Books, Authors, and More Fun Stuff

Meet My Guest Pamela Thibodeaux and Read About GIVING ON PURPOSE: HOW 30 DAYS OF CONSCIOUS GIVING CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rubino) — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 18:38:00 +0000

Thanks for being my guest, Pam!

Meet Pam

Pamela S. Thibodeaux grew up in the town of Iowa, Louisiana. She is a mother, grandmother, award-winning author, life coach and spiritual mentor. Her tagline, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ defines her life, writing, and coaching style.

About Giving on Purpose: How 30 Days of Conscious Giving can Change Your Life

What if the key to abundance isn’t giving more—but giving in balance?

We’ve been taught that it’s more blessed to give than to receive. But what if receiving is just as sacred as giving? And what if the two were never meant to exist apart?

The Giving on Purpose journal invites you to explore the powerful, often misunderstood connection between giving and receiving. If you’ve ever felt like you give endlessly—your time, love, energy, or resources—yet struggle to receive in return, this journal was created for you.

Through guided reflection and intentional prompts, Giving on Purpose gently opens your heart and mind to conscious giving—helping you recognize where imbalance may be blocking blessings and how aligning giving with receiving can transform your spiritual and emotional well-being.

✨ Inside, you’ll discover how to:

• Release guilt around receiving

• Recognize your worthiness to receive from God

• Cultivate deeper gratitude in everyday life

• Restore balance between generosity and abundance

By the final page, readers experience a renewed sense of self-worth, a deeper belief in their God-given worthiness to receive, and a lasting attitude of gratitude.

Give freely. Receive boldly. Live abundantly.

Giving on Purpose: How 30 Days of Conscious Giving can Change Your Life is your invitation to do all three—without guilt, fear, or limitation.

Why I Wrote

Giving on Purpose: How 30 Days of Conscious Giving

Can Change Your Life

Many people give automatically, it's just part of our nature. But then, at some point, some folks get frustrated or resentful because you feel like you're giving and giving and getting nothing in return. But the truth is we are always receiving! Scripture and the Universal Law of Divine Compensation tell us that when we give, it shall be given unto us good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over! I really believe this project will revolutionize the way we think about giving and receiving / sowing and reaping.

An Excerpt

There is Always Something to Give

Before I received the revelation that inspired this journal, I, like many, feared giving. Especially money. For much of my life, my intentions to obey and/or give were overruled by all the reasons why I couldn’t. Not always, but when there was more month at the end of my money or when I felt prompted to give but questioned whether that was truly God or guilt or just me. But as I’ve grown and matured and come to realize the truth of how powerful giving is, I do my best to act immediately when the urge hits.

Another misconception we have around giving is that money is the only commodity that truly counts. Not so!

Do you own a garden and give fruit and vegetables to your family, friends, and neighbors? Are you a hunter who shares the meat you harvest with food banks or needy families?

When he was alive, my husband loved satsumas, so we planted two trees in our yard. Every year he’d gather bags and bags of these sweet citrus fruits and give them away.

Once he went to get a haircut and a lady was talking about her husband’s diabetes and how much he loved satsumas but how expensive a small bag was. My husband went home and brought back two plastic bags full for her! He didn’t know this woman or her husband. He just enjoyed giving whatever and whenever he could.

He also loved to make jelly…you guessed it, to give away. No matter the cost, time or energy that went into making pint jars of gooey goodness, he was always willing to share the joy he experienced in doing this.

The Kindle version is up for preorder but the paperback and hardcover editions release March 22nd - I know that's a Sunday! - but it's the date God gave me 😇

I am also running a Kickstarter campaign. Similar to GoFundMe, Kickstarter is for creative projects. I'm hoping to raise enough funds to do some REAL advertising and promotion and get this book out into the world.

Please consider supporting me in this endeavor. You can do so HERE.

THANKS!

Find and follow Pam via her Website and Social Media links found via Linktree

New Release! NATHANIEL AND SOPHIA HAWTHORNE: OUR DESTINED BOND

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rubino) — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 21:45:00 +0000

I'm very happy to announce my latest release, NATHANIEL AND SOPHIA

HAWTHORNE: OUR DESTINED BOND, about the Hawthornes' storybook romance

with a paranormal twist.

UNIVERSAL LINK

About NATHANIEL AND SOPHIA HAWTHORNE

Salem, Massachusetts witnessed horrific and shameful events in 1692 that haunted

the town for three centuries. Accused as witches, nineteen innocent people were

hanged and one was pressed to death. Judge John Hathorne and Reverend

Nicholas Noyes handed down the sentences. One victim, Sarah Good, cursed

Noyes from the hanging tree: “If you take away my life, God will give you blood to

drink!” She then set her eyes on Judge Hathorne. “I curse you and your

acknowledged heirs for all time on this wicked earth!” Hathorne was not only Sarah

Good’s merciless judge; he also fathered her son Peter and refused to

acknowledge him.

In 1717, Nicholas Noyes choked on his own blood and died. Every generation after the judge continued to lose Hathorne land and money, prompting the rumor of a family curse. By the time his great great grandson Nathaniel was born, they faced poverty.

Ashamed of his ancestor, Nathaniel added the ‘w’ to his last name. His novels and stories explore his beliefs and fears of sin and evil, and he based many of his characters on overbearing Puritan rulers such as Judge Hathorne.

When Nathaniel first met Sophia Peabody, they experienced instantaneous mutual attraction. Sparks flew. He rose upon my eyes and soul a king among men by divine right, she wrote in her journal.

But to Sophia’s frustration, Nathaniel insisted they keep their romance secret for three years. He had his reasons, none of which made sense to Sophia. But knowing that he believed Sarah Good’s curse inflicted so much tragedy on his family over the centuries, she made it her mission to save him. Sarah was an ancestor of Sophia’s, making her and Nathaniel distant cousins—but she kept that to herself for the time being.

Sophia suffered severe headaches as a result of childhood mercury treatments. She underwent routine mesmerizing sessions, a popular cure for many ailments. Spirits sometimes came to her when mesmerized, and as a spiritualist and medium, she was able to contact and communicate with spirits. She knew if she could reach Sarah and persuade her to forgive Judge Hathorne, Nathaniel would be free of his lifelong burden.

Sarah’s son Peter had kept a journal the family passed down to the Peabodys. Sophia sensed his presence every time she turned the brittle pages and read his words. John Hathorne’s legitimate son John also kept a journal, now in the Hawthorne family’s possession. Living on opposite sides of Salem, Peter and John wrote in vivid detail about how the Salem trials tormented them throughout their lives.

Nathaniel finally agreed to announce their engagement, and married Sophia on July 9, 1842. They moved into their first home, The Old Manse in Concord, Massachusetts. Wanting nothing else but to spend the summer enjoying each other, we became Adam and Eve, alone in our Garden of Eden, Sophia wrote in her journal.

As success eluded Nathaniel, they lived on the verge of poverty. After being dismissed from his day job at the Salem Custom House, he wrote The Scarlet Letter, which finally gained him the recognition he deserved.

But the curse he believed Sarah cast on his family still haunted him. On a visit to his cousin Susannah Ingersoll at The House of the Seven Gables, Sophia spotted a judge’s gavel. Out of curiosity Sophia picked it up and a shock ran through her as if electrified. She dropped it, instantly knowing it carried something evil. Susannah told her Judge Hathorne had used it during the trials.

Sophia urged Nathaniel to write a novel about the house, knowing it would be cathartic for him. While they lived in Lenox, Nathaniel finished writing The House of the Seven Gables. The Gothic novel explored all his fears and trepidations about the curse. He told Sophia, “Writing it, and especially reading it aloud to you lifted a tremendous burden off my shoulders. I felt it physically leave me. I carried this inside me since my youth and couldn’t bring it out to face it. And I have you, and only you, to thank.”

But he did not believe the curse could be lifted.

At that moment Sophia knew what she needed to do. “We’re going to The Gables. Only there can I make sure Sarah forgives the judge.” She invited renowned spiritualist John Spear to The Gables. She explained that she needed to complete one final step to convince Nathaniel the curse was lifted.

At The Gables, John asked Susannah if anything in the room was connected to the witch trials. She retrieved the gavel and handed it to him. As John curled his fingers around the handle, he told them that the judge suffered lifelong anguish after condemning the victims. He didn’t publicly atone because he needed to carry out his duties as a judge. His energy, his essence, was still attached to the gavel.

He told Nathaniel that his belief in the curse fed this object, physically creating a monster.

Sarah herself did not curse his family—but the energy of all the anger, bitterness, venom and hatred in her words survived the centuries. That caused the misfortunes that befell him and his family. Only his final and unconditional forgiveness would end that. He urged Nathaniel to forgive Judge Hathorne. “You don’t have to say it out loud,” John said. “Just forgive him in your heart.”

Nathaniel bowed his head and whispered his forgiveness.

A ghostly mist formed in the doorway. Sarah conveyed to Sophia through the ether what she needed them to know. As she faded to nebulous mist and vanished, Sophia assured Nathaniel that his forgiveness of the judge now balanced out the suffering of the victims.

She turned to the last page of Peter’s journal and saw words that were not there before: Dear John, I forgive you. Signed, Sarah Good.

John Spear, Nathaniel and Sophia went to Judge Hathorne’s gravesite to give the journals and the gavel proper burial.

As they turned to leave, Nathaniel grasped her hand. “We’re going home, my Dove. And I don’t mean Salem or the Berkshires, but to where you and I started, as Adam and Eve. Back home. To our Garden of Eden in Concord.”

Read About My 1894 New York Romance FROM HERE TO FOURTEENTH STREET With an Italian Holiday Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rubino) — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 21:08:00 +0000

Happy Holidays With a Genuine Italian Recipe

Can an Italian sweatshop worker and an Irish cop fall in love on Manhattan’s Lower East Side in 1894? The answer is a big YES, and once they’re enjoying wedded bliss in their Greenwich Village brownstone, they spend their first Christmas together feasting on her strufoli (Italian for honey balls).

In FROM HERE TO FOURTEENTH STREET it's 1894 on New York's Lower East Side. Irish cop Tom McGlory and Italian immigrant Vita Caputo fall in love despite their different upbringings. They know their love can survive poverty, hatred, and corruption.

getBook.at/NewYorkSagaBookOne

Here’s Vita’s Honey Balls recipe:

When my grandparents came from Naples and landed at Ellis Island in the early 1900s they brought many recipes with them, but only in their heads. No one brought cookbooks or recipes along with their possessions. A favorite Christmas treat is Struffoli, better known as Honey Balls. One Christmas when I was a kid, I watched my grandmother make them and scribbled down the ingredients as she sifted and mixed and baked and drizzled. Here's an accurate recipe in English!

Ingredients
Dough:
•2 cups flour, plus extra for dusting
•1 large lemon, zested (about 2 teaspoons)
•1/2 large orange, zested (about 2 teaspoons)
•3 tablespoons sugar
•1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
•1/4 teaspoon baking powder
•1/2 stick (2 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, at room temperature
•3 large eggs
•1 tablespoon white wine, such as pinot grigio
•1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
•Canola oil, for frying
•1 cup honey
•1/2 cup sugar
•1 tablespoon lemon juice
•1 1/2 cups hazelnuts, toasted (see Cook's Note)
•Vegetable oil cooking spray
•Sugar sprinkles, for decoration
•Powdered sugar for dusting, optional

Directions

For dough: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together 2 cups of flour, lemon zest, orange zest, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the eggs, wine, and vanilla. Pulse until the mixture forms into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough until 1/4-inch thick. Cut each piece into 1/2-inch wide strips. Cut each strip of pastry into 1/2-inch pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a small ball the size of a hazelnut. Lightly dredge the dough balls in flour, shaking off any excess. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 375 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer a cube of bread will brown in about 3 minutes.). In batches, fry the dough until lightly golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. (The rested and quartered dough can also be rolled on a floured work surface into 1/2-inch thick logs and cut into equal-sized 1/2-inch pieces. The dough pieces can then be rolled into small balls and fried as above).

In a large saucepan, combine the honey, sugar, and lemon juice over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the fried dough and hazelnuts and stir until coated in the honey mixture. Allow the mixture to cool in the pan for 2 minutes.
Spray the outside of a small, straight-sided water glass with vegetable oil cooking spray and place in the center of a round platter. Using a spoon or damp hands, arrange struffoli and hazelnuts around the glass to form a wreath shape. Drizzle remaining honey mixture over the struffoli. Allow to set for 2 hours (can be made 1 day in advance). Decorate with sprinkles and dust with powdered sugar.

Remove the glass from the center of the platter and serve.

Note: To toast the hazelnuts, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven 8 to 10 minutes. Cool before using.

Total Time: 4 hr 12 min
Prep: 1 hr 30 min
Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Meet Award-Winning Author Joie Lesin and Read About Her New Paranormal Romance Novel THE PASSENGER

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rubino) — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 21:06:00 +0000

THE PASSENGER, a 1940s ghost story set in the California wine country, tells a tale of family connections, life-changing choices, and love—lost and found.

ABOUT JOIE:

Joie Lesin is my fellow Wild Rose Press author, a lifelong fiction writer and poet. She is most recently the author of The Passenger (The Wild Rose Press, 2024), and her work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She has long been fascinated by anything otherworldly including mermaids and ghosts. Joie writes character-driven, emotional, atmospheric tales about heartache and hope.

What’s It All About, Joie?

The Passenger is the story of Elizabeth Reilly, a young widow and an empath who communicates with ghosts. She doesn’t just hear them. No, they appear to her as if alive. After losing her husband as a casualty of WW2 and a chance encounter with a dying man, she befriends the dying man’s ghost. To help her friend pass on in peace, she travels from her home in Boston to California’s wine country. There she discovers her task won’t be so easy. To help her friend, she must first help the living family he left behind.

What Inspired Me?

To set the stage for what inspired The Passenger, I need to tell you a bit about myself as a teenager. I used to make up stories in my mind for strangers I would encounter. I instinctively knew every single person had something they were dealing with—be it big or small. I would play the "what if" game, and I would tell their story. My mind would spin—asking the questions, creating the backstory, and discovering the inciting incident.

On the day I met my ghost, Paolo, I was on the city bus on the way home from school playing my game when I noticed a man sitting at the back of the bus who seemed a bit down on his luck. I wondered, what if he were alone in the world? What would happen if this man collapsed there on the bus? Would he die right there on that bus alone? What if I, or someone else, comforted him in his dying moments?

Do you know where I am going with this?

Yes, this is how I met Paolo Clemente. The story I told silently in my mind planted the seeds for the story that would become THE PASSENGER.

How Do I Do It?

Well, I’m analytical and like to plan, plot, track, and categorize my tasks. I don’t do this with my books. When I write, I take full advantage of my working imagination. I let the story lead the way. I have an idea of the major plot points—that I may or may not write down because they live in my head. Then I write from plot point to plot point, filling in the gaps and puzzling it all together.

When Do I Write It?

After many years of fitting in writing during stolen moments and at night when everyone else was asleep, I am now writing full-time. A benefit of my current schedule means I can plan and plot to write first thing in the morning. However, I still find myself writing by the light of the moon more days than not.

I plan to keep trying to change my ways though.

What’s Next for My Writing?

I’m working on the final draft of the story that takes place two decades after The Passenger ended. Like its predecessor, it’s a ghost story. What I can share about it now is: It’s 1969 and the ghosts are gathering.

Blurb:

She’s a 1940s ghost whisperer.

Burdened with her empathic gift, Elizabeth Reilly wants to be free of it and fit in with normal people. Nevertheless, when the spirit of an old man asks for her help, she travels across the country to help him return home.

He’s the son of a ghost.

Gio Clemente is still angry with his father who abandoned him as a child. To help the father pass on, Elizabeth must persuade Gio to let go of his anger. Though he resents her intrusion, they are both stunned to find themselves fighting a profound attraction.

Elizabeth can accept his headstrong brand of love, but can Gio accept her gift—and believe in her?

Link to Book Trailer

Excerpt:

Elizabeth’s stomach churned in nervous knots. She squirmed on the cloth seat, and her foot twitched. If he heard her erratic heartbeat, he’d realize how frantic she was—and hot. Perspiration built up on her forehead. Grabbing the metal handle, she rolled down the squeaking window, and inhaled the pure air. The fragrances of the forest filled her senses—the resinous scent of pine, the earthiness of soil, and damp detritus of fallen branches and decaying leaves. The surrounding land was alive, vibrant, and something more she couldn’t quite identify. Somehow, the vehicle they drove in and the path it traveled seemed out of place.

Gravel on the uneven road crunched and ground under the truck’s tires. Elizabeth sat straight in her seat and stole stiff, awkward glimpses at Giovanni. A frown marked his lips. His lean, well-defined face held soulful eyes bringing to her mind images of the sad little boy he must have been.

A thin red scar stretched down his right cheek and she itched to run a finger along the faded edges. She’d caress his stubble-shadowed chin and tell him how terribly his father missed him. Instead, she stared out the truck window.

Enormous ancient trees shrouded the road and hid the valley from the rest of the world. Elizabeth closed her eyes to the beauty. She was here, on the way to Paolo’s vineyard with his son, aching to tell Giovanni everything. If she did, he’d send her away, and she’d never be able to help his father.

Connect with Joie:

Purchase THE PASSENGER:

Meet My Guest Alicia Dean and Read About a Halloween Treat....

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rubino) — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Say hi to my guest Alicia Dean and read about a Halloween treat....

It’s Halloween…time to get your spooky on. Every Friday the 13^th, I and 12 other authors each release a stand alone horror short story related to Friday the 13^th. (13 stories, 13 authors…get it?) 😊 The most recent series, #7, was published Friday, June 13, 2025.

Check out my story, Dirty Girl, and the 12 other stories in the series…ONLY 99 cents each!!

About Alicia

At age ten, Alicia Dean wrote her first ever romance (featuring a hero who looked just like Elvis Presley and who shared the name of Elvis’ character in the movie, Tickle Me), and she still has the tattered, pencil-written copy. Alicia is from Moore, Oklahoma, and now lives in Edmond. She has three grown children and a huge network of supportive friends and family.

Other than reading and writing, her passions are Elvis Presley, MLB, NFL (she almost always works in a mention of one or all three into her stories) and watching (and rewatching) her favorite television shows like Dexter, Justified, Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, and Breaking Bad. Some of her favorite authors are Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Lee Child, Lisa Gardner, Ridley Pearson, Joseph Finder, and Jonathan Kellerman…to name a few.

Find Alicia Here

A tragic accident…

A fateful decision…

A horrific weekend they won’t soon forget…

Everet Holcomb is cheating with his sister-in-law, Blair, and the two sneak off for an illicit out of town getaway. While driving down a dark country road, they hit something and are horrified to discover they've killed a young woman. Panicked, they bury the body instead of calling the police, knowing if their spouses learn of their affair, they’ll lose everything.

When Everet’s son brings his new girlfriend home for his college graduation celebration, they notice that something about her seems…off. The odor of dirt emanates from her, but Everet and Blair are the only ones who can smell it. And when Everet almost chokes to death for no apparent reason, they start to wonder…have their misdeeds come back to haunt them?

Excerpt:

The shovel scraped against a root, the sound amplified in the oppressive silence of the Vermont forest. Everet jumped, his heart hammering against his ribs. He glanced up at Blair, but she seemed unfazed, her features macabre behind the gleam of the flashlight. The light danced across the freshly turned earth, illuminating the ghastly task at hand.

Everet swallowed, the metallic tang of fear coating his tongue. “Do you think this is deep enough?” He hated the tremor in his voice. He hated everything about this.

Blair appraised the hole and gave a curt nod. “Deep enough to hide her.”

He wiped sweat from his forehead, the cool night air doing little to alleviate the clammy heat clinging to his skin. The forest felt alive, watching them with unseen eyes. Every rustle of leaves, every snap of a twig, sent shivers down his spine.

“I just... I keep thinking about her face,” he whispered. “Disfigured beyond recognition. Almost…obliterated.”

Blair huffed a sigh. “Snap out of it, Everet. We don't have time for your guilt trip. We made a mistake. We're fixing it. Now, let’s get her in the ground and be done with it.”

He knew she was right, logically. But logic had abandoned him the moment the sickening thud echoed through the quiet road, the moment he saw the young woman lying lifeless in front of the car.

He gripped the girl’s feet and Blair picked her up by the shoulders, and they eased her into the hole. He took some solace in the fact they’d placed her there gently rather than tossing her in like discarded trash. But then, that would be small comfort to the friends and family who would never know what happened to their loved one.

He began shoveling the loose dirt on top of her body, when a sound came to him. A low, keening moan that seemed to emanate from the very earth beneath his feet. He froze, his shovel clattering to the ground.

“What was that?” he stammered, his eyes wide with terror.

Blair paused, her head cocked. “Probably just an animal. Get back to work.”

But Everet couldn't move. The moan came again, closer this time, laced with an unearthly sorrow that resonated deep within his bones. He recalled what he’d read about Agatha. About how she’d vowed vengeance on evildoers. Well, weren’t him and Blair evildoers? It didn’t get much more evil than what they’d done.

“For God’s sake,” Blair bit out. She snatched the shovel from where it lay and finished covering the girl with dirt. When she was done, she looked at him, and a hint of sympathy shone in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Everet. I know I sound callous, but I don’t mean to be. It’s the only way I’m able to keep it together. Yes, what happened was tragic. But our going to jail, losing everything, hurting the people who love us would only compound the tragedy. Nothing can be done to bring the poor girl back. The best thing for everyone is just to move on and try to forget this ever happened.”

Everet nodded but didn’t reply. He knew damn well he could never forget this had happened. And if Blair had even an ounce of humanity in her, she wouldn’t be able to either.

Purchase Dirty Girl on Amazon

Find all the stories in the series here

Meet Alicia Dean and Read About Dirty Girl, Part of the Friday the 13th Series

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rubino) — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 20:10:00 +0000

Thanks for hosting me on your blog, Diana. Today, I’m sharing about a horror short story that is part of a Friday the 13^th series. Each Friday the 13^th, twelve other authors and I publish short horror stories set around Friday the 13^th. It’s been so much fun. We have certain recurring elements in all the stories: a broken mirror, 13 chapters, a person must die on or a body must be found on Friday the 13^th, and the killer and/or victims must have 13 letters in their name.

The most recent series released on June 13^th and my story is titled

Dirty Girl…

Available on KU OR only 99 cents to purchase!!

About Alicia

At age ten, Alicia wrote her first ever romance (featuring a hero who looked just like Elvis Presley and who shared the name of Elvis’ character in the movie, Tickle Me), and she still has the tattered, pencil-written copy. Alicia is from Moore, Oklahoma, and now lives in Edmond. She has three grown children and a huge network of supportive friends and family.

About Dirty Girl

Excerpt

The rain pelted down harder, slapping against the windshield like a tsunami. He turned the wipers higher, but they were fighting a losing battle. He could barely see through the downpour. Fortunately, they were close to the Airbnb. Everet gripped the wheel tighter, his knuckles bleached bone white in the dashboard glow. The green numbers of the clock read 1:30 a.m. The narrow road curved like a snake’s spine, lit only by the twin spears of his high beams.

Peering through the windshield, he could just make out the lights of the Airbnb. Relief coursed through him. Almost there…

Then, a flash of something white coming out of the woods caught his attention. A hard thumping sound was followed by the vehicle jolting violently. He slammed his foot on the brakes.

Blair screamed. “Did you hit something?”

Everet’s voice came out in a raspy quiver. “Yeah. I think so. Some…animal.” But he knew it wasn’t an animal. It was walking upright. And he’d seen the flash of a pale face right before the impact.

He slid the gearshift into park, then reluctantly climbed from the Lexus. On trembling legs he sloshed through the rain to the front of the car. There, in the road five feet ahead, lay a still figure.

He let out a strangled cry and rushed over, dropping to his knees. Long rain-soaked hair flowed behind her. Her white blouse was splattered with blood, and her body lay at an unnatural angle.

Please don’t let her be dead. Please don’t let her be dead.

He was barely aware of movement behind him.

“What the fu--?” Blair said. “Is she…is she okay?”

With dread, Everet took the girl’s shoulders and gently turned her over. Bile rose to his throat when he saw the mangled face.

Purchase Dirty Girl on Amazon

Connect With Alicia

https://linktr.ee/AliciaDean1835

Find all the Friday the 13^th Series #7 Stories Here:

https://linktr.ee/Fridaythe13thHorrorStories_7

Please like our Facebook page where we share content about us and the stories:

https://www.facebook.com/Fri13thShortStories

And find us on Instagram as well:

https://www.instagram.com/fridaythe13thhorror

Meet My Guest J.A. Schneider and Read About Her Suspense Thriller THE GIRL THIEF

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rubino) — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

I met Joyce after I read her author bio on Amazon--it captured my interest--I thought, wow, I'd like to meet her--so I contacted her. She graciously accepted my invite to be my blog guest and feature THE GIRL THIEF, which I purchased after meeting her, but have to finish one more book before I get to it--looking forward to delving in!

So enjoy meeting Joyce!

About Joyce

Joyce is a former writer at Newsweek and the author of multiple murder mysteries and psychological thrillers. She has studied at the Sorbonne and been an exchange student in the Soviet Union. Now her idea of more than enough excitement is writing thrillers and gardening (chasing off deer and using a crowbar to get out stubborn rocks). She lives with her family and two funny dachshunds in Connecticut. To write Joyce or find more of her thrillers, check out jaschneiderauthor.net. Thanks for reading!

About THE GIRL THIEF

Ensnared into the lives of a troubled, wealthy couple - or is she? A caterer's assistant finds herself entangled in the dark secrets of a troubled glamorous couple, navigating danger while harboring her own hidden agenda.

Excerpt

Prologue

I shouldn’t be doing this.

It’s late. I’m limp from fatigue but find myself standing out in the hall, feeling torn. Because tonight is my only chance to essentially be alone in this house. Kate is in bed drunk and will be out of it for at least overnight, and the housekeeper won’t be back until morning. The police could be back too.

What do I do with this chance?

The hall is nearly dark, with just one sconce lit. I look around, feeling my pulse quicken. The whole house is deathly quiet.

Something thuds, and I jump. “Oh!”

My eyes dart around. Someone coming? The noise sounded near, and a sick feeling shoots through me.

Thump! There it is again. A low sound coming from…down the hall? Panic stirs, but I have to know. I pass closed bedroom doors on the right and left, knowing that this is crazy. Frightening, but my feet keep moving as I strain to listen.

I hear the thud again and jerk my gaze up. That sound came from over my head.

The attic.

I remember Kate opening the attic door, wrinkling her nose and closing it again. No one goes up there. It’s too creepy.

Common sense tells me to - forget this! Quit while I’m ahead and get some sleep! But I know I won’t sleep. Not with this one night to look around…

On wobbly legs I reach the hall’s backstairs landing, and turn to the attic door. It is cracked open. My heart pounds but compulsion rules, so I get out my phone, flick on its light, and open the door into darkness.

My beam lights the musty steps. I start up – and hear that thud again. Only now it’s louder. My lips go dry. Cold dread shoots through me.

At the top of the stairs, I shine my light shakily through a dark vastness of stacked trunks and ghostly, sheet-covered shapes. Roof beams slant low at the edges, and at the far end is a tall, arched window emitting thin moonlight.

Surprise, the thudding is coming from it! I move closer, shifting my light to the moonlit glass, and my shoulders relax. A breeze gusts through a low, broken pane covered flimsily by a tied board. Thud…thud…

My, this house is full of things that go bump in the night. I breathe again, but the sound is still frightening.

Shapes to my right loom. I shine my light on an old dressmaker’s mannequin, and a long rack holding clothes covered with dry cleaner plastic. Outdated-looking dresses, men’s suits, an old-fashioned tuxedo and …

I let out a strangled gasp.

My light jumps as I see what is hanging there. I lurch backward, shoulders heaving with my free hand clapped to my mouth - just as a hideous shriek tears through the air. I freeze in shock for seconds, can’t move. The shriek sounds again.

Someone is dying, brutally. Where? Frantically, I whirl my light around, seeing no one.

Horror bolts through me as I wheel away and fly down the stairs. From the landing I race down the hall stumbling, trembling uncontrollably.

Purchase THE GIRL THIEF

Connect With Joyce--Webpage

An Anthology of Sweet Romances--Nine Ladies Dancing--Read About it and Meet the Authors

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rubino) — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000

As I planned a blog exchange with author Patricia Kiyono, she told me about the Dingbat Publishing anthology...so in this exchange I got more than I bargained for!

For the past several years, Dingbat Publishing has compiled a collection of sweet holiday romances set during England’s Regency period. For 2024, seven authors contributed to the anthology, called Nine Ladies Dancing. Here are the authors (their names are linked to their websites) and their stories:

Elizabeth Hanbury presents "A Knight to the Rescue" — Jessica and Richard start off their acquaintance on entirely the wrong note. How can they learn to sing in tune?

Vivian Roycroft and "His Christmas Proposal" — Helena Whittle used to adore riding. Then she was thrown from a strange horse, and her life, her confidence, and even her engagement fell apart. Can she find room in her broken heart for a second chance at love?

Kay Springsteen and "The Maid's Christmas Miracle" — Servants were seldom able to marry. Can a miracle in a stable change their lives forever?

Jenna Jaxon and "A Match Made at Christmas" — Sophia promised to let her grandmother select her husband. Then she met the man of her dreams.

Patricia Kiyono and "Bugs, Bluestockings, and Beginnings" — If only there was a way for Elizabeth to support herself with her scientific knowledge — and of course love was the furthest thought from her mind.

Ruth J. Hartman and "Romancing the Dustman's Daughter" — Augustus Sinclair makes Anne believe in love and romance, even if he is wealthy and she is just the dustman’s daughter. A delightful retelling of the Cinderella story.

Felicia Rogers and "Rented One Christmas" — The ruse Mira's employer is asking of her is so crazy, it could ruin her life forever. Does she dare? And if she does, can she stop herself from falling in love?

Where did the ideas for their stories come from? Here are some of their responses:

ELIZABETH HANBURY: The inspiration for “A Knight to the Rescue” came from the popularity of the waltz in Regency times, despite it being seen as scandalous among some high society people. I thought it would be fun to have a heroine living in Bath who composed waltzes, and a wealthy hero who disguised himself as an artist to avoid fortune hunters - as well as help the woman of his dreams!

FELICIA ROGERS: One day my daughter mentioned how many children my sister has and that she could rent them out. It got to me to thinking... what if someone needed a family but didn't have one. They could rent one! And the story (“Rented One Christmas” was born.

PATRICIA KIYONO: A few years ago, Dingbat Publishing planned a multi-author series about a winter garden in the Highgate area of London. Ruth J. Hartman wrote a story in which the main characters create a home for bluestocking ladies, and I decided to continue the story, because of course the home would need someone to coordinate educational activities at this home! I had fun with Elizabeth, an out-of-work governess, and Benjamin, an entomologist.

Nine Ladies Dancing is available only at Amazon

Meet Sadira Stone and Read About RUNAWAY LOVE STORY, Released Today!

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rubino) — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 04:00:00 +0000

My guest Sadira Stone's new title just came out today! Meet Sadira and read

all about it!

About Sadira

Award-winning contemporary romance author Sadira Stone spins steamy, smoochy tales set in small businesses—a quirky bookstore, a neighborhood bar, a vintage boutique. Set in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, her stories highlight found family, friendship, and the sizzling chemistry that pulls unlikely partners together. When she emerges from her writing cave in Las Vegas, Nevada (which she seldom does), she can be found shaking her hips in dance class, playing her guitar (badly, but getting better), exploring the Western U.S. with her charming husband, cooking up a storm, and gobbling all the romance books. For a guaranteed HEA (and no cliffhangers!) visit Sadira on her website.

About the Book Nirvana Series

Welcome to Book Nirvana, an indie bookstore in Eugene, Oregon, where you’ll find every flavor of bookish delight, a quirky staff who are as close as family, Lulu the all-wise shop cat, Coffee Dreams next door, and a dazzling collection of naughty books kept behind the red door in back. If you ask shop owner Clara nicely, she just might let you peek inside!

About RUNAWAY LOVE STORY

Wrong time, wrong place, perfect guy.

A heartbreaking distress cry interrupts my search for a new art gallery job. Darling Maxie needs my help, so now I’m stuck in Eugene, Oregon, rescuing the auntie who rescued me.

Running into adorable Coach Dalton ignites a sweet flirtation that quickly turns spicy. He’s wise, funny, and he’s going through the same heartbreak: losing a loved one to dementia.

But he wants lasting love, and I’m only passing through. No matter how much I crave him, I can’t let him derail my dreams.

Come to Book Nirvana for a spicy, funny, heart-wrenching tale of true love and second chances.

Runaway Love Story was previously published and has been revised and updated with new chapters.

PG Rated Excerpt

“Come back, Blondie. I just want a little taste.”

Footsteps sound behind me—only one set but closing fast.

I gulp air and lengthen my stride. My quads burn and my sides ache, my reserves nearly spent.

I’ll never run without pepper spray again.

The guy is right on my tail, puffing like a bellows.

“Babe, there you are. Hold up.” This voice is deeper and lacks the mocking tone of the others.

Without slowing, I risk a backward glance. Tall bald guy. Serious runner, judging by his gear. His face drips from exertion, but his broad smile holds no threat. He tilts his shaved head toward the bushes and rolls his eyes.

I slow, and he pulls up alongside me, exclaiming with unnecessary volume, “I stopped to tie my shoelaces, and you disappeared.”

Hard of hearing? Near-sighted?

He throws a glance over his shoulder and lowers his voice. “You okay?”

Understanding dawns. He’s rescuing me!

“I’m good, thanks.” I jog to a stop and bend over, hands on my knees, gulping air. He waits beside me and scans the bushes, his breathing hard but steady. Expensive running shoes. Above his enormous feet rise long, well-muscled legs encased in snug shorts and the finest ass I’ve seen in a long, long time—high and firm and muscular. My fingertips itch to trace its contours.

Holy heck, what’s wrong with me?

His back to me, he surveys the trail. And what a back it is, outlined by his sweat-soaked T-shirt, narrow at the waist and broad at the shoulders. He runs his long fingers over his shiny shaved head and turns to face me.

Late thirties, I’m guessing. Aquiline nose, straight, pale brows, and deep-set eyes, blue as the summer twilight. A short golden beard covers his jaw. His lips spread in a slow smile, transforming his bony face into something dazzling.

Our eyes meet, and a spark jolts through me, strong and sharp and aimed straight at my core.

Uh-oh.

Purchase RUNAWAY LOVE STORY

Bookfunnel Link to Deleted Scenes

Follow Sadira on all the Socials

https://linktr.ee/SadiraStone

Meet My Dear Friend, Romance Author Angela Rosati, and Read About Her Extraordinary Stories, Straight From the Heart--With Her Own Brand of Humor

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rubino) — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 15:15:00 +0000

Angela has been a very dear friend of mine for 30 years, and she is a gifted writer. She is 96 years YOUNG and still writing heartfelt historical romances.

I highly recommend every one of her historical novels. She writes straight from the heart, and her stories are 100% genuine and authentic–because she was THERE!

About Angela

I was born on August 22, 1929 in Long Island City, NY. I grew up in Astoria, NY. I wanted to be a teacher, but got drafted into the family business. Then at age 29 (which was very old as per Italians) got married. Then in my late 70s, I bought a computer and started writing hysterical/historical family tales my family was tired of hearing. I love music and I sing opera arias by Giacomo Puccini. My grandson, at a very young age, asked me why I sing in the shower. I responded, "The door is locked and nobody can tell me to shut up!"

Visit Angela on Amazon

An article in The Italic Institute of America, "The Italian Heritage on a Classical Foundation" :

In Those Days by Bill Dal Cerro | Mar 1, 2025

A 96 year old “new author” focuses on early Italian immigrants
In Those Days is a short essay written by Angela M. Rosati, the daughter of Italian immigrants from Basilicata (father) and Puglia (mother). Raised in Astoria, Queens, the same neighborhood as the great Tony Bennett (born Anthony Benedetto), Rosati has made it her mission to document the Great Migration (1880-1924), specifically via the experiences of her family. What’s interesting about Rosati is that she first began writing in the 70s—no, not the decade, but her age. A self-described “Nanny Granny,” she was in her late 70s, bought a computer and began writing personal stories and mini-novels “when my grandchildren were busy outside playing after school. I didn’t know I could do it.”
She did, and she hasn’t stopped. Over the past 18 years—she turns 96 this August—Rosati has turned out 11 books centered on the idea of teaching the latest generation that life for early Italians “back in the day” wasn’t all pasta and roses. As she puts it, “They need to know how offended and ill-treated we were. Yet we didn’t sit on the curb and cry. We prevailed because we knew who we were, we knew our strength.”
That strength was something called Italian culture: “Cuisine! Music! Art! Movies! Food! Operas! Who writes them better? When a soprano enters a singing contest, she sings, ‘O Mio Babbino Caro’ by Giacomo Puccini. A guaranteed win!”
Ms. Rosati came to my attention a month ago after she emailed to compliment me on a recent blog. It was very fortuitous, as I had been having discussions with colleagues over the appalling (and depressing) lack of representation of Italians in American history. Peruse any current social studies book in our nation’s schools and you will see none of our heroes and heroines—our role models—ever mentioned.
Instead, you will see what I call the “Three C’s”: Columbus, Capone and Cascades of Unwashed Immigrants. Even the story of Sacco & Vanzetti, whose 1927 execution in Boston remains a template of anti-immigrant prejudice, is hardly ever mentioned anymore.
The first two C’s are now radioactive. Capone always has been, but Columbus has become (unfairly and unjustly) a lightning rod of scorn by angry activists. And the Cascade of Unwashed Immigrants is more like one big, gigantic, amorphous blob—an uninspiring pile of nothing.
Rosati’s writings are invaluable in that they turn that blob into individual cells. She puts human faces on those follicles. If our nation still refuses to publicly proclaim any pride in, say, inspiring role models like A.P. Giannini or Ella Grasso, they can’t keep suggesting that Italian immigrants themselves were of no value. By documenting their suffering, by personalizing it, Rosati’s books say to academia, “Oh, yeah?”
She does it with humor: “I was the third, and only girl, of four kids. When some people heard this, they would say, ‘Oh, you must be the queen.’ Yes, I’m queen of the mop and the ironing board. My parents were careful not to spoil me and my three brothers.”
She does it with drama: “My father, Angelo Russo, rarely spoke of his wartime experiences. He fought for Italy during WWI in the Austrian campaign. But, he had nightmares. We would hear him vocalize sounds at night. And Papa did tell us once, when he was in the trenches, one of his buddies from Bari said, ‘Russo, I’m afraid to die.’ Immediately, he received a bullet in his skull. Papa said there was blood, brains and flesh everywhere. He never recounted any other similar stories after that.”
And she does it with a childlike candor, whether relating unkind comments from Irish or German neighbors or relating how teachers in the schools routinely slapped Italian boys “because they (the teachers) knew the Italian boys would never squeal on them. Parents always thought the teacher was right. The Italian boys endured the embarrassment of those slaps rather than get a beating from offended parents.”
As a witness to both the good and the bad, Rosati is in an excellent position to see how Italian Americans triumphed over their often-difficult circumstances. So it has some gravitas when she compares the reality of real Italians to images perpetuated in the media: “The way Hollywood depicts Italians is all wrong. The men are depicted as thieves, gangsters, and murderers. The women are all depicted as whores and liars. Unfortunately, most Italian Americans today, and others, believed the baloney. But the damage is done and we must correct it.”
Rosati is heroically doing so by documenting our true stories.
Visit the Italic Institute of America

Meet Author Pamela Thibodeaux and Read About Her Short Story Romance Collection A HINT OF ROMANCE

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rubino) — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Pam & I have hosted each other many times; today I'm featuring her new book of short romances A HINT OF ROMANCE.

Why did Pam write A HINT OF ROMANCE?

"As a novel writer, short stories are a welcome diversion, but also a challenge. To tell a complete story in so few words can sometimes frustrate one who thrives on the detail and description found in a novel. Some of these were written with a particular women’s magazine in mind. Others were for the publisher I was with earlier in my career who listed them for free through the website or for 99 cents at Amazon. ALL were written for fun and the experience. A friend of mine said I write excellent short stories. I hope I’ve done well enough in these to entice you to want to read my longer works."

About the Stories in A HINT OF ROMANCE

Twin Flames: Twins, Raymond and Raelee MacFarland have spent a couple of years and a ton of money turning the property they inherited from their uncle into a small guest ranch, rebuilding their lives after her husband runs off with his wife. Will they succeed and perhaps, get a second chance at love?

Like a Rock: Macey finds herself at a crossroads when her and Jerry’s youngest child leaves for college. Will their love survive midlife crisis and empty nest syndrome?

The Big Catch Karla and, the love of her life, Jeff, have uncovered some uncommon ground: The Great Outdoors. For the life of her, she does not understand his love of fishing and how he can spend so much time doing so. Will she come to love the sport as much as he or will his passion for a rod and reel tangle up their relationship?

A Hero for Jessica: Anthony Paul Seville is known as the ‘most eligible bachelor’ in New Orleans, possibly even the entire state of Louisiana, but finds himself alone—completely and explicitly alone. Jessica Aucoin is a writer on her way to fame and fortune but is haunted by a man from her past. Will the “champion” lawyer and the author of romantic suspense find love written in their future?

In His Sight: Grade school teacher Carson Alexander has a gift—a gift that has driven a wedge between him and his family. Worse, it’s put him at odds with God. Feeling alone and misunderstood, Carson views God’s gift of prophecy as the worst kind of curse…that is until he meets Lorelei Conner, landscape artist extraordinaire, and perhaps the one person who may need Carson and his gift more than anyone ever has.

Lorelei Connor is a mother on the run. Her abusive ex-husband has followed her all over the country trying to steal their daughter. Distrusting of men and needing to keep on the move, she’s surprised by her desire to remain close to Carson Alexander. Through her fear and hesitation, she must learn to rely on God to guide her—not an easy task when He’s prompting her to trust a man.

Can their relationship withstand the tragedy lurking on the horizon?

Review of Love: Jason Stockwell has been commissioned to interview Kylie Erickson and to review her books. The only problem is, she won’t give the time of day much less an interview to someone whose type of writing she deems not worthy of respect. Can they suspend their judgmental attitudes and find true love?

Paper Roses: Widowed eleven years, Patti Howard has found herself enamored with her son’s football coach. Will a homecoming tradition give them a chance at romance?

Journey’s End: Ellie Thibaudeau’s travelling days ended when she bore a daughter who, in turn, left a granddaughter to be reared in the small town of Wellington, Florida. With retirement on the horizon will her dream of seeing the world come true with a new man or will she be resigned to staying put and live vicariously through her Angel Girl, Callyn?

Soul Mates Jolie LeBlanc has used her Masters in Archeology and Minor in Anthropology to study the paranormal all over the world and ends up on five acres of land supposedly haunted by the famed pirate, Jean Lafitte. Will she and her soul mate will reconnect once again or will she live another lifetime without him?

Purchase A HINT OF ROMANCE on Amazon

Connect With Pam

Website

Blog

and receive a free short story

Meet Joan Koster, Another Author Who Celebrates Sassy Ladies, and Read About PRAIRIE CINDERELLA, Sculptress Vinnie Ream

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rubino) — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

I'm currently working on the 4th book in my "Sassy Ladies Series" and have found a kindred soul in Joan, whose series is called "Forgotten Ladies." I've read, enjoyed and highly recommend every one of them (see my Amazon reviews). Her newest release celebrates Vinnie Ream, the Victorian sculptress whose statue of Abraham Lincoln stands in the Rotunda of the U. S. Capitol.

About Joan

When she is not writing in her studio by the sea, Joan lives an 1860s farmhouse stacked to the ceiling with books. In a life full of adventures, she has scaled mountains, chased sheep, and been abandoned on an island for longer than she wants to remember.

An ethnographer, educator, and award-winning author who loves mentoring writers, Joan blends her love of history, and romance into eye-opening historical novels about women who shouldn’t be forgotten and into romantic thrillers under the pen name, Zara West. She is the author of the award-winning romantic suspense series The Skin Quartet and the top-selling Write for Success series, and of multi-award-winning biographical historicals including THAT DICKINSON GIRL, CENSORED ANGEL, and now PRAIRIE CINDERELLA.

Joan blogs at JoanKoster.com, American Civil War Voice, Zara West Romance, and Zara West’s Journal and teaches numerous online writing courses.

An Excerpt From PRAIRIE CINDERELLA

The Capitol, Washington City, April 1866

“Ah, this is where you hide out.”

I snap my head up. The woman is a stranger, but I can tell she hasn’t come to make a purchase or praise my work. Beneath her fashionable hat, adorned with bunches of fake cherries, she wears the nose-pinched expression of someone smelling not the rose petal potpourri discreetly placed around the studio, but the stench of something foul.

She moves along the wall, studying the medallions on display. “These are yours, Miss Ream?” She glares at me. “You are Miss Ream, I presume?”

I grab the wet rag hanging on a hook by my work stand and wipe the clay dust from my fingers. “Vinnie Ream, at your service. All the works here are mine. And available for purchase.”

She puts on spectacles and peruses my newest work—the bust of a bare-breasted young woman, which I’ve christened Violet.

The woman straightens. “Heard about you. Had to see for myself.” She gives me a long stare. “I’m Jane Swisshelm.”

A polite greeting sticks in my throat. Everyone has heard of the razor-tongued, overly opinionated journalist who gave her all to the wounded soldiers during the war but then had the distinction of being fired by both Horace Greeley and the War Department for being too radical in her news articles.

I curtsy and force out a response. “You are most welcome to my little studio, Mrs. Swisshelm.”

“Little studio? You’re right here in the Capitol. That’s an honor deserving of a renowned artist like Clark Mills, not you. You look to be all of fourteen. But buxom enough, I guess. And all that hair. No wonder the men are rapturous about you. Be forewarned: I am not so easily persuaded by a bit of feminine fluff.”

She sails across to my bust of Lincoln and places her hand on top of the head as if my most important work is nothing more than a doorpost. “Heard you’re claiming the President himself posed for you?”

How dare this woman accuse me of lying? I bite out the words, “He did.”

“Well, my good friend, Mary Todd, disagrees. Says she’s never heard of you.”

“My arrangement was with the President and his secretary.”

“So you say.” She clasps her hands in front of her own less-than-generous bosom. “I’m here to tell you to drop the petition you’re circulating. You have no right to make a marble sculpture of him.”

I should grovel. Pretend to think about her suggestion. After all, I’m not sure what I am going to do. But I can’t. The woman reminds me too much of Ma and her dictates. So, I throw back my shoulders and firm my voice. “You can’t tell me how to pursue my career.”

She comes closer. “Give up the petition, or I’ll spread the rumor that your obscene woman in the shop window is actually you. A self-portrait, shall we say.”

“What? Are you blind? That looks nothing like me. That is a classical pose based on numerous renowned works of art.”

“It is unsuitable for you to show such nakedness, and an insult to all women. Men do not need their lust stirred by bared breasts.”

“It is a most appropriate work to be created by a woman. Why should only men be allowed to sculpt our sex? No one criticizes them for sculpting nude males.”

Her lips pinch together. “The only reason to create nudes of either sex is to titillate.”

“The human body is beautiful and wondrous. It must be. After all, the Lord has modeled a good many people in the nude.”

Swisshelm sneers. “Our good Lord has no place in this den of obscenity or in this discussion. Mark my words. If you continue the course you have set for yourself, you will be rebuffed in society.”

“Society, as you call it, doesn’t accept me now—an upstart girl from the wild prairie who works with her hands. But people who value excellent artwork support me with their pocketbooks.” Poker-hot anger overrides my commonsense. “Long after you are gone and your newspaper turned to dust, Mrs. Swisshelm, my work—nude or dressed—will endure. Do your worst. I’m going to get that commission.”

To learn more about Jane Swisshelm see my article: “Jane Gray Swisshelm on Congressional Behavior.”

To learn more about Vinnie Ream see my article “Vinnie Ream on Art and Nature.”

Why Joan wrote PRAIRIE CINDERELLA: The Story of American Sculptress Vinnie Ream Hoxie

Vinnie Ream was both celebrated and reviled in her lifetime. She was petite, outgoing, and female. The fact that she wanted to be a sculptress at a time when the art world was dominated by men who believed only European-trained artists were the best is what makes her success more incredible.

Yes, some of her success was due to chance. Because she was born in a log cabin like him, Abraham Lincoln at the height of the Civil War gave her permission to sketch and sculpt him during his afternoon naps. After his assassination, at the age of seventeen, she rose to prominence for her bust of him done from life. This led to her receiving the first sculpture commission given by Congress to a woman. Today, her statue of Lincoln stands in the Rotunda of the U. S. Capitol, where it is often seen during state occasions.

But it was not all chance. Vinnie Ream was an amazingly gifted woman who despite her lack of training excelled in art. She was also personable and smart.

Of course, such an accomplishment was questioned. How could a young girl sculpt the body of man? (Remember this was the Victorian age.) How could a frontier-raised American, who'd never been to Europe, be any good at sculpture? How did she get Congress to give her a studio in the Capitol and to vote her $10,000 plus a $5,000 bonus for Lincoln’s statue?

Naturally rumors flew. Some man did the work for her. She never met Lincoln. She traded favors with Congressmen to get the commission. Mark Twain went so far as to call her “the smartest politician of all.” This was to be expected at the time. What surprised me was that these claims are still made today by academics who wink and nod when they talk about her. That got me angry and that is why I wrote this novel.

In PRAIRIE CINDERELLA, I have tried to portray her as a complex woman who was driven to create but who also gave her all to take care of the people she loved. There are two love stories in this novel, and a happy ending. Vinnie Ream was amazing. I hope you will read Prairie Cinderella and come to love her as much as I do.

Purchase PRAIRIE CINDERELLA

Connect With Joan

Meet My Guest Robert Herold And Read About His Paranormal Romance THE DEVIL'S DREGS, Nominated For The Paranormal Romance Guild's Reviewer's Choice Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rubino) — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 20:44:00 +0000

Hi! I'm Robert Herold, author of three novels with The Wild Rose Press and five novelettes in the Seattle Coven Tales, self-published on Amazon. I love history,

horror, chocolate, jazz, theater, and ethnic foods.

Before going further, I have a very big favor to ask. My novelette, THE DEVIL'S DREGS, has been nominated for the Paranormal Romance Guild’s Reviewer's Choice Awards! The next step is a popularity contest. Please do me the very great honor of voting for my story! (They won't spam you or sell your email address. Any info they take is just to prevent people from voting multiple times.)

You don't have to have read it (yet!) to vote. If you like the cover, vote! If you don’t like the cover, vote! If you like chocolate or puppies, vote! Any promo helps.

Click Here to Vote

It's about halfway down in the list of nominees (in the novellas/shorts category).

Thanks heaps!

Here’s a bit about my story:

A witch has stolen Steven Metcalf's newborn son and intends to sacrifice the child to her dark lord. Steven and his two friends scour Seattle to rescue the infant, but the city has become infested with witches and their allies. Can Steven and company save the innocent before it's too late?

"The must-read paranormal series of the year." -- N. N. Light Book Heaven

My other work includes three novels, part of the Eidola Project series, and I’m currently working on the fourth. The series follows a group of 19 ^th-century ghost hunters who become entangled in deadly supernatural investigations. The team of ghost hunters includes Harvard psychology professor William James (a real-life ghost hunter), his female assistant, an African American physicist, a young woman who was a sideshow medium, and a traumatized Civil War veteran, each possessing unique strengths and weaknesses. The books also act as a distant mirror, dealing with modern themes, such as women’s rights, racism, and drug abuse—while conveying a cracking good tale. (Each of these titles has won awards, too, as has the series!) This series is available through all major online booksellers and can be read as an eBook or as a paperback.

I also write The Seattle Coven Tales, set in the contemporary world. They follow a graduate student (in history, of course!) at the University of Washington and his sommelier girlfriend who are lured into a world of witchcraft and become targeted for sacrifice. Can they escape a world where murderous witches seem to be everywhere? This series has won awards, too, and is only available through Amazon. (Several titles are currently on sale, and all are free with Kindle Unlimited.)

The Link to All My Books on Amazon

Robert as Ghostbuster

Why do I write horror? I come by it naturally. As a boy, I wanted nothing more than to be a werewolf. When snow occurred, it provided me the opportunity to walk out onto neighbors' lawns halfway and make paw prints with my fingers as far as I could stretch. I would retrace the paw and boot prints, then fetch the neighbor kids and point out that someone turned into a werewolf on this lawn! (They were skeptical.)

As a teen, I helped with the creation of a haunted house, mostly as a gofer, and got to be a werewolf (oh, the joy) once the place opened. This haunted house was sponsored by a local rock station and was not for kids. It had many a frightful room that we repurposed in an old home before it was to be torn down. I, as the wolfman, was in a room with Dr. Frankenstein and the monster, and we all jumped at folks and delighted in their screams. Then, toward the end of the evening, in a moment of werewolf abandon, I decided to jump up onto the wall and grab the bars on a window to howl at the moon. Much to my chagrin and pain, the iron bars were actually wooden dowels that broke off, and I crashed down onto my werewolf tailbone. I howled in pain. People loved it! I, however, too embarrassed to admit my pain and mistake, limped the two miles home that night instead of begging a ride from someone with wheels. My lesson: One must suffer for one’s art.

In the end, I realized writing about horror was considerably safer and even more fun. I hope my work gives you the creeps, and I mean that in the best way possible!

Best witches, er, wishes,

Robert Herold, Author

Visit My Website

PROHIBITION--the 19th AMENDMENT--RATIFIED ON THIS DAY IN 1919

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rubino) — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 15:56:00 +0000

On this day in 1919, the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, prohibiting the “manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors for beverage purposes,” was ratified by the requisite number of states. My romance thriller BOOTLEG BROADWAY is set during this wild era. More booze flowed during Prohibition than when it was legal! When I first created the characters, I had nothing for them to do yet--I just knew I had to get my hero, the scatterbrained musical genius Billy McGlory, into one mess after another, each worse than the one before. The ending surprised even me--and I wrote it! It was an amazing era to research, especially in boozy New York City. It's Book Two of the New York Saga.

A 5-star Amazon review:

The Cat's Pajamas

Diana Rubino had me on the first page, and didn't let go until the end. Her writing evokes Depression-era New York City richly and thoroughly, from the rhythm of the language to the sounds on the street. You can practically hear the music and the clinking of glasses in the speakeasies.

Billy McGlory is a train wreck in the best possible sense. Ms. Rubino has written a brilliantly flawed character whose good intentions spin slowly but inevitably out of control. I couldn't stop tracking his descent into hell and wondering, as he does, how he'd get out of this. A beautiful character study and a fascinating story of the American Thirties in all their danger and dazzle. Bravo!

It's in print, on Kindle, and on audio with the animated New York native Nina Price.

getBook.at/NewYorkSagaBookTwo

Meet Thomas Goodman, Award-Winning Author of Fact-Based THE LAST MAN: A NOVEL OF THE 1927 SANTA CLAUS BANK ROBBERY

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rubino) — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 17:18:00 +0000

I honestly cannot remember how I heard of Thomas's book, but not long before the holidays, the title caught my eye--was it on Amazon? Facebook? Goodreads? I thought, jolly good! With Christmas around the corner, I'll read an uplifting story starring Santa! But little did I know....well, no matter how I found it, I'm glad I did--when reading the synopsis I saw that it was based on a bank robbery that took place in the small town of Cisco, Texas in 1927, and the leader of the pack was dressed as Santa. As a history nut fascinated with true crime books, I couldn't pass this one up! It was captivating to say the least--read my Amazon review--and when I contacted Thomas to invite him as a guest here, he graciously accepted. So read on--then don't miss out on this story that might have given Bonnie & Clyde AND the James Gang a run for their money (no pun intended)....

About Thomas

Thomas closely based his debut novel on a true crime the Associated Press dubbed "The Santa Claus Bank Robbery." He first ran across the story when he lived in the small Texas county where it all took place. He currently lives in Austin, where he has been able to conduct extensive research on the events and characters at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

About THE LAST MAN (2024 Spur Award Winner and 2024 Will Rogers Medallion Award Winner)

When Santa Claus enters a Texas bank just before Christmas in 1927, no one expects him to pull a gun. The fake white beard hides his identity from his neighbors while he and three others take everything. But their easy heist goes sideways fast when armed lawmen and citizens assemble to claim a new reward for dead bank robbers. Taking hostages, the gang forces a path through a frenzied and bloody shootout, setting the whole Lone Star state on their trail. One bandit dies in the getaway. One is executed in the electric chair. One swings from a rope in a mob lynching. The last man finds a life he always hoped for … if only he can keep it. Closely based on a true story, THE LAST MAN is a gritty Prohibition-era Western novel filled with flawed characters and second chances.

Excerpt

The man stood in the midnight shadows for a long time and studied the empty bridge that led into Juárez. Light spilled from the customs booth closest to him on the American side of the river. Two hundred yards away, a bare incandescent bulb glowed in a booth on the Mexican side.

Slow and casual, he told himself, and approached the bridge. He turned up his collar as if to block the chill wind, but mostly to keep his face hidden from the customs officer sitting behind the glass of the stateside cubicle. He kept moving. He wasn’t required to stop on this side.

He was halfway across the Rio Grande when headlamps from a car behind him lit up the bridge. In the beams, his silhouette stretched and wavered toward the Mexican customs booth. Brakes whined faintly as the motor rig slowed to his pace, but he continued walking and kept his face forward. The car advanced into his sidelong view. Lamps like chrome cones rested on wide fenders that curved gracefully down to become running boards. A gold star was painted on the side, encircled with the words “City of El Paso Police Department.”

He sighed and his shoulders slumped. It was going to come to an end sometime anyway, the other three being dead and all.

Purchase THE LAST MAN

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Meet My Fellow Wild Rose Press Author Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy, and Read About Her New Holiday Romance HOMEWARD BOUND HEARTS, and Delicious Pumpkin Bread Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rubino) — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 17:11:00 +0000

Lee Ann and I are doing a blog exchange that includes holiday recipes (mine is struffoli, "honey balls"), and she is featuring HOMEWARD BOUND HEARTS, on sale December 16.

About Lee Ann

Lee Ann writes from the heart about everyday people caught up in often extraordinary circumstances. Although she makes her home in the small town of Neosho, Missouri in the Ozarks, she’s a native of St. Joseph, Missouri. When she’s not writing or reading, she may be teaching at church. She’s penned more than fifty full length novels, has been included in two dozen anthologies, and published many short stories and articles. Her novels and short fiction have won awards. Her publishers include World Castle Publishing, Evernight Publishing, and The Wild Rose Press. She is widowed with three children. She enjoys cooking, gardening, and sitting on the front porch in what passes for suburbs in a small town.

About HOMEWARD BOUND HEARTS

A story of Christmas, faith, love and redemption, and a bronc rider ready to play Santa!

Take one saddle bronc ridin’ cowboy, Jeb Hill, the Hillbilly Hotshot, who suffers the worst injury of his career. Send him home to be cared for by a widowed nurse, Shelby Thacker, who struggles to pay her bills and support her two children. Add some friendship, then stir in a little attraction. Complicate things with the return of Jeb’s long absent father and throw in the Christmas season. Jeb wants an old-fashioned, heartwarming Christmas, but Shelby’s poverty destroyed her holiday spirit long ago. Toss in some faith, a country church, and a rodeo rider ready to play Santa Claus. Shelby’s and Jeb’s friendship deepens, but can they fulfill each other’s hopes and dreams?

JEBEDIAH ‘JEB’ HILL has ridden saddle broncs for years as ‘The Hillbilly Hotshot” but when he’s pitched hard into the dirt in an arena, it’s the last ride for Jeb. He feared he broke his back but the spinal fracture is serious enough to land him in the hospital. He’ll walk again but recovery will require months. The medical staff tells him he’ll walk but he won’t compete in rodeo again. Jeb has a choice – either he can check into a rehab facility or recuperate at home with an in-home nurse. He opts for the latter and returns home to the farm where he was raised in Northern Missouri.

SHELBY THACKER is a widowed home health care nurse, raising her two children despite her financial troubles. When she’s assigned to Jeb’s case, Shelby expects an older man and is surprised to meet a patient close to her age. She was hired to work with him each day but spend her nights at home.

Jeb isn’t the easiest patient and worries about staying alone at night when he can barely move. Shelby realizes his fears and returns on the first night. He offers to allow her and her children to move into the rambling old farmhouse while she’s on his case.

His expectations for a long recovery were dim but Jeb finds Shelby and her children, Levi and Lexi, to be cheerful companions. Although he’s not been around many children, he likes her kids. Shelby, armed with a list of the foods he likes, cooks up meals he truly enjoys.

As Jeb graduates from a walker to a cane, a friendship grows between them but Jeb soon learns Shelby is stubborn. Since he has more than enough money, he offers to help the struggling widow but Shelby refuses. She’ll earn her money and stand on her own two feet.

Since Jeb’s farm lies outside of town, closer to a small rural community, Shelby drives the children to school and back each day. Once the job ends, she plans to move back to her old house despite the disrepair. After his first doctor’s visit, Shelby and Jeb have an impromptu picnic at a scenic spot. They talk and kiss for the first time.

Shelby allows Jeb, who can now get around on a limited basis, inside her house so she can pick up a few things. While there, she finds part of the upstairs bathroom floor has sunk, which Jeb tells her is unsafe. He notes many other critical repairs needed before she moves back inside.

Dismayed, Shelby agrees she’ll stay at Jeb’s until some repairs are made. At the same time, her children get closer to Jeb. Levi plays soccer and Jeb attends the games along with Shelby and Lexi. When the stores begin having Christmas items, the kids dream about what they want for the holiday. Jeb learns Shelby doesn’t do much for Christmas. She hasn’t put up a tree since her husband died three years earlier and she can’t afford many presents. He learns her dad died around the holiday so Shelby has her reasons to be a Scrooge.

Jeb, however, wants a glorious Christmas. He plans for a tree, a fine dinner, many presents, and fun for everyone.

He and Shelby debate over how the holiday will be. In the meantime, they also begin attending Jeb’s childhood church a few miles away from the farm.

Jeb’s mother died when he was twelve and his paternal grandparents raised him. His dad left soon after his wife’s death so Jeb’s relationship with his father is rocky. His dad, Josiah Hill, shows up wanting money. He’s been drinking but Jeb gives him cash and sends him away.

Shelby realizes genial, generous Jeb has a hard side, too, and isn’t sure what to think.

Shelby’s mom, Delia, was wary about Jeb at first and urged her daughter to avoid a relationship with her patient. She soon likes the man, too, and is a big part of their lives.

Halloween passes and by then, Jeb loves Shelby and she says she loves him too. Neither know where they will go from here and for the moment they enjoy life one day at a time.

Just before Thanksgiving, Shelby visits her house in town to retrieve some warm clothes and her children’s coats. As they arrive, she realizes something looks strange with the roof, then see part of it has caved in. Despite the danger, she rushes inside to grab the items she needs. Jeb follows her and pulls her out just before the rest of the roof gives away. Her house is now a wreck and unlivable.

Shelby is upset and has a hard time with the loss. Jeb steps up to help cook for the kids and offers his support.

They prepare for Thanksgiving but on the weekend before, Jeb’s dad returns. This time he’s sober, returns most of the money, and asks if he can stay. Jeb wants to refuse then relents and allows his dad to bunk in the hired hand’s room in the barn. If his dad drinks or causes trouble, he’ll be asked to leave.

Family and friends gather for a traditional Thanksgiving at the farmhouse. Shelby does some Christmas shopping and Jeb does more. He’s ready to put up a tree but his plans are put on hold when Shelby comes down with a bad case of the flu. Delia takes the children home so they won’t get sick and Jeb nurses Shelby.

He’s decided to ask her to marry him around Christmas.

A major winter storm is predicted and so Jeb reacts. First, he asks his dad if he wants to move into the guest room where it will be warmer. They have been rebuilding their relationship one day at a time. Jeb and his father make a trip to town to prepare for the incoming weather. They finally pick up a Christmas tree, plenty of groceries, last minute gifts, and a ring for Shelby.

Delia comes to stay at the farmhouse, so she won’t miss Christmas with her daughter and grandchildren. She and Josiah are getting along well and it seems there may be another relationship in the making.

They decorate the tree and prepare for Christmas. The predicted snow arrives and drops several feet. The church Christmas Eve program is cancelled but they hunker down, make merry, and prepare for December 25.

Jeb intended to propose on Christmas Eve but the right moment didn’t come.

At the same time, Shelby wonders where this relationship might be headed and thinks about a new job. She even considers finding a place to rent. They can’t stay with Jeb forever.

Early on Christmas morning, Jeb asks Shelby if she will be his wife and she agrees.

They decide on a New Year’s Day wedding and their future together begins with joy.

In the last chapter, readers will see some of their future and the book ends with Jeb as a blessed and happy man.

Excerpt

Her new patient arrived in a medical transport van, and she noticed gray shot through his black hair. So, he is old. Then she caught sight of his face, and her mouth dropped open. Mr. Hill wasn’t old at all, despite the salt-and-pepper hair. His lean face tapered to a pointed chin, and he sported a slender hawk-style nose. His eyes were the deep-blue of the ocean or the sky in summer. He isn’t old, and he’s very handsome.

When he stood, using the walker, Shelby realized how tall he was. Still, she remained professional. She introduced herself, settled him into bed, and positioned his body for comfort. When he didn’t object to the kids, she heaved a sigh of relief.

She chose the menu early from a notebook where she’d written down everything she received about his case, from his dietary preferences to the doctor’s orders. Shelby had a section on his medications and his medical history, and flipping through it as she cooked, she realized she’d missed his birthdate. In case he had a birthday coming soon, she wanted to know so found the date on his records.

He would turn thirty-one in December, which made him three years older. Nothing indicated his career, and she had guessed him to be an attorney or college professor or an advertising man. When Jeb mentioned he’d been a saddle bronc rider, Shelby had been stunned. It wasn’t a career she’d considered he might have. Once she knew, however, she understood and realized it matched his injury.

Pre-Order HOMEWARD BOUND HEARTS

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Pumpkin Bread Tradition and Recipe

When we remember the holiday seasons of the past, we often recall the favorite foods or recipes we prepare. During my childhood, my family hosted a multi-generational Christmas celebration which included both sets of grandparents, a great-grandmother, often aunts, uncles, and cousins, as well as my parents and siblings. Sometimes we included a family friend or two as well. Our table was abundant with offerings including everything from roast turkey to ham and the occasional quail from my dad’s frequent hunting trips. Side dishes included my great-grandmother’s sage and onion stuffing, mashed potatoes and homemade gravy, family recipe egg noodles, yeast bread or hot rolls fresh from the oven, and an array of vegetable dishes. Since Christmas was also my mom’s birthday, we had a bakery birthday cake along with other cakes and pies. Pumpkin and apple were always the two top favorites.

We also had pumpkin bread, which my mother baked in coffee cans for some reason I don’t know. I still bake it but either in a loaf pan or a cute turkey shaped pan I bought years ago.

We also bake cutout sugar cookies, using well-used cookie cutters handed down over several generations. We first baked the cookies and frosted them with bright colors as a gift for Pop, my paternal grandfather, but it became a tradition which has endured long after his passing.

Although now the mantle of hosting Christmas for a smaller number of guests has fallen to me, I mostly make the foods our bunch has come to expect. It wouldn’t be Christmas without them, and I’ve added a few items from my late husband’s side of the family.

Pumpkin, though, isn’t just for Thanksgiving. Here’s my tried and true pumpkin bread recipe, sure to please almost anyone.

Pre-heat oven to 350 and prepare a loaf (or other) pan

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¾ to one teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (adjust to taste – some like it spicier than others)

2 large eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

½ cup canola oil

½ cup water

½ cup raisins and ½ cup walnuts to taste

Combine dry ingredients, add beaten eggs, pumpkin, oil and water. Blend well. Add raisins and walnuts if desired.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour and fifteen minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

Enjoy the holiday season with my fictional characters. They have their favorite dishes too. Try my tried-and-true pumpkin bread recipe for a delicious addition to any feast.

Have a wonderful holiday season. Take time to slow down and savor the moments!

Connect With Lee Ann

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/leeann.sontheimermurphy/ Personal page

https://www.facebook.com/leeannwriter/ Author page

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085056318192 Pen Name Page

https://www.facebook.com/authorPatriceWayne/ Pen Name Page

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard?ref=nav_profile_authordash

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

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/leeannwriter/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-ann-sontheimer-murphy-a753a422/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/leeannwriter

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa11tpg_gGG80lh6uR-dNUw

Other: https://allauthor.com/author/leeannauthor/

https://www.waterstones.com/author/lee-ann-sontheimer-murphy/2236830

Amazon Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Lee-Ann-Sontheimer-Murphy/author/B004JPBM6I?

Meet My Fellow Next Chapter Author James Quinn, Read About His New Release, Thriller GRAVEYARD OF SPIES, and an In-Depth Chat

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rubino) — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

About James

James is the author of the "Gorilla Grant" series of spy novels including A Game for Assassins, Berlin Reload and the novella Gorilla Warfare which is currently being developed as a Hollywood movie. He has also written the spy story The Fisherman and the short story anthology Clandestine.

A professional intelligence and security consultant, he currently resides in the UK but likes to travel extensively around the globe; partly to research his books and partly for the adventure of it all!

In his spare time he likes to play the drums, learn the guitar and enjoy the finer things in life.

About GRAVEYARD OF SPIES

An MI6 network betrayed

A spy on the run

A Father’s hunt for the truth

David Harkness, retired MI6 field agent and once a top operative in Tehran, has been out of the espionage game for decades. Now living in self imposed exile in Barcelona, he has cut himself off from the cloak-and-dagger world he once knew.

But when a contact from his past tells him that his daughter has gone missing in Iran, David is plunged back into a world of conspiracy, double-cross and espionage.

Set during the maelstrom of 1970’s Pre-Revolutionary Iran and the modern terrorism war between East and West, James Quinn’s Graveyard of Spies is a thrilling story of one man’s quest to discover the truth and protect what he loves the most – no matter what the cost.

An Excerpt From GRAVEYARD OF SPIES

* Note – I kind of like this scene in the book. It is relatively unremarkable, but highlights perfectly the full spectrum of an intelligence operatives life when he or she is active. One moment you can be at a grand garden party or dinner, the next you can be meeting your source in a supermarket car-park in the rain on a dismal Tuesday night and be boosting their ego up so that they will gather more information for you. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. JQ

I have been invited to Bertie Vivian’s leaving party. My lightweight summer suit has one of its regular outings. We are all gathered into the grounds of the British Embassy in Tehran. It is a garden party as only the Brits can do it; marquee, sandwiches, buckets of ice-cold white wine and of course the obligatory cake that announces, Sorry to see you go…

Bertie as usual is the centre of attention, holding court with the Ambassador and his staff, talking about his retirement plans, which seem to involve buying a house a stone’s-throw from Lords Cricket Ground.

Davenport is, for one last time, in Bertie’s shadow, because he knows that this time next week, he will officially be declared the MI6 Head of Station in Tehran, a prize that he has coveted since the moment he got here. Eventually, the future head of MI6 in Iran disentangles himself from the social aspects of his job and seeks me out. We nod and move over to the shade of the garden. Spies, even on their home turf, have a way of feeling more comfortable in the shadows.

“It all sounds rather unlikely?” says Davenport at our innocent-looking, but not so innocent meeting over by the garden fountain. He has clearly read my latest agent report about Farah.

“It’s what I’m hearing from Sparrowhawk,” I say confidently.

“Wouldn’t we have heard something from the CIA boys? I mean, they have Tehran sewn up pretty tight?” counters the MI6 man.

I sipped at my ice-cold wine. “The Americans own the government, but I’m less convinced that they know what’s happening on the ground here in Tehran, maybe not even throughout all of Iran. They have gotten fat, dumb and happy.”

There is a commotion over by the marquee and someone calls for quiet, only later we discover that it is Bertie. A radio is tuned properly and the volume is turned up. People from the MI6 Station are gathered around it, like a doctor trying to listen to a heartbeat.

Davenport puts down his half empty glass of Champagne and starts to walk quickly over to the marquee. I follow him but at a slower pace, confused about what is happening. It is only as I get nearer that I can make out the words in Farsi from the BBC World News.

It turns out that the Shah’s security forces have fired on a group of unarmed protestors in Jaleh Square. Reports are sketchy, but the estimates coming in suggest that a dozen people have been killed, gunned down. As the hour moves on, we start to get reports that the number has risen until finally it tops out at over one hundred dead Iranians on the streets of Tehran. This day would later go down in the firestorm of Iranian politics and be known as ‘Black Friday’.

“The Iranians have lost the plot and the Shah has truly fucked things up!” I hear someone say by the buffet table.

“It’s the Ayatollah’s fault that bloody Khomeini is stirring the honey pot from Europe,” I hear another throw out to the crowd.

The following weeks are filled with tension and death on a scale that no civilised country should have to bear, but these are concerns for people far superior to me. My concern is in running my sources and maintaining my cover on the street. Policy is directed by London. I’m just a worker bee and my chief concern is for Farah, agent Sparrowhawk. Farah, my Farah, is balancing the life of a teacher and that of my source inside the growing underground movements that are opposed to the Shah and his brutality.

Then, as is usual in all agent case managements, we hit our first snag. Is it a big snag? Not at first, no, and with a little handling it could be contained. But these things tend to grow to have a life of their own if left unchecked.

I meet her one night after work at a café we both know and she is late, which for Sparrowhawk is unusual. When she finally arrives, she looks shaken, clutching her books across her chest in a protective manner.

“What’s up?” I ask, confused by her body language. No kiss on the cheek. No smile. No laughing.

“I have something to show you,” she says quietly.

“What?”

“Something has happened. Something has happened to me.”

I frown. My brow furrows. “Okay… tell me.”

By way of an answer, she looks around the half-empty café to make sure no one is paying attention to us and then lifts up her jumper. I see the bruises against the right side of her ribs and finger-marks around her wrists. I remember gaping in horror at the time.

“Who did this? When did this happen?” I say and I hear that my voice has dropped several octaves until it is an audible growl.

For a moment, it is as if my personalities have split in two. The shock of seeing someone I love who is hurt, and then the cool detachment of the agent handler takes over and practicalities return. I go to the counter and order some more tea; partly to give myself a moment to calm down and partly to wonder how I should approach this. Has she been robbed? My mind is in a tailspin.

“Okay,” I remember saying at the time as I poured the tea. “Tell me everything.”

Purchase GRAVEYARD OF SPIES

A Chat With James

Do you spend more time researching or writing?

Ohhh, that's a great question! I think writing if I’m honest although I do enjoy the research part of the process. I’m a travel/location fiend so I do like to look over where I’m setting the stories.

After that the writing element comes in waves for me – it's all or nothing!! I either write like a mad man for several days and then I go through my drought spell while nothing happens for weeks on end. Then I get my second wind and the process starts all over again until it is finished! Its not a perfect system but it works for me.

Tell me about GRAVEYARD OF SPIES and where you got your inspiration for it.

GRAVEYARD OF SPIES is an espionage novel that takes place in Europe and Iran. I wanted to move away from the usual action thriller style that I am known for and try something a bit more espionage grounded.

Over the past decade I have worked with people from that part of the world and have become knowledgeable about the politics, history and culture. I can even speak a limited amount of Farsi which I really enjoyed learning.

Fundamentally GRAVEYARD OF SPIES is about the relationship between a Father and Daughter – its about family, it’s about how far you would go to protect your loved ones. Of course all of this is told through the prism of espionage. It’s probably my most personal book.

How much of the book is realistic?

Well, Iran is of course a real place with real issues and a real history. Do terrible things happen there? Absolutely yes. As for the characters, well, that is half the fun, isn’t it, for the reader, trying to figure out how much of it is real.

Lots (but not all) of the characters in the book are very, very real. I drew inspiration from multiple sources for others. And I’m afraid that’s all that I’m prepared to say about that.

What are your ambitions for your writing career?

Writing has been very, very good to me. I’ve had a great decade doing it. Obviously I want the books to do well, but predominantly I want the readers to engage with the characters and to enjoy the stories that I write. I think that should be the basics for any author.

I have a plan to return to my original character, Jack “Gorilla” Grant – the MI6 spy/assassin, next year. It’s the 10^th Anniversary for my first book – A GAME FOR ASSASSINS – and I’ve been asked to write a new “Gorilla” story to celebrate – which I’m really looking forward to.

After that I have several ideas for a new book and new protagonist which I want to explore. It will still be in the espionage genre, but with a bit of a crime and possibly horror twist added to it.

Who is your role model? Why?

To be honest I’m not sure that I have role models. I know as an espionage author you are obligated to say LeCarre, Greene, Fleming, etc, - and I’ve enjoyed them all throughout my life and career. I could also add in at least another dozen artists of all denominations that have inspired me throughout the years as well.

I personally think the greatest achievement as a creative person is to develop your own momentum. Be your own role model!!

Share one fact about yourself that would surprise people.

I have this thing, not quite sure I would call it a gift, more of a quirk. But I can recognise faces even if I haven’t seen them for years or I may have only seen them once before. It's sort of a human facial recognition system that probably has some medical term for it. I don’t necessarily remember their names, but I know where it was I have seen them before and in what context. It was an invaluable skill when I worked surveillance teams or covertly.

What genre do you typically read? Why?

Oh, I’ll read anything that takes my interest – I’m certainly not locked to just spy thrillers. I’m an avid reader and can have two or three books on the go at any one time. At the moment I’m reading about Carravaggio, one about Vampires and one about Italy. So a lot going on there!

Share a favourite childhood memory.

Going on an airplane for the very first time!! It was amazing – I got to go up into the cockpit to talk to the pilots and they even let me press the button for the landing gear. Imagine doing that in this day and age.

I love to travel all over the world – I’ve been very lucky – and I think that love of travel stems from that sense of adventure.

What do you think is the biggest challenge of writing a new book?

It’s like climbing a mountain that you don’t know how big it is. It’s easy to get to the top, or so you think, only to discover that you have barely left base camp. Writing a book is like that. It’s easy to get disheartened. How many stories have I tossed away like that – probably dozens. But then you get that right story, that perfect character or piece of dialogue and it makes it all worthwhile. That’s what gets you through to the other side of the mountain.

Then when all that is done you have the dreaded marketing to do...ugh. Someone once said that writing a book is like finishing a marathon, only that when you cross the finish line and receiving your medal you get a punch in the face instead. That’s writing. That’s being an author!! But at least it teaches us to be resilient.

Do you aim for a set amount of words/pages a day?

I don’t do that. Never have, never will. That feels forced to me. I write when I have something to say, that could be a paragraph or a whole chapter. It works for me that way, but you do you.

What are your thoughts on writing a book series?

I’ve done it! I started with the Gorilla Grant books and they have been very very popular. There is a lot of hard work that goes into developing a book series, there is a bit of universe building, but its an awful lot of fun as well.

I think the trick is knowing when to stop, put a cap on it. Several well known authors stay too long at the party, I feel, and end up churning out the same old stuff year in and year out for decades. It becomes more about the money after that and I always feel that the quality suffers as a result.

I always had it in my head that the Gorilla books would only need 4-5 books to tell his full life story. That was my end point. So this new book that is coming in 2025 can be seen as a bit of fun, a segue way between the end of A GAME FOR ASSASSINS and the start of its sequel, SENTINEL FIVE.

But, no, I don’t intend to write Gorilla Grant books forever. I want to stretch as an author and try new directions.

Great meeting you, James! I am impressed with your output of work, and your answers intrigued me to the point of shaking my head in wonder--especially saying we should all be our own role models! Extremely well thought out and well said! Much success with your Next Chapter books!

Meet My Fellow Wild Rose Press Author Karen Bartell and Read About Her Paranormal Romance FOX TALE, Set in Japan, for Spooktober

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rubino) — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

I met Karen when I saw her featured on another author's blog post, and saw that she's also a Wild Rose Press author. We struck up a lively correspondence, are doing blog exchanges, and are reading each other's books. We share our fascination with the paranormal, although I have no ability in that area--I've never seen a ghost. But I do believe.

About Karen

Author of the Trans-Pecos, Sacred Emblem, Sacred Journey, and Sacred Messenger series, as well as Fox Tale, Kissing Kin, Wild Rose Pass, The Keys: Voice of the Turtle and more, Karen is a best-selling author, motivational keynote speaker, IT technical editor, wife, and all-around pilgrim of life. She writes multicultural, offbeat love stories steeped in the supernatural. Born to rolling-stone parents who moved annually, Bartell found her earliest playmates as fictional friends in books. Paperbacks became her portable pals. Ghost stories kept her up at night—reading feverishly. The paranormal was her passion. Novels offered an imaginative escape. An only child, she began writing her first novel at the age of nine, learning the joy of creating her own happy endings. Professor emeritus of the University of Texas at Austin, Karen resides in the Texas Piney Woods with her husband Peter and her mews—three rescued cats and a rescued *Cat*ahoula Leopard dog.

What separates perception from deception―illusion from reality?

Fox Tale Spooktober

True story! Fox Tale had been in rewrites for three months. We’d been trying to move for eight months but were stymied until we sold our house. Once we found a buyer, we had to move fast. Within days of signing the contract for Fox Tale, we signed a contract for a house on Foxtail Lane. COINCIDENCE?

About Fox Tale

Fox Tale is a paranormal romance set in Kyoto and Tokyo, Japan. It’s about a woman who’s terrified of heights. When Chase saves Ava from plunging down a mountain, he diverts her fears with tales of Japanese kitsune—shapeshifting foxes—and she begins a journey into the supernatural.

She’s attracted to Chase, both physically and metaphysically, yet primal instincts urge caution when shadows suggest more than meets the eye.

She’s torn between him and Rafe, her ex, when a chance reunion reignites their passion, but she struggles to overcome two years of bitter resentment. Did Rafe jilt her, or were they pawns of a larger conspiracy? Are the ancient legends true of kitsunes twisting time and events?

Fox Tale has been nominated for October’s “Cover of the Month” contest: https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/18478/

I’d really appreciate your vote!

Background of Fox Tale

My husband works for a Japanese company. When he was instructed to meet with his Tokyo team, I leapt at the chance to accompany him.

The next thing I did was research Japan’s cryptids. What appeared were Inari’s kitsunes or fox spirits—and voilà, the idea for Fox Tale was born.

What are Inari’s kitsunes? Japan’s history of foxes is complex.

According to Fox Tale’s leading man, Rafe, “Originally, Inari was the concept of a successful rice harvest. Over time, devotees fleshed out that belief, and Inari became the androgynous god of wealth.”

“And the kitsunes?” asked the protagonist, Ava.

“The relationship has always been cooperative…Initially, foxes kept rice fields free from rodents, ensuring good crop yields. Eventually, people humanized the foxes into guardians and agents.”

While my husband attended meetings, I explored Tokyo, sometimes alone on foot and sometimes with a group tour. I took copious notes, and each site I visited became part of my developing story. With the supernatural element, as well as the locale established, my imagination began taking flight.

I spoke to locals as often as possible, asking if they believed in kitsune--or if their neighbor or grandmother believed in them. (Luckily, many Japanese speak English!) Not one admitted to believing in the old superstitions, but almost all knew of someone who did.

Said Fox Tale’s antagonist, Ichiro, “Most Japanese live in concrete canyons, and rational university educations replace superstition. Still, fox stories persist through theater, festivals, language, and literature…or kiterature as I call it.”

“Despite a waning belief?” I leaned closer.

“Even today, some believe in fox possession…although believing in kitsunetsuki might not be fashionable in this age of supercomputers and artificial intelligence, stories still circulate in the tabloids and mass media.”

“For example?”

“In 2019, a doomsday cult member rammed his car into pedestrians on Takeshita Street, then pled not guilty on the grounds that the cult was fox possessed. And as recently as 2022, the Sessho-seki split in two.”

Skeptical, I squinted. “The what did what?”

“The killing stone…according to legend, it imprisoned an evil nogitsune vixen. Her spirit escaped when it split in half and began spewing sulfur fumes, killing anyone that approached…For over a thousand years, Japanese medical practitioners considered kitsunetsuki a disease. Even into the twentieth century, psychologists believed fox possession caused mental illness.”

“But not anymore…” Crossing my arms, I hugged myself, seeking reassurance. “Right?”

Gathering all the information I could from locals, as well as researching online, the plot for Fox Tale began to take shape. Once I had the realistic component that tied the supernatural to the natural, I had the storyline. Then the characters emerged as the story unfolded in my mind.

When my husband finished his meetings in Tokyo, we visited Kyoto, where we toured Fushimi Inari. The mountain is sacred in the Shinto religion, a place where “deities coexist with nature” and where, some believe, Inari resides.

Fushimi Inari has an ethereal presence. Its otherworldly aura and scenery are difficult to describe, but if anything supernatural could occur, it would happen on that mountain.

While at that shrine, the various parts merged into the basis of Fox Tale: the supernatural element, general locale, plot, characters, and finally the specific location for the otherworldly activity.

Lo and behold, a novel was born.

Excerpt

I applied my makeup with an artist’s hand, blending three shades of eyeshadow and going heavy on the mascara. Then I slipped into the black cocktail dress I’d bought for the occasion--a fusion of chic and slutty.

Wish I knew what Rafe planned for my birthday. Dinner at an upscale restaurant? Pub food at a sports bar?

“A surprise,” was all he’d said.

What’s the fine line between dressed to kill and overdressed? Glancing at the mirror, I glimpsed the exposed décolletage, then examined my naked left hand. More importantly, is tonight the night? After dating for three years, the conversation had finally turned to rings and weddings, and with graduation a month away, I was eager to take the next step.

At six o’clock sharp, I sat by the door, butterflies fluttering in my belly.

Ten minutes passed, fifteen. I texted him. An hour later, I called. When he didn’t pick up, I left a voicemail.

At eight o’clock, I checked my email. No messages, no texts--radio silence.

At nine o’clock, I removed my makeup, the black, smoky taupe, mauve, and greige streaks on the cotton pad mirroring my mood. After showering, I picked at soggy leftovers as I studied my bare left hand. Leftovers…

When the phone dinged, I flinched. Rafe?

Mia--Guess who’s at Tootsie’s? And Rafe’s not alone. What’s going on?--

I sat back, stunned. He wouldn’t break up with me on my birthday--without even the courtesy of telling me--would he?

Purchase FOX TALE

Contact Karen

https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/karenhulenebartell/

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Email: info@KarenHuleneBartell.com

Amazon

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To Kick Off Spooktober, Meet My Author Friend Alicia Dean and Check Out Her Latest Release CROW GIRL: 13 Stories, 13 Authors...Get Your Fright On

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rubino) — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 17:48:00 +0000

I always enjoy hosting Alicia, especially during the creepy season, and you'll see why...

Meet Alicia

At age 10, Alicia wrote her first ever romance (featuring a hero who looked just like Elvis Presley and who shared the name of Elvis’ character in the movie, Tickle Me), and she still has the tattered, pencil-written copy. Alicia lives in Edmond, Oklahoma, where she enjoys reading, writing, MLB, NFL and watching (and rewatching) her favorite television shows like Dexter, Justified, and Breaking Bad. Some of her favorite authors are Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Lee Child, Lisa Gardner, Ridley Pearson, Joseph Finder, and Jonathan Kellerman…to name a few.

Crow Girl ~ A Friday the 13^th Horror Short Story by Alicia Dean

I am in awe of how smart crows are. Crows can not only form affectionate bonds with people who treat them well (as did the little girl in the below Mr. Ballen YouTube video), but they can also hold grudges against those who don’t. A team from the University of Washington tested how well the birds could identify human faces using two Halloween masks (one resembling a caveman to be used as the aggressor, the other resembling Dick Cheney for the control).

At five sites, a scientist donned the caveman mask before catching and banding some wild crows. Getting trapped is never a fun experience, and upon their release, the crows loudly scolded their assailant with threatening caws. Seeing this, other birds swooped down to harass the captor. Over several years, researchers wore the masks on strolls through all five test spots. The crows—including many who’d never been captured or banded—scolded and dive-bombed the “caveman” while ignoring “Dick Cheney”.

The younger crows, who were born after the initial experiment, also scolded the “caveman.” The grudge had been passed on.

I went a bit further than simple grudges in my latest release, CROW GIRL, A FRIDAY THE 13th STORY. 😊

Watch Video on YouTube

About CROW GIRL

Ten-year-old Twyla Gillette was abandoned by her mother and placed in an abusive foster home. Teased unmercifully by her classmates, she has no friends—other than the crows. As a toddler, she shared her food with the birds and they befriended her, bringing her gifts and always looking out for her, protecting her.

When the teasing turns to vicious bullying, and her foster family’s abuse becomes more relentless, Twyla relies on the crows to make things right.

It’s not that she wants her friends to hurt anyone…but sometimes wicked people have to learn a lesson.

Excerpt

He was alone in the woods…with nothing around except the psychotic birds. They wouldn’t actually hurt him, though, would they?

He stumbled back and turned to run but tripped on a tree stump and went flying, landing on the ground with a painful thud. He was getting to his feet when something hit him from behind. He grunted and fell to his knees. Looking back over his shoulder, he saw the birds…so many of them…swarming, diving, swooping at him. Then they were on him, pecking his face, his head, his chest. He tried to cover his face, but there were so many birds and…how were they so strong? They weren’t that big, but they were in some kind of vicious frenzy, and they were relentless.

One of the birds drove its beak into his ear. Warm, wet liquid dripped down the side of his neck, and agonizing pain ripped through his head. The fuckers had punctured his eardrum. The screeching caws rang out, echoing his terror, drowning out his sobs. Birds continued to attack…tearing him to pieces.

“Help!” he shrieked. “Somebody help me, please!” But he had a feeling only one person could stop this…and he’d locked her up and left her there…all alone in the dark. And now her friends were making him pay. If he could take it back, he would. But he couldn’t do anything except lay on the ground, sobbing and begging for mercy.

Find my story everywhere except Amazon

(Amazon terminated my account due to false accusations they made against me) https://books2read.com/CrowGirl

Find All 13 of the Friday the 13th #5 Series Here

Find Alicia Here

My Halloween Story, Favorite Halloween Recipe, and How a Ghost Helped Solve a Murder in my 1894 Romance FROM HERE TO FOURTEENTH STREET

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rubino) — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 21:24:00 +0000

I do paranormal investigations with a group near where I live, and I attended my very first

ghost hunt with them a few nights before Halloween. About ten of us visited Old Dunstable

Cemetery where some victims of a 1702 Indian massacre are buried. It’s the oldest cemetery

in Nashua, dating back from when the land was part of Massachusetts. The earliest burial

dates from 1687. Researchers had found the victims’ names, so we were able to locate their

gravestones. The only equipment I had at the time were my dowsing rods and a digital

camera. While others in the group made their attempts to contact spirits, I stood before a

gravestone that read: this Man, with Seven more, that lies in this Grave; was Slew, All in

A day, by the Indiens.

Holding my rods, I asked a few questions: Did you die in the massacre? Were you born here? You can only ask simple yes or no questions and ask the rods to cross for yes and separate for no. I got answers to all my questions. I then stood before another stone reading: Rev. Thomas Weld, Born June 1653, Settled as the first minister of the church in Dunstable Dec. 1685, probably massacred by the Indians while defending the settlement June 7, 1702, age 49. All the while, I felt a strong presence, and immediately began feeling dizzy and lightheaded. I found that this happens quite frequently when I ghost hunt. I’ve never seen a ghost, but have felt presences near me, and always get dizzy when I sense someone is nearby. I took several photos throughout the cemetery, and some came out with brightly colored arcs among the tombstones. I didn’t dare visit that graveyard on Halloween night!

Several of my books have paranormal elements, and my next release is FOR THE LOVE OF HAWTHORNE, the love story of Nathaniel and Sophia Hawthorne. Nathaniel bore a burden that plagued his family since 1692. His ancestor Judge Hathorne condemned nineteen innocent victims to death during the Salem witch trials. His heinous deeds brought shame and guilt upon the family through the centuries. In her last moments on earth, Sarah Good cursed the judge and his descendants from the hanging tree. Nathaniel's belief in this curse haunted and tormented him until Sophia, a gifted medium, made it her quest to save him by contacting Sarah’s spirit and asking for forgiveness.

How a Ghost Helped Solve a Murder in FROM HERE TO FOURTEENTH STREET

My heroine Vita Caputo lived on Mott Street on Manhattan's Lower East Side. In 1894, her fiancé Tom's cousin Mike was found murdered in an alley next to her tenement building. Prejudice against Italian immigrants and the generally corrupt police force went to work accusing and convicting Vita's father and brother of the crime. As they languished in The Tombs, the infamous prison, Vita, Tom, and gifted medium Jadwiga Wisen held a seance with a Ouija board that spelled out "frame" when Jadwiga asked who the true killer was. Frame? Yes, of course, Vita's dad and brother were framed--they were innocent. But when Tom went home and looked at his window frame, it gave him an idea--there's more than one kind of frame. He went to Vita's apartment, inspected her window frame, and discovered clues that led to the arrest of the true killer of his cousin--I won't give away any more!

Purchase FROM HERE TO FOURTEENTH STREET on Amazon

HAPPY HALLOWEEN HEALTHY PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

Ingredients:
3/4 cup low fat cottage cheese
2/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 tbsp. flour (gluten free if need be)
2 tbsp. honey
1/4 tsp. salt
4 egg whites
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, no sugar added

Directions:

Place everything in your blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a greased or parchment lined cake pan or a mini scone pan.

Bake at 350 F for 50 minutes.

Optional : When cooled, top with whipped cream

Enjoy!

1 serving = 1/8 of the entire cake

Carbs: 13 gm

Meet My Guest Kimberly Monaghan, Creator of Books Uplift--A Place to Share, Learn, Promote and Celebrate How Books Uplift Us Each and Every Day

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rubino) — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

I honestly can’t remember how I came across Books Uplift—it could have been on one of the numerous Facebook author groups I belong to, or an author friend may have recommended it...but one visit and I was hooked. Kimberly devotes endless hours to the constant updating of Books Uplift, keeping it up to the minute with posts for authors and readers—all of us lovers of books. Read Kimberly’s story of how she created Books Uplift, and please use the link below to join in and let Books Uplift brighten your day!

Kimberly’s Story: The “What” and the “Why” of Books Uplift

What is Books Uplift? To be succinct and a little sassy, it’s exactly what’s written on the website: “A place to share, learn, promote, and celebrate how books uplift us each and every day.” Perhaps a bit trite but, trust me, it’s a serious endeavor. A passion project dedicated to encouraging positive promotion and celebration of everything related to books. And much, much more.

I’ve been asked on numerous occasions why I started Books Uplift. After all I’m not profiting from this venture, and it requires plenty of time. In fact, I invest numerous hours each week writing blogs, reading, and reviewing books, interviewing guests for spotlights, and creating positive, upbeat, and hopefully educational articles. Not to mention the research, planning, organization, soliciting guest and expert insights to keep Books Uplift fresh. I’m thrilled each time I’m asked “why?” because Books Uplift has grabbed someone’s attention. Thankfully, this is a frequent occurrence.

To drill down a little further, here are a few reasons I decided to make Books Uplift a positive, not-for-profit community.

Learning. For me, writing things down and slowing my thought process improves learning and retention. I can’t tell you how many notebooks I’ve filled over the years, rewriting portions of texts, books, and other content-laden documents so I could absorb information. I never knew why I’d developed this habit until later in life I was diagnosed with dyslexia. It also helped my retention process to review books which I did for NSLS and School Library Journal for over ten years. Doing so was a great joy and that formulated a fun habit that I’ve continued to this day. Then one of my friends, a published author, recommended I take all these notes, reviews, and articles and share them with the world. “Start a book blog,” she suggested and so I did. That ’s how Books Uplift was born.

Positivity. The majority of what you find online is negative. It’s a seemingly safe place to disparage others and unfortunately provides a false sense of courage or power. Tired of seeing all the negative commentary, I wanted to build a community of positivity around something we all love—books! Books unite the masses and are the foundation for creative dialogue. And the people behind them—authors, publishers, publicists, editors, bookstores, artists—well, wow! They put their life into these little gems. No easy feat. Trust me. So, when a book is published it deserves praise, not punishment. Though not every book is for everyone and yes, fair and honest reviews are critical for the marketplace, growth, and development, everything that goes into a book’s creation deserves applause. No negative reviews here. Like my momma always said, “If you can’t find something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”

Charity. Several years ago, I experimented with ads and site affiliations. It didn’t feel right. I’m always annoyed by the pop-up ads on sites, pulling me away from content and making it difficult for me to concentrate on what I ’m reading. Now, let me be clear, I don’t have a problem with this strategy per se, but it really detracted from the values behind Books Uplift. Then in 2020 I had to step away from volunteering in a physical capacity (as we all did). It especially bothered me that I couldn’t volunteer at my favorite shelter Save-A-Pet (well, we no longer lived in Chicago, so there’s that). Then a light bulb went off and I decided to make Books Uplift a charitable platform. I removed all income streams and encouraged affiliates and others wanting to support Books Uplift to donate to some of the amazing charities that are doing great things with books. The response has been amazing, and the charity partners are very grateful for the support. Of course, I had to add a column for Readers Rescues to spotlight the wonderful people who’ve adopted pets and gave them a forever home.

Connecting. I’ve always been a natural connector. I love meeting new people, making introductions, building groups and communities—ask anyone that knows me ☺ So, the Books Uplift Community is a wonderful place for connecting with others who love books and believe in their positive impact on the world. I’ve been exploring how I can make it more interactive and I certainly welcome suggestions. For now, I encourage comments on articles, blogs, and contributions, and of course joining the community I’ve built on Facebook.

Love. This is truly a labor of love. Books Uplift provides me an outlet to share things I’ve discovered. Of course, it’s a wonderful way to share the work of all those in this community with the world. I don’t ask for anything in return, but patience and support. With that being said, I hope more people will support the community by getting involved, giving to the charities spotlighted, visiting the bookstores, or offering positive comments on the blogs, articles, interviews, and reviews. Of course, I love receiving the positive and supportive feedback in my email—Thank you. But we would all truly appreciate your adding your positive commentary when moved to do so, and please, please, please share on social media all the posts, articles, charities, spotlights, or interviews that have captured your interest, moved you to action, and touched your heart.

Visit Books Uplift

Visit Kimberly's Creative Portfolio

Meet My Fellow Wild Rose Press Author Laura Strickland As She Celebrates The Release of Her New Historical American Romance SLOW TRAIN TO NOWHERE: SEAN

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rubino) — Wed, 15 May 2024 19:47:00 +0000

Laura and I are authors with The Wild Rose Press, and when I saw a post about her book, released yesterday, I knew I had to invite her to be my guest here.

This is my kinda book!

Meet Laura

Multi award-winning author Laura Strickland delights in time traveling to the past and searching out settings for her books, be they Historical Romance, Steampunk or something in between. Married and the parent of one grown daughter, Laura has also been privileged to mother a number of very special rescue dogs, and is intensely interested in animal welfare. Her love of dogs, and her lifelong interest in Celtic history, magic and music, are all reflected in her writing. Laura's mantra is Lore, Legend, Love, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

About SLOW TRAIN TO NOWHERE: SEAN

Five children from the orphan train. Can the eldest protect the rest?

When Sean Hussey returns to the town where he lived as a boy, it’s with revenge on his mind. He’s made a success of himself out west and intends to get even with the farmer under whose thumb he once suffered. He’ll show mercy only to the others who shared his fate in days gone by, especially sweet Jenny whose memory he still cherishes.

Sarah Rupert hasn’t had it easy growing up as a girl from the orphan train, and as a survivor of shocking abuse. Since the death of her husband, she’s had to support her young son by dubious means. When Sean Hussey comes back into her life it’s a miracle, because he’s the boy she always wanted for her own. Trouble is, Sean just may be in love with another woman.

Excerpt

They talked for a while about the changes in the town and Sean worked on his second drink.

All of a sudden he nodded at the glass in front of her. “Why d’you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Order a drink and just let it sit? You did the same before.”

“I get my drinks for free.”

“But you don’t drink ’em. Why?”

“Want to know the truth?”

His light eyes fastened on her face. “Always.”

“I’m afraid if I start drinking I won’t be able to stop and then the boogie-men from the past will swoop in and get me.”

“Boogie-men?”

“There’s not much keeping them at bay. Just these walls I’ve put up and have to kind of keep in place. If I get tipsy, those walls might fall down.”

He studied her seriously. “Describe these boogie-men to me.”

She didn’t want to. “Can’t. That might invite them in.”

He drew a breath and covered her hand with his where it rested on the table. “Honey—”

“No, Sean. I dare not let ’em in.”

“All right then. I won’t ask nothing more.”

“They’re—they’re like the ones you see in nightmares.”

He shook his head. “I don’t dream much anymore. Used to when we first came here. I used to dream I was back in New York. Running the streets. Looking for my ma.”

“But she died on the way over from Ireland, right?”

“Fancy you remembering that.”

She remembered everything about him.

“Never looked for my pa. Knew where to find him. In a pub. With a glass.” He looked down at his own drink as if startled.

“Right now,” she confided, “I’m living my life for my boy, Luke. All I do is for him.”

“Not for yourself?”

“No.”

“You wanting nothing for yourself—”

Oh, she wanted.

“—don’t seem fair.”

“Were you happy out west, Sean?”

He shrugged uncomfortably. “I don’t think happy describes my state of mind. There were moments when I felt pretty good.”

“Never married?”

“Nah.”

“Never tempted?”

He shook his head.

So he was free. And she was free. For an instant Sarah caught a glimpse of something so wonderful, it dazzled her mind’s eye. He, though, was interested in Jenny, who wasn’t free.

Purchase SLOW TRAIN TO NOWHERE: SEAN

Amazon US

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Amazon UK

Amazon Australia

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Kobo

iTunes

Goodreads

Connect With Laura

Website

Author Facebook Page

Amazon Page

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Twitter, "X"

Laura Strickland Author @LauraSt05038951

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Meet Steve Moretti, Author of Deep, Intriguing Time Travel Novels, Featuring MUSIC IS NOT BOUND BY TIME, Book One of the Song For A Lost Kingdom Trilogy

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rubino) — Fri, 10 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Having written several time travel novels, I'm always drawn to similar stories, and Steve Moretti far exceeded my expectations with MUSIC IS NOT BOUND BY TIME. This story drew me to it not only for the time travel element, but because his heroine Adeena Stuart is a musician. She plays cello and I play piano, but musician stories always connect with me. Meet Steve, read about MUSIC IS NOT BOUND BY TIME, and be sure to check out Books Two and Three of this trilogy, which I look forward to reading.

About Steve

I was a reader long before becoming a writer.

The feeling of being swallowed whole by a great book is something I treasure. It is my goal with every book I write, to immerse the reader in the story – utterly and completely.

I am drawn to music and art that transcend time, movies that don’t age, and novels that forever embed themselves inside you.

My writing focuses on artistic creators and the passions that define them, often tragically, men and women who are inspired to the point of obsession with their art. They leave behind creations that render them immortal, free from the constraints of time.

My background in broadcasting, journalism, public education, and the technology business taught me that great accomplishments are the result of individuals who are not limited by limitations or afraid to face what they they most fear.

I live in Ottawa, Canada, with my wife and a menagerie of dogs and cats. My four young grandchildren keep me in wonder at the mysterious world around us.

About MUSIC IS NOT BOUND BY TIME

A gifted musician, a priceless cello, and a love worth risking everything. A time-travel fantasy powered by music.

Even as a rebellious child, Adeena dreamed of becoming a professional cellist. Driven to perform and to compose, she forsakes almost everything else, sabotaging relationships at the altar of her quest for musical perfection.

But after yet another failed audition, she’s had enough. It is time to let go of her dream and get a real life. And then, a new hope arrives from her dying grandmother in Scotland – a lost music score written by an unknown composer in the 18th century.

When Adeena gets an opportunity to perform the lost score on the Duncan Cello, the oldest cello ever created in the United Kingdom, time transforms around her.

She is connected to Katharine, a young cellist living in 1745 Scotland. Both women are attracted to the Duke of Perth, James Drummond, a man history records as doomed to die the following year after the Battle of Culloden.

In Music is Not Bound by Time, the first book in the Song for a Lost Kingdom trilogy, the power of music transcends the limitations of the ordinary world for those who listen through their heart.

A fantasy that will sweep you away. Time travel powered by music.

An Excerpt

Adeena wasn’t sure what to make of her situation.

An hour ago the music director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra was almost a stranger to her, more mythical creature than real person. Now, as she stood beside Friedrich Lang, with the pages of her score spread all over his piano, they were like old comrades.

She surveyed his private practice room. Baffles made the acoustics rich and pure. A row of spotlights lit a line of framed photographs highlighting Friedrich’s career, conducting and performing on stages around the world. One dramatic series of black and white photos captured him in performance at Carnegie Hall, dripping in sweat, entranced in what must have been a sorrowful violin solo.

“Ja! Ja! I see how this will work,” Lang shouted as he played parts of the score on the piano, getting a feel for the tone and tempo and muttering to himself.

Adeena began to worry that his interest was only in the music she had brought him.

“Would you like to hear me play, Mr. Lang?” she finally asked tentatively.

He suddenly stopped, looked up from the piano and stared at her, as if seeing her for the first time. “What?” he asked, focusing on her and then at her cello case, propped up in the corner. “Yes, of course! Bring your cello over here. Let’s try playing this through, together.”

Adeena felt relieved as she unpacked the cello and lifted it carefully from the case. He stared at the old instrument.

“That’s your cello?” he asked. “No endpin? Where did you get it?”

Adeena felt her heart pounding through her chest like it might expose her at any second. She took a deep breath and spoke carefully.

“It’s the…the Duncan Cello,” she said matter-of-factly. “I work at the National Gallery and I have, uh, well…I have special permission to use it.”

Lang studied her carefully and Adeena wished she could read his thoughts.

“Really? I just saw a story about it on the news.” He examined it more closely and slapped his hands together in hearty approval. “Five million dollars? Scheisse! Okay, you’ve got my attention young lady.”

Lang stood up and moved a wooden stool near the piano. He motioned for her to sit.

“Let’s play, my dear. See what we can do with this piece!”

As the conductor focused on her music, Adeena glanced toward the open cello case and the original copy of the score, sealed in a plastic bag. An image of her grandmother flashed in her mind. She mouthed a silent “thank you” to her.

It had not been easy to “borrow” the Duncan Cello from the National Gallery. Indeed it had required a certain degree of deviousness on her part. But for the moment, cello and musician were together. At last, she could perform the music that seemed a part of who she was with an instrument that felt like it had always belonged to her.

Adeena listened to the opening bars of the music coming from the piano. The conductor was astute. He understood this music instinctively. The effect on his face was clear and his focus profound as his fingers touched the keys. Lang’s head began to sway, directing an invisible orchestra in front of him.

Adeena sat watching him on a wooden stool. She pulled the Duncan Cello between her legs. It somehow felt naturally comfortable. This instrument was her voice, its haunting timbre was able to bestir her nethermost emotions with a depth she had never experienced. It brought release to the creativity imprisoned within her. As she traced her fingers along the smooth wood grain of its weathered fingerboard, a rush of blood pounded within her trembling hands.

Lang looked up from the piano. He seemed entranced as well, as he gave a slight nod of his head for her to begin, closing his eyes to better concentrate on the music.

Adeena tightened her grip, ready to start the dark, timeless tango of cello and cellist.

Slowly, she began to play. As the strands of her taut horse-hair bow glided across the strings of the cello with a lush friction, an odd sensation swept over her. The harmonics of cello and piano combined to create a sense of yearning, enveloping the windowless chamber in a wave of sound that focused the emotions rising within her.

Purchase the Song For A Lost Kingdom Trilogy on Amazon

Audio Book

Connect With Steve

Email: steve@stevemoretti.ca

Meet Karen Bartell, My Fellow Wild Rose Press Author, and Read About Her Paranormal Romance FOX TALE, Set in Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rubino) — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000

About Karen

Author of the Trans-Pecos, Sacred Emblem, Sacred Journey, and Sacred Messenger series, as well as Fox Tale, Kissing Kin, Wild Rose Pass, The Keys: Voice of the Turtle and more, Karen is a best-selling author, motivational keynote speaker, IT technical editor, wife, and all-around pilgrim of life. She writes multicultural, offbeat love stories steeped in the supernatural. Born to rolling-stone parents who moved annually, Bartell found her earliest playmates as fictional friends in books. Paperbacks became her portable pals. Ghost stories kept her up at night—reading feverishly. The paranormal was her passion. Novels offered an imaginative escape. An only child, she began writing her first novel at the age of nine, learning the joy of creating her own happy endings. Professor emeritus of the University of Texas at Austin, Karen resides in the Texas Piney Woods with her husband Peter and her mews—three rescued cats and a rescued *Cat*ahoula Leopard dog.

About FOX TALE

What separates perception from deception―illusion from reality?

She’s attracted to Chase, both physically and metaphysically, yet primal instincts urge caution when shadows suggest more than meets the eye.

****

Background of Fox Tale

My husband works for a Japanese company. When he was instructed to meet with his Tokyo team, I leapt at the chance to accompany him.

The next thing I did was research Japan’s cryptids. What appeared were Inari’s kitsunes or fox spirits—and voilà, the idea for Fox Tale was born.

What are Inari’s kitsunes? Japan’s history of foxes is complex.

“And the kitsunes?” asked the protagonist, Ava.

“The relationship has always been cooperative…Initially, foxes kept rice fields free from rodents, ensuring good crop yields. Eventually, people humanized the foxes into guardians and agents.”

“Despite a waning belief?” I leaned closer.

“For example?”

Skeptical, I squinted. “The what did what?”

“But not anymore…” Crossing my arms, I hugged myself, seeking reassurance. “Right?”

Fushimi Inari has an ethereal presence. Its otherworldly aura and scenery are difficult to describe, but if anything supernatural could occur, it would happen on that mountain.

While at that shrine, the various parts merged into the basis of Fox Tale: the supernatural element, general locale, plot, characters, and finally the specific location for the otherworldly activity.

Lo and behold, a novel was born.

****

Excerpt

Wish I knew what Rafe planned for my birthday. Dinner at an upscale restaurant? Pub food at a sports bar?

“A surprise,” was all he’d said.

At six o’clock sharp, I sat by the door, butterflies fluttering in my belly.

Ten minutes passed, fifteen. I texted him. An hour later, I called. When he didn’t pick up, I left a voicemail.

At eight o’clock, I checked my email. No messages, no texts--radio silence.

When the phone dinged, I flinched. Rafe?

Mia--Guess who’s at Tootsie’s? And Rafe’s not alone. What’s going on?--

I sat back, stunned. He wouldn’t break up with me on my birthday--without even the courtesy of telling me--would he?

****

Purchase FOX TALE

Contact Karen

https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/karenhulenebartell/

Goodreads

Email: info@KarenHuleneBartell.com

Meet My Guest, Award-Winning Author and Biographer Dr. Helena Schrader

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rubino) — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 21:34:00 +0000

I met Helena on her blog and checked into her books--I was amazed! No wonder she's won multiple awards. I chose a few to read, and it took a while to decide which ones to start with!

Meet Helena and check out her latest series, Bridge To Tomorrow.

About Helena

Dr. Helena P. Schrader is the author of six critically acclaimed non-fiction history books and nineteen historical novels, eleven of which have earned one or more literary awards. She has been an amazon #1 best-selling author in the categories Aviation, Military Fiction, and 20^th Century Historical Fiction. She holds a PhD in history from the University of Hamburg, which she earned with a ground-breaking biography of a leader of the German Resistance to Hitler and served as an American diplomat in Europe and Africa.

In Helena's Own Words

Diana, thank you for this opportunity to appear on your blog. Although I’ve been writing since 2^nd grade, writing was long a personal passion rather than a profession. I consciously chose not to try to make a living as a novelist because I never wanted to be forced to write what the market wanted rather than what was in my heart. Now, that I’ve retired, writing has moved from the periphery to the center of my focus, which also means I must devote more attention to marketing my books. Guest blogging is a new skill that I am still acquiring!

Over the years, I’ve published novels set in Ancient Sparta, the Crusader States and WWII. My interest in ancient Sparta started when I recognized the sharp contrast between descriptions of Sparta in ancient sources and the depictions of Sparta in modern literature. The archaeological and historical evidence is at odds with popular myths about brutality, militarism and much more. I set to work writing books about Sparta that are more consistent with the ancient sources, and in doing so, I won the acclaim of leading classical scholars. I have been invited to participate in international academic forums on ancient Sparta, and I’m particularly proud that the third book in my Leonidas trilogy has been translated into Greek. The Greek edition was endorsed by the mayor of modern Sparta and well received by Greek scholars and the public.

The history of the crusader states is another area in which popular perceptions are at odds with the historical record. My novels set in the Holy Land during the crusader era seek to show the Crusaders States as they really were: multi-cultural, tolerant, sophisticated crossroads of civilizations in which women enjoyed high status and diverse opportunities. My focus on the crusader states rather than the crusades makes my books quite unique.

However, I am most “at home” in the 20^th century. My first published work in the English language was a comparative study of women pilots in WWII (Sisters in Arms: The Women who Flew in World War Two). This was followed by a comprehensive history of the Berlin Airlift (The Blockade Breakers: The Berlin Airlift). My aviation novels include a novel on the Battle of Britain (Where Eagles Never Flew), and a novel examining the stress of flying for Bomber Command (Moral Fibre). Battle of Britain RAF fighter ace Wing Commander Bob Doe called Where Eagles Never Flew “the best book on the life of us fighter pilots in the Battle of Britain that I have ever seen.” Moral Fibre was hailed by the Foreign Service Journal as a "tribute to those who fought for freedom."

My current project, Bridge to Tomorrow, is a three-part series on the Russian blockade of Berlin which triggered the largest airlift in aviation history. Although largely forgotten, the Berlin Crisis of 1948-1949 has enormous relevance today. Not only has the invasion of Ukraine demonstrated Russia’s revived aggressive ambitions, but many experts warn that China may seek to regain control of Taiwan via a blockade. Parallels between the incessant use of disinformation to destroy democratic institutions in the Cold War era and the tactics of today’s fascists are all too obvious.

Bridge to Tomorrow conveys the high drama of this crisis where the ideologies and interests of Americans, British, Germans and Russians clashed. It brings to life the men and women who overcame unprecedented challenges to undertake a humanitarian mission — and succeeded in delivering the most spectacular logistical achievement of the 20th century. In the ruins of Hitler's former capital, enemies became friends because of an aviation experiment that no one — not even its originators — thought could succeed.

The first book in the series, COLD PEACE, which was released in June 2023, sets the stage for the Blockade and Airlift. COLD WAR explores the enormous challenges faced by the Airlift. COLD VICTORY depicts the conclusion of Blockade — and the price paid for Berlin's freedom. COLD PEACE has already won six literary accolades, including runner-up for Book of the Year 2023 from the Historical Fiction Company and GOLD for Historical Fiction from Feathered Quill. COLD WAR is scheduled for release in May of this year.

COLD PEACE: The first battle of the Cold War is about to begin….

Berlin 1948. The economy is broken, the currency worthless, and the Russian bear is hungry. In the ruins of Hitler's capital, war heroes and resilient women struggle in the post-war doldrums. Then a Russian fighter brings down a British passenger plane, and the world teeters on the brink of World War Three. The defenders of freedom must work together to save Berlin from Soviet tyranny. The first battle of the Cold War is about to begin.

Based on historical events, award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader brings to life the backstory of the West's bloodless victory against Russian aggression via the Berlin Airlift in COLD PEACE, the first book in the Bridge to Tomorrow Series.

Purchase COLD PEACE on Amazon

COLD WAR: Fighting a war with milk, coal and candy bars….

In the second book of the Bridge to Tomorrow series, the story continues where COLD PEACE left off. Berlin is under siege. More than two million civilians in Hitler’s former capital will starve unless they receive food, medicine and more by air.

USAF Captain J.B. Baronowsky and RAF Flight Lieutenant Kit Moran once risked their lives to drop high explosives on Berlin. They are about to deliver milk, flour and children’s shoes instead. Meanwhile, two women pilots are flying an air ambulance that carries malnourished and abandoned children to freedom in the West. Until General Winter deploys on the side of Russia….

Based on historical events, award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader delivers an insightful, exciting and moving tale about how former enemies became friends in the face of Russian aggression — and how close the Berlin Airlift came to failing under the assault of “General Winter.”

Regardless of the setting or subject of my books, I am inspired to write by something beyond me. I cannot choose a topic — it chooses me. Most importantly, I do not create the main characters of my books, they already exist; I am merely their voice. When a character requests me to tell his/her story, I am honored by the trust they have placed in me and feel compelled to write. The goal of all my books is to create works of art that do justice to the people and the messages of those who have selected me as their ambassador.

You can find out more about all my books and awards, read review excerpts or sign up for my newsletters here.

Awards

Her books have won 31 awards and received a total of 56 literary accolades over the last decade. Highlights include Cold Peace being named runner-up for the Historical Fiction Company's prestigious BOOK OF THE YEAR award, a Book Excellence Award for Envoy of Jerusalem as Best Biography, Hemingway Awards for 20th Century Wartime Fiction from Chanticleer International Book Awards for Where Eagles Never Flew in 2021 and for Moral Fibre in 2022. For an overview of awards please visit my website.

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