can’t take nothing and turn it into something. Only God can do that. 

 

When God’s Spirit hovered over the face of the waters, He did not think it was inhospitable or that nothing could ever come from it. God looked at the waters and thought, I can make dry land. I can make light. I can take some of that dirt and form a human being. And that is exactly what He did. But He did not stop there, He formed a human being from a pile of dirt and then, He did something remarkable, He breathed His own Spirit into that pile of dirt and gave it life. That pile of dirt became the first man—a living, breathing, moving, thinking person. And God said it was “very good.” Up until then, everything created was called “good,” but man and woman were “very good.”

A Word With the Author

1.Did you always want to be an author?

I think so. I wrote plays and stories all through grade school, and the requisite morose poetry in my teens. In the 8^th grade, I wrote my first full-length novel about a schoolteacher from Boston who moved to the wild, Wild West and falls for the town marshal. I don’t remember details but I wish I had a copy still so I can see how my 13 year old mind processed romance!

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

Must we? It was called Love Remembers back in 2000 or so, and it was published through a vanity press. No editing, no input, they just did what they wanted, and it was a disaster! I was so relieved when they cancelled the contract due to lack of sales!

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

I write in a few different genres in fiction, and Karen Marie Moning has to be my favorite romance author. For suspense, I am a huge James Patterson fan. His Alex Cross series is the best. I also write Christian non-fiction and Beth Moore is a favorite, as well as Joyce Meyers. For Christian fiction, Frank Peretti is the best!

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

The best part is being an author, and the worst part is, being an author! I love doing research and can get lost in it for days at a time. Sometimes so much, I forget I’m supposed to be writing too! The part I dislike the most is promotion! But it’s a necessary part of the process, so here I am!

5.What are you working on now?

Book 4 in the Shine His Light Series is coming out Spring 2023 and I have a special surprise coming this summer that I hope everyone enjoys! And, when this is published, I will have just gotten married! My husband of 23 years passed away and I never thought I’d marry again. I wanted to, but I never thought I’d meet someone who could truly fill the void. My husband was wonderful and loved me so completely, I didn’t think another man could do that. Plus, at my age, it seemed less likely I would find someone else, especially according to biblical parameters. But when God puts you with the one He has designed for you and the one you are designed for, it’s truly magical. Our souls meshed and it was love at first sight. It took six months for it to develop but I’m happier than I’ve ever been.

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Chaplain, author, editor and inspirational speaker, Marie McGaha lives in the beautiful Ozarks of southeast Oklahoma. After losing the love of her life, Nathan, Marie returned from the mountains of Idaho to their native home where she lives with a houseful of yapping furbies, pigs, chickens, and a horse named Horse! She attends Family Praise & Worship and is very grateful for her church family and their support. Shine His Light 4, the final book of the series, is due out next spring.

 

Amazon Buy Link

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BCS7K29V

 

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMarieMcGaha/

 

Twitter

https://twitter.com/Marie_McGaha

 

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariemcgaha/

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

 

Marie McGaha will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Beyond the Book: The Bronze Horseman

 

One of my most memorable heroines is Tatiana Barrington, a character created by Paullina Simons for her Bronze Horseman trilogy.  I bought The Bronze Horseman in the off chance that I’d like it, but from the moment I started reading I was hooked.  I like World War II stories, and this one was fabulous.

Tatiana is a Russian girl living in Leningrad during the siege of Leningrad.  It’s there that she meets Alexander Barrington, an American whose idealist father gave up his American citizenship to become a Communist.  There’s a lot more to that story, but it isn’t relevant to why I like Tatiana.

Tatiana takes care of her family during the siege.  If it wasn’t for her they would’ve given up the struggle to stay alive.  She even hides her love for Alexander because her sister loves him and saw him first.  Fate pushes her to do things that normally she wouldn’t have done, but she gets through everything because she’s a strong person. 

Her love for Alexander is the forever kind.  There comes a time when she’s called on to risk everything, including her life, for Alexander.  The odds that she can succeed are astronomical, but she does what she has to do and turns bitter defeat and certain death into victory.

Who wouldn’t want to be like Tatiana?  She’s strong yet yielding, loves passionately, and can forgive the unthinkable.  War can’t stop her, neither can Communism or Hitler’s army, but through it all she remains so feminine, so loving, so giving that you just want to help her out.  

If you’d like to read the series, start with The Bronze Horseman.  Then Tatiana and Alexander, and finally The Summer Garden. 

What about you? Tell us about oe of your favorite characters.

Halfbreed's Lady

 

HALF-BREED'S LADY

by Bobbi Smith

 

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GENRE:  Historical romance

 

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BLURB: 

 

To artist Glynna Williams, Texas was a land of wild beauty, carved by God’s hand, untouched as yet by man’s. And the most exciting part of it was the fierce, bare-chested half-breed who saved her from a rampaging longhorn bull. Just as the untamed wilderness called to the painter in her heart, Hunt’s mesmerizing eyes touched the woman in her.

 

As she spent the days sketching his magnificent body, she dreamed of spending the nights in his strong arms. Glynna knew the paintings she’d done of his Comanche people would guarantee her success as a Western artist, but would she ever succeed in capturing Hunt’s wary heart? He’d been trapped and wounded before by a white woman. Now only the gentle bonds of love could make Glynna the…Half-Breed’s Lady.

 

 

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EXCERPT

 

Painted Horse heard the other warriors’ warning calls and ran to see who was entering their village. As the rider came into view, he could only stare in disbelief. It was his cousin, Lone Hunter, and he was riding the most magnificent stallion he had ever seen—the stallion from his vision.

 

Painted Horse remembered the words of his vision and he understood it now. Lone Hunter had come for the woman named Glynna.

 

“Do not harm him. He is one of us,” he called out.

 

The others in the village relaxed then, but watched as the stranger rode in.

 

Hunt was aware that everyone was watching him, yet he kept his gaze focused on his cousin.

 

“It’s good to see you, Lone Hunter,” Painted Horse said.

 

“It’s good to see you, too,’ Hunt answered, troubled that his cousin was off the reservation. He looked around for some sign of Glynna, but saw nothing.

 

“You have traveled far.”

 

“I have been tracking you for days.”

 

“A vision told me you would come.”

 

“Your last raid was on my father’s land.”

 

Painted Horse was surprised, but did not show it.

 

Hunt went on. “Do you have the woman?” He met his cousin’s gaze directly. If Glynna was there, he wanted her.

 

“Yes.”

 

“You have taken what is mine.”

 

“She is your woman?”

 

“She is mine. I want her.”

 

At his statement, a smile curved Painted Horse’s mouth. “If, as you say, she is yours,” he said slowly as he looked past Hunt to where the stallion stood, “then there will be a bride-price to pay to claim her.”

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

After working as a department manager for Famous-Barr, and briefly as a clerk at a bookstore, Bobbi Smith gave up on career security and began writing. She sold her first book to Zebra in 1982. Since then, Bobbi has written over 40 books and several short stories. To date, there are more than five million of her novels in print. She has been awarded the prestigious Romantic Times Storyteller of the Year Award and two Career Achievement Awards. Her books have appeared on numerous bestseller lists. When she's not working on her novels, she is frequently a guest speaker for writer's groups. Bobbi is mother of two sons and resides in St. Charles, Missouri with her husband and three dogs.

 

Website: https://bobbismithauthor.com/

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13375.Bobbi_Smith

 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Defiant-Bobbi-Smith-ebook/dp/B009NXLUKE

 

https://www.amazon.com/Half-Breeds-Lady-Bobbi-Smith-ebook/dp/B001G0OB9Y/ref=sr_1_1

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

 

 

Bobbi Smith will award a randomly drawn winner a $10 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway.

 

 

 

The Metaphysical Detective

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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Kirsten Weiss 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.

Midlife Magic and Murder... and a Dog Named Dog.

When Riga Hayworth finds her new client dead, she smells a setup of metaphysical proportions. Now, to find a killer, Riga must travel from San Francisco to the underworld of Greek mythology... and make it back alive.

Donovan, Vinnie, Pen and Brigitte – the story that started it all. The Metaphysical Detective is the prequel to the Riga Hayworth series. If you like Gen-X, no-nonsense heroines and supernatural with your mystery, you’ll love The Metaphysical Detective.

Buy this quirky paranormal women’s fiction and explore the magical world of Riga Hayworth today!

Read an Excerpt

She studied the paper heart for a long moment, then took it into her study and stuck it with a magnet to the whiteboard there, beside the others. The hearts formed two rows, lined up in order received:

Bee mine

I love U

U R sweet

Let’s kiss

My love

I adore u

When the first heart had arrived, she’d shrugged it off. At the second’s arrival, Riga had been irritated enough to dust for prints.

There weren’t any.

By the fourth, she’d rigged a discreet camera to watch her door. But when she reviewed the tape, all she saw was an empty doormat, followed by a quick blip of electrical snow, and in the next shot the valentine was there.

Next, she’d placed a camera against the peep hole in her door. The view from the fisheye didn’t reach the doormat, but it would capture anyone who came near. Valentine number five arrived, and there was nothing on the tape – not even a blip of white noise.

She couldn’t magically ward the hall, because her neighbor used it too. Magic couldn’t solve everything – not that she hadn’t tried. Her attempts to use the valentines to magically reveal her stalker had failed. It was as if he didn’t exist.

The construction paper was a common brand. Schoolchildren used it. She’d called in a favor and had the ink analyzed. It was from a normal felt-tip pen. There was only one anomaly. The smudges of dirt on each valentine came from a local park.

It was driving her batty.

About the Author:

Kirsten Weiss conjures up action-packed witch mysteries based on contemporary and historical magical practices. Her witchy heroines aren’t perfect (and neither are their familiars), but they’re smart, they struggle, and they succeed.

Kirsten writes in a house high on a hill in the Colorado woods and occasionally ventures out for wine and chocolate. She is best known for her Doyle Witch and Riga Hayworth paranormal mystery books. Are you ready to be enchanted? Just turn the page and… voila!

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The Lost Journals of Bud Wiper

 

The Lost Journals of Bud Wiper

by S.M. Morgan

 

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GENRE:   Middle Grade Fiction

 

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BLURB:

 

"Help!! My head is being lowered into the swirling vortex of a toilet!”

My name is Teddy, and I’m in the 6th grade. It’s my first day at a different school, and so far, the only person I know is Zane, the school bully. I was just your everyday kid trying to stay off everyone’s radar, but when I met my new best friend, Bud Wiper, everything changed.

Bud is a 6th grade millionaire from 60 years ago.

Yep, that’s right, Bud Wiper is a treasure hunter from the 1940’s who left behind his journal full of life and adventure, and even though we’ve never met, I think he might be the only thing that gets me through the 6th grade alive.

The Lost Journals of Bud Wiper is a fantastic story of bravery and friendship, perfect for kids, middle school students, and adults.

 

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EXCERPT

Let me explain. The reason I was being shoved into the trash can in the boy’s bathroom at my new school was all my fault. Or at least, that’s what Zane kept telling me after he and his friends cornered me. He said there wasn’t enough time for a swirly, so the trash can would have to do.

A Word With the Author

1. Did you always want to be an author?

Absolutely! I get pretty emotional about it. I remember when I was very young and fell in love with "story" it consumed me during my middle school years, and I have become a bookworm ever since. It simply clicked with me, and all I wanted to do was makeup stories. I get so pumped up when I come up with a fantastic idea and character arch, and I can see it all in my mind.

 

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

I would write my stories regardless of publication, but I had a good friend who dared me to finish a book, and at that time, my life was in a slump, but over a few months, he kept me motivated and pushed me.

 

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

I have two favorites: Joseph Delaney and John Flanagan.

These guys are so good. I found them in my mid-twenties because I saw a friend's son reading them. About a year later, I saw the fourth book of John Flanagan's The Ranger Apprentice series in a Walmart(I was waiting on an oil change), and I remembered my friend's son, so I read the first chapter and fell in love with middle-grade fiction. I had no remorse that I was twenty-something reading little kid books :). My daughter is now at that age where she can read these books and devour them.

 

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

My favorite part about being an author is that you get to make stuff. Anything! Whatever you want. It is extraordinary when your simple idea or scene blossoms into something fabulous!

 

The worst has to be the first read-through. I find it to be a grueling process :(.

 

5.What are you working on now?

●      The Lost Journals of Bud Wiper Vol. 2

●      Small "one-off" stories from Bud Wiper's journal.

 

 

 

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

S.M. Morgan is the author of The Lost Journals of Bud Wiper — A Middle Grade Adventure. He lives in East Texas with his wife, daughter, and son, and when not writing potty humor for kids, he is trying to get alone to read more mystery adventure stories.

When the real world calls him to be social, he can be found canoeing with his family or trying to convince his wife to watch action movies.

 

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B097531BSQ/about

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7076975.S_M_Morgan

 

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Journals-Bud-Wiper-Adventure-ebook/dp/B08YNJKFFD?ref_=ast_sto_dp

 

Barnes and Nobles

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-lost-journals-of-bud-wiper-sm-morgan/1139735498

 

Apple

https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1583880148

 

Website - https://budwiper.com/

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

 

S.M. Morgan will be awarding a Kindle Paperwhite, a signed Hardback cover of the book and a featured character spot in our next Bud Wiper story to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway