The Shadowed Moon

 

THE SHADOWED MOON

Elli Morgan

 

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GENRE:  Paranormal Romance

 

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BLURB:

 

After they took everything from him, Dave Patton dedicated his life to hunting vampires. But he can’t bring himself to destroy their newest vampire prisoner Sarah—a young woman with a tragic past, who awakens forbidden desires in him.

 

Sarah McAllister spent her childhood in the hands of ruthless vampires aiming to turn her into a perfect soldier. To take revenge, she hides her true strength and surrenders to a group of hunters, hoping her knowledge will help them bring all monsters to justice.

 

When the hunters’ compound is attacked, Sarah has to reveal her powers to protect them from certain death. How will Dave react when he learns the truth? And how much will she have to sacrifice to defeat her tormentors?

 

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EXCERPT

 

Giving in to the urge to feed, turning into the beast her kind expected her to be, and betraying the little girl she once was would be so much easier.

 

A light breeze carried the hunter’s heady scent to Sarah as she leaned against a majestic walnut tree on this moonless night. She clenched her fists as a shudder ran through her, and every cell inside her body ached for his sweet blood.

 

After years of suffering at the hands of monsters, she’d mastered the art of renouncing her cravings. Pressing her body against the tree, she concentrated on the coarse bark rubbing against her skin. She could not suppress the abominable hunger forever, but her determination combined with the sensory distraction granted her control of her urges for a little while longer. Would it last long enough to talk to him and set her plan in motion?

 

The hunter—a young, muscular man with short, chestnut-brown hair and light stubble on his chiseled face—browsed through his phone, painfully unaware of the vampire watching him. And not for the first time. She’d followed him and his team for five days, studying their tactics and abilities from the shadows. They showed promise, although their approach of posing as bait often put them at risk. With a little help from her, they’d rid the world of even more monsters.

 

She could have picked any group of hunters, but something about the leader of this team enthralled her. His dark eyes held the same sadness and longing she often glimpsed in the mirror. If only she could talk to him about her intentions, but hunters never listened.

 

She inhaled deeply. Would he pass her test and prove they were more than easy prey?

 

Her ankle boots echoed on the pavement of the quiet, suburban neighborhood as she approached him from behind. The clacking reminded her of her mother, strutting through the world like she owned it…as if the monsters in the dark didn’t exist.

 

A Word With the Author

1.Did you always want to be an author?

I never really considered becoming an author when I was younger. As a teenager, I enjoyed making up my own worlds and stories, but I never dared to dream of publishing them.

When I heard about a classmate of mine publishing her first book in 2017, her achievement amazed me. Then I thought if she can do it, so can I. It still took several more years and the outbreak of covid for me to really get started, though.

  

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

I started writing The Waxing Moon in 2020. After a few months, I had a first draft. Back then, I thought I was done and my book was ready for publication, so I queried several agents and small publishers. One of them, The Wild Rose Press, answered. They said my idea was good, but I needed to look into editing. 

So, I read about best practices, for example words to remove, and reworked my manuscript. Then, I looked for some beta readers. With their feedback, I completely reworked the book again. I repeated that step several times. After one year of rewrites and editing, I queried The Wild Rose Press again. This time, around Christmas 2021, they gave me a contract.

I still went through a few more rounds of editing with my editor before I signed off on the final version of my manuscript. Finally, The Waxing Moon was officially published in November 2022.

I also entered The Waxing Moon in a few competitions and won the bronze award in the Reader Views romance category.

 

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

It’s tough to choose just one author since there are many talented paranormal romance authors. I enjoyed reading the Night Huntress series by Jeanine Frost as a teenager, and she is still one of my favorites.

 

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

There is nothing more amazing than holding your own book in your hands after months or years of work. I also enjoy the writing itself, getting lost in a scene and picturing how the characters react.

The worst part about being an author is definitely the marketing part. I’m not very comfortable in front of an audience or with all those social media platforms, so I’m having a tough time with it. 

 

5.What are you working on now?

For now, I’m preparing for the release of The Shadowed Moon. I haven’t decided on a next writing project, but there are a few ideas. Many of the side characters from my debut, The Waxing Moon, ask for their own stories.

Since I’m currently quite busy with our new puppy, I also won’t start a new writing project right away.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links

 

Elli Morgan was born in 1991 in a small town in Germany. Although she only started learning English in sixth grade, she quickly fell in love with the language. To improve her skills, she spent a year working and traveling in Canada and the US.

 

As a teenager, she devoured countless fan fiction and vampire novels. During that time, she also developed the idea for her first two books.

Her debut, The Waxing Moon, won the Reader Views bronze award in the romance category.

 

Apart from being a writer, she’s also a trained mathematician, working as Business Intelligence Developer at an IT company. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, traveling, and all kinds of games.

 

Email: elli@ellimorgan.com

Website: ellimorgan.com

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

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

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ellimorganreadingcave

Amazon: https://amazon.com/author/ellimorgan

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorElliM

Newsletter Sign-Up: http://eepurl.com/hTrj8D

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22705044.Elli_Morgan

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authorellimorgan

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/elli-morgan

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

Elli Morgan will award a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.

 

 

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Drunk Argentinian Backpackers While Staying In a Youth Hostel

Welcome to the cover reveal of Book Four of the LESSER KNOWN TRAVEL TRIPS series, How to React When Woken at 3am by Drunk Argentinian Backpackers While Staying in a Youth Hostel and Other Lesser Known Travel Tips. The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Book 4 of the hilarious book series that those in the know will want to read when arriving at Paris airport so they laugh so freaking hard that it will intimidate any suspicious characters looking to abduct them and sell them into the human trafficking game.

Life was not meant to be easy, Simon Yeats’ father used to tell him. Well, it sure as hell was not meant to be this bizarre and witty. Australian ex-pat Simon Yeats shares his stories of travel misadventures and dubious personal introspection with comedic insights into the unusual and uproarious elements of living his life abroad. All while having a sense of Wanderlust as pervasive as Mongol hordes in the 12th century.

From how to negotiate getting abused in Los Angeles when you will only drive at 5 miles/hr., to what to do when locked out of your hotel room in your underwear, to the emotions of attempting the world’s second highest bungee when you have a pathological fear of heights, to how to deal with the trials and tribulations of staying in a youth hostel with travelers who have no respect for the other guests.

Simon Yeats has gone into the world and experienced all the out of the ordinary moments for you to sit back and enjoy the experience without the need to empty your bank account, get squeezed sitting in a middle airline seat, or deal with border security at the Ukraine/Russia boundary..

Read an Excerpt

Big Wednesday was my first day at work as a liftie on the Burgess Creek lift at the Steamboat ski resort as a wide-eyed 20-year-old. I do not remember the exact date, but I am absolutely certain it was a Wednesday because everyone who was present at the resort that day referred to it as ‘big Wednesday.’

Overnight, between ‘ordinary Tuesday’ and ‘big Wednesday,’ the town and resort received a mammoth amount of snowfall. It absolutely dumped. A biblical amount of snow. Even though I do not recall snow being mentioned once in either the old testament or the new testament. But I could have missed the reference.

And Moses went up the mountain at God’s direction and there was fresh dump of powder snow, and he cried out, “ye verily, gonna cut me some wicked turns.”

To get to work on my first day, I take the shortcut straight down the hill to the main road and bus stop. I am decked out in my official Steamboat resort onesie ski suit. The snow level is over my belly button. It is like wading through waist high surf for a half mile.

I scramble onto the bus, and I am on my knees huffing and puffing while dripping with sweat.

An inauspicious start to the day.

About the Author:

Simon Yeats has lived nine lives, and by all estimations, is fast running out of the number he has left. His life of globetrotting the globe was not the one he expected to lead. He grew up a quiet, shy boy teased by other kids on the playgrounds for his red hair. But he developed a keen wit and sense of humor to always see the funnier side of life.

With an overwhelming love of travel, a propensity to find trouble where there was none, and being a passionate advocate of mental health, Simon’s stories will leave a reader either rolling on the floor in tears of laughter, or breathing deeply that the adventures he has led were survived.

No author has laughed longer or cried with less restraint at the travails of life.

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CBNQLSPW/about
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authoryeats
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authoryeats

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The Starlight Motel

THE STARLIGHT MOTEL

Amy Craig

 

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GENRE:  Contemporary Romance

 

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BLURB:

 

Experienced muralist Kada took charge of her family's Palm Springs motel to give her mother time to grieve. As a grant deadline approaches, Kada must convince her mother to manage the motel so she can return to her art. Late in December, Kada encounters a horseman approaching the property. Dane, the reserved son of a local farming family, is a loyal workaholic with limited spare time or experience outside the valley. When lightning startles his horse, he lingers at the motel and stirs up Kada's emotions about leaving the desert oasis. Wary of mixing business with pleasure, she struggles with her attraction. As New Year's Eve approaches, will the cowboy convince her to chart a new course?

 

 

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EXCERPT:

 

Her skin warmed from the heat of his palms. “I can’t afford to sit around the laundry room and gossip with the guests.” 

 

“Trust me, Kada, I’m not here to gossip.” 

 

“You’re ready to pitch in on odd jobs? You’re such a good neighbor.” She swallowed past the dryness in her throat. She had a three-date rule, but if she never started the first date, did the rule apply? “Thanks for helping with Lucky.” 

 

“Any time.” He tipped up her chin. “Are you sure that’s where you want to stop? You brought me your number and rode out into the desert with me, but now you’re skittish?”


 

Her throat felt parched, but she wanted to lean forward and test his intent. Instead, she kicked her feet against the machine’s vibrating drum. “I’m not skittish, but I’m not into quick romps on a washing machine.” 

 

He raised his eyebrows. “I wasn’t suggesting a quick romp.” 

 

She wanted to test the innuendo behind his offer, but the sequence felt out of order. Before she considered kissing the handsome farmer, she needed dinner, candlelight, and time to breathe. 

 

Her body offered a different opinion. Clearing her throat, she hopped off the washing machine, ducked under his arm, and ran her tongue along her teeth. In the tiny room, his skin smelled like fresh lime, warm spices, and a hint of honey, but his shirt held the leathery undertones of a hard day’s work. He looked handsome, and she wanted to taste his kiss, but she needed a different setup. “Or long romps.”

A Word With Author:

1.Did you always want to be an author?

 

I started writing after the birth of my first child. I also wrote during high school and appreciate everything my English teacher did to encourage me. I dedicated one of my first books, A WINTER ROSE, to her. She bought a few copies and had me sign them, which made my day!

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

 

A WINTER ROSE was my first indie published book. Revising it was SOOO much work, but I appreciate the lessons I learned from the editorial staff and the resulting  writing improvements. A neighbor read the book a few years after its publication and said it inspired a date night with their spouse, so that’s a win!

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

 

My oldest daughter wants to know ALL my favorites, but I have a hard time pinning down my responses. Mint chocolate chip? Coffee? Pistachio ice cream? Also, I’m lactose intolerant. Ice cream is a BIG treat.

 

I do appreciate authors who promise a good time. Slow clap, Colleen Hoover. Nora Roberts deserves a lot of respect. I picked up “Montana Sky” in middle school, and I still have a thing for cowboys. More recently, Ali Hazelwood is one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. Her witty, smart, and deeply engaging stories always teach me something new.

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

 

I turn curiosity and personal experiences into complex stories with happy endings.

I turn hours of free time into social media posts.

I think you know which is the best and which is the worst!

5.What are you working on now?

 

The third book in a mafia series, THE BROKEN BODYGUARD, comes out September 3, 2024. 

 

Working with two publishers, The Wild Rose Press and Totally Bound, means release dates occasionally overlap! In THE BROKEN BODYGUARD, a corporate bodyguard finds himself protecting a stubborn cowgirl and untangling windswept politics in Patagonia, Argentina. Every time I read it, I want to go back to Patagonia and ride along the windswept pampas!

 

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Amy Craig lives in Louisiana with her family and a small menagerie of pets. She writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense featuring intelligent heroines. In her spare time, she plays tennis and expands her husband’s honey-do list. Before writing, she worked as an oilfield engineer, project manager, and incompetent waitress. For more information and giveaways, visit www.amy-craig.com or follow her on social media channels.

 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/amycraig

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@authoramycraig

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

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18011214

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amy-craig

Website: https://www.amy-craig.com/

 

https://linktr.ee/authoramycraig

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

 

Amy Craig will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. 

 

Please use the following code on your post:

 

 

1.Did you always want to be an author? I started writing after the birth of my first child. I also wrote during high school and appreciate everything my English teacher did to encourage me. I dedicated one of my first books, A WINTER ROSE, to her. She bought a few copies and had me sign them, which made my day! 2.Tell us about the publication of your first book. A WINTER ROSE was my first indie published book. Revising it was SOOO much work, but I appreciate the lessons I learned from the editorial staff and the resulting writing improvements. A neighbor read the book a few years after its publication and said it inspired a date night with their spouse, so that’s a win! 3.Besides yourself, who is your favorite author in the genre you write in? My oldest daughter wants to know ALL my favorites, but I have a hard time pinning down my responses. Mint chocolate chip? Coffee? Pistachio ice cream? Also, I’m lactose intolerant. Ice cream is a BIG treat. I do appreciate authors who promise a good time. Slow clap, Colleen Hoover. Nora Roberts deserves a lot of respect. I picked up “Montana Sky” in middle school, and I still have a thing for cowboys. More recently, Ali Hazelwood is one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. Her witty, smart, and deeply engaging stories always teach me something new. 4.What's the best part of being an author? The worst? I turn curiosity and personal experiences into complex stories with happy endings. I turn hours of free time into social media posts. I think you know which is the best and which is the worst! 5.What are you working on now? The third book in a mafia series, THE BROKEN BODYGUARD, comes out September 3, 2024. Working with two publishers, The Wild Rose Press and Totally Bound, means release dates occasionally overlap! In THE BROKEN BODYGUARD, a corporate bodyguard finds himself protecting a stubborn cowgirl and untangling windswept politics in Patagonia, Argentina. Every time I read it, I want to go back to Patagonia and ride along the windswept pampas! 1.Did you always want to be an author? I started writing after the birth of my first child. I also wrote during high school and appreciate everything my English teacher did to encourage me. I dedicated one of my first books, A WINTER ROSE, to her. She bought a few copies and had me sign them, which made my day! 2.Tell us about the publication of your first book. A WINTER ROSE was my first indie published book. Revising it was SOOO much work, but I appreciate the lessons I learned from the editorial staff and the resulting writing improvements. A neighbor read the book a few years after its publication and said it inspired a date night with their spouse, so that’s a win! 3.Besides yourself, who is your favorite author in the genre you write in? My oldest daughter wants to know ALL my favorites, but I have a hard time pinning down my responses. Mint chocolate chip? Coffee? Pistachio ice cream? Also, I’m lactose intolerant. Ice cream is a BIG treat. I do appreciate authors who promise a good time. Slow clap, Colleen Hoover. Nora Roberts deserves a lot of respect. I picked up “Montana Sky” in middle school, and I still have a thing for cowboys. More recently, Ali Hazelwood is one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. Her witty, smart, and deeply engaging stories always teach me something new. 4.What's the best part of being an author? The worst? I turn curiosity and personal experiences into complex stories with happy endings. I turn hours of free time into social media posts. I think you know which is the best and which is the worst! 5.What are you working on now? The third book in a mafia series, THE BROKEN BODYGUARD, comes out September 3, 2024. Working with two publishers, The Wild Rose Press and Totally Bound, means release dates occasionally overlap! In THE BROKEN BODYGUARD, a corporate bodyguard finds himself protecting a stubborn cowgirl and untangling windswept politics in Patagonia, Argentina. Every time I read it, I want to go back to Patagonia and ride along the windswept pampas! 1.Did you always want to be an author? I started writing after the birth of my first child. I also wrote during high school and appreciate everything my English teacher did to encourage me. I dedicated one of my first books, A WINTER ROSE, to her. She bought a few copies and had me sign them, which made my day! 2.Tell us about the publication of your first book. A WINTER ROSE was my first indie published book. Revising it was SOOO much work, but I appreciate the lessons I learned from the editorial staff and the resulting writing improvements. A neighbor read the book a few years after its publication and said it inspired a date night with their spouse, so that’s a win! 3.Besides yourself, who is your favorite author in the genre you write in? My oldest daughter wants to know ALL my favorites, but I have a hard time pinning down my responses. Mint chocolate chip? Coffee? Pistachio ice cream? Also, I’m lactose intolerant. Ice cream is a BIG treat. I do appreciate authors who promise a good time. Slow clap, Colleen Hoover. Nora Roberts deserves a lot of respect. I picked up “Montana Sky” in middle school, and I still have a thing for cowboys. More recently, Ali Hazelwood is one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. Her witty, smart, and deeply engaging stories always teach me something new. 4.What's the best part of being an author? The worst? I turn curiosity and personal experiences into complex stories with happy endings. I turn hours of free time into social media posts. I think you know which is the best and which is the worst! 5.What are you working on now? The third book in a mafia series, THE BROKEN BODYGUARD, comes out September 3, 2024. Working with two publishers, The Wild Rose Press and Totally Bound, means release dates occasionally overlap! In THE BROKEN BODYGUARD, a corporate bodyguard finds himself protecting a stubborn cowgirl and untangling windswept politics in Patagonia, Argentina. Every time I read it, I want to go back to Patagonia and ride along the windswept pampas! 

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A Curvy Girl's Haven

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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Dr. Arabella Stanton is back in Havenbrook, California, seeking a break from her work with Doctors Without Borders. Exhausted and haunted by memories of the refugee camps, she finds solace in the familiar yet changed landscape of her grandmother’s old town. She plans to rest, recuperate, and plan out her next steps—until a persistent knock at her door changes everything.

Garret de la Rosa, a Navy SEAL with his own shadows from missions past, is back in Havenbrook to recover and find some peace. When a mutual friend brings Arabella to his door, he’s bleeding from an injury, and neither expects the connection that sparks between them.

As Arabella and Garret navigate their growing attraction, they also face their personal demons and the reality that their lives are on different paths. Amidst the tranquil beauty of Havenbrook, they find themselves questioning their futures and what they truly want.

Read an Excerpt

“You’re bleeding,” Arabella said and lifted his shirt. “You really shouldn’t say no.” She looked at the bandage and lifted the edges. Probably pulled stiches. “Please remove your shirt.”

Garret’s sinful stare met hers. “Usually there’s a second date before we get that far.”

“God, these two have the same sense of humor,” Tristan muttered.

Garret flashed her a grin but complied. She kept her cool doctorial composure as he lifted the gray material over his head and didn’t stare.

“When I’m working, I don’t have a sense of humor,” she shot back and examined the area. “Sit down,” she ordered Garret.

He did so without a word and she peeled back the bandage. Bandages. Plural. It looked as if a doctor taped one gauze over Garret’s stitches, then Garret added another layer. No, he added two layers.

Arabella was mildly surprised he hadn’t used duct tape.

“Yeah, popped a few stitches. I’ll need to close it up.” She gathered her supplies, the suture and thread. “So, can you tell me how you got that?” Arabella nodded to his side. “Or is this a case of ‘If I tell you, I’ll have to lock you up in a dungeon?”

His lips quirked in a sexy little half-grin, and his eyes sparkled with laughter. “It’s the dungeon.”

…

It sent a thrill of arousal through her, and her heart tripped over itself. She thought she’d imagined it earlier, but it seemed she hadn’t, even she knew when a man was interested in her. Slightly unnerved, Arabella wondered why a SEAL, a man who looked like Garret, would be interested in her.

About the Author: I’m an East Coaster with an insatiable love for pizza and movies. This love has also produced a chubby girl who thought it would be fun to write a few romances for the fuller ladies. And after a long break from writing, I decided to explore the small, California community of Havenbrook; where curvier ladies find hot guys who fall madly in love! After all, curvier girls need love too.

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KristaelReed
Blog: http://kristabelreed.blogspot.com/

Buy Link for Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Curvy-Girls-Haven-Kristabel-Reed-ebook/dp/B0DBNS4L9K/ref=sr_1_1

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The Secret Truth

<

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Barry Finlay will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Retired investigative journalist Jake Scott narrowly avoids a collision with a speeding car on his way to a Bed and Breakfast where he plans to spend the night. Moments before his arrival, the peaceful atmosphere at the B&B is shattered by a devastating explosion, claiming the lives of five guests. While authorities initially chalk it up to a tragic gas leak, seasoned homicide detective Dani Perez can't shake her suspicions. Given her overloaded schedule, she enlists Jake's expertise to delve into the backgrounds of the deceased. As Jake pursues the investigation, he unearths a web of secrets hinting at a darker truth lurking beneath the surface of the seemingly idyllic B&B.

Read an Excerpt

The sound of a car engine starting in the distance interrupted the calm of the night. Warm rubber on pavement chirped as the car pulled away. A dog barked at the sudden sound. Oblivious to the revving engine, Jake jaywalked to the other side of the street about halfway down the block at exactly the time the car careened around the corner. The headlights bounced off the corner house and veered in Jake’s direction. A giant spotlight might as well have turned on him. For a split second, Jake stopped in mid-stride, staring wide-eyed and open-mouthed as the two brilliant headlights bore down on him at lightning speed.

Only instinct saved him. He leaped for the grassy area bordering the street as the car roared past, its engine screaming. Jake swore the driver’s front corner bumper grazed the heel of his shoe an instant before his body thudded on the unforgiving ground. First, his knees, followed by his arms, and then his face completed the maneuver. The gym bag he launched during his dive landed with a dull smack on the sidewalk.

Jake turned his head to watch the car from his prone position, but all he could tell as the vehicle raced around the corner at the end of the block was that it was big and dark. For a second, streetlights glinted off the wheel disks and reflected off the passenger side windows. Then it disappeared. He moaned and, without moving his extended arm, raised his middle finger in the general direction of the car’s path. While the car and its driver had vanished, the gesture gave him a measure of satisfaction.

About the Author:

Barry Finlay is the award-winning author of the travel adventure, Kilimanjaro and Beyond – A Life-Changing Journey (with his son Chris), the Amazon bestselling travel memoir, I Guess We Missed The Boat, the inspirational Just Keep Climbing, and five Amazon bestselling and award-winning thrillers comprising The Marcie Kane Thriller Collection: The Vanishing Wife, A Perilous Question, Remote Access, Never So Alone, and The Burden of Darkness. His new Jake Scott Mystery Series debuted with Searching ForTruth and The Guardians of Truth. He is now following that up with The Secret Truth. Barry was featured in the 2012-13 Authors Show’s edition of “50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading.” He is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee medal for his fundraising efforts to help kids in Tanzania, Africa. Barry lives with his wife Evelyn in Ottawa, Canada.

Author Website: http://www.barry-finlay.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBarryFinlay
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Karver2

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Lesser Known Travel Tips Series

  

 

LESSER KNOWN TRAVEL TIPS SERIES

Simon Yeats

 

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GENRE:  Humor/Memoir

 

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BLURB:

 

The Lesser Known Travel Tips memoirs are a hilarious series of travel misadventures and dubious personal introspection by Australian author Simon Yeats, who from an early age learned that the best way to approach the misfortunes of this world is to laugh about them.

 

Simon shares his comedic insights into the unusual and uproarious elements of living life as an Aussie ex-pat and having a sense of Wanderlust as pervasive as the Spanish Flu in 1918 or hordes of Mongols in 12th Century.

 

From how to keep yourself entertained when unwittingly forced to watch 11 hours of live sumo wrestling in Japan, to surviving heartbreak in India at the hands of a French flight attendant, to 48 hours spent in Nepal that qualify as the funniest most gut wrenching travel experience since Captain Bligh was set adrift in the Pacific, to his unsuccessful attempts at avoiding going to a brothel in Thailand. From what to do when several people converge to rob you after midnight on a deserted Copacabana Beach, to how to save the Sierra Mountain Range from a wildfire outbreak due to a lack of quality toilet paper, to where not to go in Tijuana when trying to locate the origins to stories of the city’s mythical adult entertainment, to how to save yourself from drowning when caught in a storm while sailing off the California coast. From how to outwit the Italian police while trying to find parking in downtown Genoa, to how to negotiate exploring the Roman ruins of Plovdiv, Bulgaria while on crutches, to how to impress the German Mafia with 80s dance moves, to how to leave a lasting impression on a crowded bar in Gothenburg, Sweden after combining alcohol and antibiotics.

 

Simon Yeats has gone into the world and experienced all the out of the ordinary moments for you to sit back and enjoy the experience without the need to break a leg, contract Dengue fever, or rupture a pancreas.

 

 

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EXCERPT 

 

Excerpt from How to Start a Riot in a Brothel in Thailand by Ordering a Beer and Other Lesser Known Travel Tips

 

My family’s most cherished vacation when we were all kids was a trip we took to the South Island of New Zealand in the southern hemisphere Autumn of 1980. All our relatives live on the north island where my mum and dad both grew up on dairy farms. So, we had already made a trip or two to Auckland in my young life. My parents had emigrated to live in the tropical heat and brutal humidity of the northeast of Australia before any of us kids were born and given a choice in the matter.

 

There are four of us in my family. An elder brother, an older sister, me, and a younger sister. Each of us is quite different in our personality and our interests. My older sister is the athlete. My younger sister is the diplomat. My brother is the brainiac. Me? Well, I tend to just sit back and let my siblings be in the limelight.

 

You can imagine me as being the little kid running around in the playground under a mop of red hair being extra polite with all the other kids and no one teasing me at all for having red hair. Something close to that. 

 

But among me and my siblings, none of us ever stole a car and took off for a joy ride. None of us have ever been arrested by undercover police for trying to sell them synthetic crack cocaine we had cooked up in the basement. None of us ever got in trouble for mislabeling someone by using the wrong pronoun. I mean, sure, I once got in trouble for calling my headmaster the C-word, but, other than that small blemish on my record, I considered myself an exemplary student. Our mum and dad were amazing parents to raise us all so well. 

 

 We were a very content family growing up in the 70’s and 80’s while living in the sweltering pizza oven, otherwise known as North Queensland. What about central air conditioning? Oh, how entitled and twenty-first century of you to ask. Rubbing an ice cube across the forehead and asking my younger sister to blow against it. Does that count? Central air conditioning? No. There was none. Just like there was extraordinarily little to do in my hometown. Watching paint dry as a kid living in Townsville brought out the same level of unbridled fascination that I now see with adults viewing porn.

 

The reasoning behind there being nothing to do is obvious. It is not safe to do anything where I lived. Australian country towns are just holding pens for human beings surrounded by a natural species menagerie of death.

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Simon Yeats has lived nine lives, and by all estimations, is fast running out of the number he has left. His life of globetrotting the globe was not the one he expected to lead. He grew up a quiet, shy boy teased by other kids on the playgrounds for his red hair. But he developed a keen wit and sense of humor to always see the funnier side of life.

 

 

With an overwhelming love of travel, a propensity to find trouble where there was none, and being a passionate advocate of mental health, Simon’s stories will leave a reader either rolling on the floor in tears of laughter, or breathing deeply that the adventures he has led were survived.

 

No author has laughed longer or cried with less restraint at the travails of life.

 

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CBNQLSPW/about

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authoryeats

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authoryeats/?hl=en

 

Book One:  https://www.amazon.com/Brothel-Thailand-Ordering-Lesser-Travel-ebook/dp/B0CLDBSXGX/ref=sr_1_3

Book Two: https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Mugged-Janeiro-Singing-Police-ebook/dp/B0CPCBMD1N/ref=sr_1_4

Book Three: https://www.amazon.com/Survive-Yourself-Dancing-Bavarian-Nightclub-ebook/dp/B0CR6GDDXR/ref=sr_1_2

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The Husband Chair

                          

                                THE HUSBAND CHAIR

Nick Bannister

 

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GENRE:  Humorous Fiction

 

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BLURB:

 

Our hero: Bone tired. Lost. Desolate. A man pushed to the outer limits of his very being. His struggle: Satisfy the need to rest whilst still supporting his beloved in her hour of need.

 

While his wife negotiates a seemingly endless list of fashion stores in her quest for perfection, her loving husband must stave off the weariness that visits each partner in a shopping spree with their significant other.

 

Fighting hunger, rising frustration and the mental fatigue associated with tracking credit card usage, will he ever find peace? And honestly, can he just go and sit down for a minute...

 

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EXCERPTS

Excerpt One:

 

Awake! Sun is shining, it’s Saturday morning.

I sit up in bed with some stretching and yawning.

My beautiful wife, the love of my life,

Looks terribly grim and it signals a warning...

 

I ask her, “My darling, what troubles you so?”

She goes on to tell me her tale of woe.

“I’ve booked a girls’ dinner but I’ve nothing to wear!”

And now I must prepare for what she will declare.

 

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

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Nick Bannister: Nick & Terry are long-time friends & first-time author/illustrators. Each has their own vast experience with husband chairs, as both are happily married.

 

Both reside in Brisbane, Australia.

 

 

CONNECT WITH Nick Bannister

 

WEBSITE: https://nickbannisterauthor.com/ 

 

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/49040336.Nick_Bannister 

 

 

PURCHASE LINKS 

 

AMAZON.COM.AU

https://amazon.com.au/dp/1779410816

 

INDIGO CHAPTERS

https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/the-husband-chair/9781779410818.html

 

BOOKTOPIA

https://www.booktopia.com.au/search.ep?keywords=9781779410818

 

 

 

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Husband Chair

by Nick Bannister

Giveaway ends September 15, 2024.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

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