Critique Groups by Dana Hammer – Spotlight and Giveaway

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

Critique Groups

As a writer, it’s important to let others read your work, and get feedback on it. When we create, we have blind spots, things that make sense to us, but maybe not to a general audience. We make typos. We repeat ourselves, or use certain words over and over and over again. We head hop and skip around in time and forget who we killed off in previous stories. And so, we need to get other sets of eyes on our writing, which is why critique groups are so important.

I have been a member of a few different critique groups, and I have found them to be valuable, not just in terms of having my work critiqued, but also in terms of networking and building my audience. I highly recommend joining a critique group, no matter what type of writer you are.

That said, you have to be careful when taking critique, because — and I cannot stress this enough — NOT ALL CRITIQUES ARE GOOD. And that’s because, like in any group, there are people who know what they’re talking about and people who don’t. Here are a few of the types of people you will find in most critique groups, and my thoughts on whether you should listen to them or not.

1) The Friend Who Doesn’t Write Much
This person is in the group for social reasons. She might write the occasional short story, but she has no real intention of pursuing writing as a career. She is super nice, and has wonderful compliments for everything that is submitted. She usually brings snacks. You should treasure this member as the lovely person she is, but she will not tell you if something you wrote sucks.

2) The Dude Who Fancies Himself a Bit of a Professor
This person is kind of a pretentious prick. He has lots of thoughts on your writing, and he will deliver them with the wry, sardonic tone of a wealthy dilettante addressing the help. He will quote genius writers, a lot. He refuses to read anything written by anyone who is still living. Take his advice if you want, but it will only encourage him.

3) The Soulful Genius Who Hates Himself
This dude can seriously write, but everything he submits is dark, and depressing, and you feel horrible after reading it. He will not submit his work to agents or markets of any kind, because it does not meet his high standards. You should absolutely take his advice, because he knows what he is talking about. But he may not fully appreciate comedic works, or romances.

4) The Socially Awkward Cat Lady
This lady is in every critique group, and usually there is more than one. She writes cozy mysteries or fantasy novels. She reads more than she writes, and she writes a lot. She has lots of other interests, like crocheting and gardening and witchcraft. She is fun to talk to, and you should try to make her your friend. She will absolutely read your book when it’s published, and write a nice review, especially if you praise her cats. If you write in her genre, you should absolutely take her advice, because she is an expert. If you write in another genre, her advice will be to make it more like a cozy mystery or fantasy.

5) The Student
This woman has a masters degree in creative writing, and it will come up, a lot. Her critiques are all things that she heard her professors say, like “Show, don’t tell” and “Your protagonist has to protag” and “don’t use adverbs”. She has no tolerance for experimentation, improper formatting, or works that do not follow the same structure that Star Wars does. She has strong opinions about fonts. She means well, but her creative spirit has been crushed by academia. Disregard.

I love my critique groups. I’ve made some wonderful friends and colleagues there, and have received some truly valuable feedback, which has improved my writing tremendously. I have also met some insufferable blowhards who need to shut up. When you join a critique group, which I hope you do, you will meet all kinds of writers, and each of them will be useful to you on your writing journey — either because they gave good feedback — or because they are the inspiration for a villain in your next book.

Dion Isaacs (the reincarnation of Dionysius), Athena’s brother, is wreaking havoc. After to an unfortunate bee-venom poisoning at his wine business, he is down on his luck and crashing at Athena’s place. But the former god of wine, feasting, and excess is a bad influence on Fanny’s best friends, with his partying, wacky business schemes, and general debauchery. Sure, Dion is a fun guy. But there is such a thing as too much fun, and Fanny seems to be the only one who sees it.

Meanwhile, Fanny’s mother is suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, which basically means she pukes all the time, because she’s pregnant. With her mom unable to work, her dad is taking extra shifts to make more money, and things are getting tense at home. Fanny is excited to be a big sister, but all this sickness and stress over money are starting to take their toll on her.

Can Fanny save her friends from Dion’s negative influence, while also solving her family’s money problems? Of course she can. She’s Fanny Fitzpatrick.

Enjoy an Excerpt

I wake up in the morning to the sound of my mom puking. She’s not a quiet puker. It sounds like she’s trying to vomit up all the organs in her body while also running a chainsaw or something. And, worse, she’s been doing it for days now. Last night, we were eating dinner and she couldn’t keep any of it down. She said it was the onions, but she normally likes onions, so I think she’s just very sick.

At first, I thought it was just a stomach bug or maybe food poisoning. I remember one time I got food poisoning from some bad tacos, and it was the worst thing ever. I was so miserable I wanted to die.

But like I said, it’s been days now. She should be feeling better. And for the first time I’m really worried about Mom. I wonder if it’s something serious. I remember a couple years ago when Toya’s mom was vomiting all the time because she was having chemotherapy for breast cancer. Her mom is fine now, but she was really sick for a long time.

About the AuthorDana Hammer is a novelist, screenwriter and playwright. She has won over forty awards and honors for her writing, few of which generated income, all of which were deeply appreciated. She is not a cannibal, but she is the author of A Cannibals Guide to Fasting. Dana is also the author of middle grade fantasy My Best Friend Athena which was inspired by a desire to write something her 9 year old daughter could read.

Website

Buy the book at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hide and Be by Gary L. Stuart – Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a print copy of Hide and Be and its immediate sequel, My Brother, Myself to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Twin brothers Arthur and Martin suffered horrible abuse as children, forcing them to survive by seamlessly assuming each other’s identities. Living each other’s lives provides protection from the trauma of their past. But when tragedy strikes, one of the brothers plummets into a dissociative crisis that leads him down a murderous path.

As the body count rises, two cases end up in the courtroom, where judges, lawyers, and psychiatrists try to piece together which twin is the suspect and which is the victim. Everyone in the courtroom strives to bring the victims to justice–but how can justice be served when no one is sure who the defendant truly is?

Enjoy an Excerpt

United States Magistrate Judge Eli Hightower’s entrance into the courtroom had instantly hushed the small group of lawyers huddled near the podium. A plain but hardly simple man, he always walked to his bench without the usual pomp attached to the comings and goings of judges. As he climbed the single step up to the clerk’s platform and then the second step up onto the judge’s bench, everyone in the room could hear him wheeze. At two-hundred and fifty-five pounds, Judge Hightower was a force to reckon with, both physically and intellectually. His long-standing battle with cigars accounted for the wheeze, and his fondness for Snickers bars and A&W Root Beer mocked his daily promise to lose weight.

“Take your seats, please,” he said in a voice that softened the scowl on his face. “I thought, with sixteen years under my belt, or should I say under my robe, I’d heard it all. But the docket calendar says we’re here to conduct an identity hearing. Whose identity is at question here? And better yet, why is there nothing in my bench book that lends the slightest clue as to what an identity hearing is? My clerk tells me that this is a joint request by the government and the defendant.

“Your Honor, we are here because we are not in agreement about the identity of the defendant. If I might, Judge, maybe I could summarize the situation. I represent the government in its case against Martin Cheshire on the arson murder of his brother, Arthur Cheshire. Martin Cheshire was initially arrested by the FBI in Portland, Maine, seven weeks ago on an embezzlement charge. His statement in that case led the FBI to open a second investigation. The defendant denied he was Martin Cheshire. He told them he was Arthur Cheshire, Martin’s twin brother. But Arthur Cheshire died, as we contend, in an arson fire in Mexico, fifty-six miles from here eight weeks ago. The FBI believes that Martin Cheshire killed his brother, Arthur, to cover up the embezzlement in Maine. But before we can proceed with an indictment, Mr. Kemper and I agreed that the confusion and doubt about exactly who the defendant is warrants this court’s intervention. We’ve discussed it in chambers with Chief Judge Sharp, to whom this case is assigned. He sent us to you. We need this court to order a psychiatric evaluation to establish the actual identity of the defendant. That’s why we agreed with the defense that the first person you should hear from in this case is Dr. Lisbeth Socorro.”

About the Author I am a retiring lawyer, a working author, and a preserving blogger. I was a full-time trial lawyer for thirty-two years in a large Phoenix firm. I was a part-time law professor for the last twenty-nine years. As of summer, 2023, I am writing, publishing, and blogging full time. My first book was a textbook published by the Arizona State Bar Association. My first novel was published by the University of New Mexico Press. I’ve written ten novels and eight nonfiction titles as of July 2023.

From the day I entered law school, I’ve been reading cases, statutory law and writing about legal conundrums and flaws in our criminal and civil justice systems. I’ve always read novels, nonfiction, and historical fiction by great authors who were never corrupted by the staid habits of trial lawyers. I write long-form, interspersed with the occasional blog, op-ed, or essay. One of the unexpected benefits of reading the law is learning how to write about it. Somewhere along the trajectory from a baby lawyer to a senior one, I became intoxicated with blending nonfiction with fiction in books, rather than legal documents. After spending thirty years in courtrooms trying cases, I started writing about them. That led to writing novels while borrowing from famous historical settings and lesser-known characters. My courtroom days were chock full of ideas, notions, and hopes about ultimately becoming an author. I organized and memorized critical information for judges, juries, and clients. Now I use that experience to write vivid fiction and immersive nonfiction. I moved away from trial practice to teaching law students how to use creative writing techniques to tell their client’s stories, in short form.

F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “All good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath.” The same could be said of my transition from trying cases to writing crime fiction. I’ve been holding my breath for twenty years waiting for galley proofs and book reviews. Anais Nin spoke for all of us when she said, “We write to taste life twice.”

My first novel, The Gallup 14, won a coveted starred review from Publishers Weekly. I won a Spur Award from Western Writers of America in 2004 for my first nonfiction book (“Miranda, The Story of America’s Right to Remain Silent”). I won the 2010 Arizona Book of the Year Award, The Glyph Award, and a Southwest Publishing Top Twenty award in 2010, for “Innocent Until Interrogated—The Story of the Buddhist Temple Massacre.” My third nonfiction title (“Anatomy of a Confession—The Debra Milke Case”) was highly acclaimed. My nonfiction title “CALL HIM MAC—Ernest W. McFarland—The Arizona Years” was widely and favorably reviewed. My latest nonfiction crime book, “Nobody Did Anything Wrong But Me, was published by Twelve Tables Press, one of America’s most distinguished publisher of law books about important legal issues. No New York Times bestsellers, yet.

Facebook | Twitter | Email | http://www.garylstuart.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lessons I’ve Learned from the Men in My Life by Celisha J. – Guest Blog and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. A randomly drawn winner will receive a $25 Amazon/BN gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Lessons I’ve Learned from the Men in My Life
There have been several men who have taught me several lessons of life, especially in the way they treated me. I would like to share some of them here. The first and foremost lesson that I learnt was not to trust anyone especially by looks and appearances. They can be misleading. Rather, get to know the person and then decide whether that person is trustworthy or not.

The second lesson that I learnt was that if men make advances towards you, they sweet-talk and try to seduce you, they are only expecting or “demanding” sexual favours. They can do nothing else. They are not true to their word. The third lesson that I learnt was that the most demanding (of sexual favours) men are hidden in the family. They do not open immediately. They do not show or express their intentions openly. They come up with sudden surprises or rude shocks.

Never trust a man who has left another woman for you. Never trust a man who leaves you for another woman. These men are like scavengers – they only salvage what they want and then move on for their next prey. Be careful and wary of these. Never trust a man who only looks at women through their privates.

Never get so emotionally attached to someone that it becomes difficult to detach. Emotions are good, but they need to be controlled. Do not let your emotions control you. Decisions taken during emotional moments can be very disturbing and disastrous. These are some of the lessons that I have learnt from the various “villains” in my life. To learn more lessons and how I faced them, read my book, “I Survived” on Kindle or order your copy from Amazon today.

In “I Survived” the author’s journey through a life marked by hardship, pain and resilience. From the devastating loss of a mother at a young age to abusive relationships and a harrowing escape, this gripping memoir unveils the story of survival, redemption, and the enduring strength of the human spirit. With unwavering determination, the author overcomes the shadows of her past to forge a path toward self-discovery, healing, and hope.

I Survived is an inspiring testament to the power of resilience and the unwavering belief that no matter the obstacles, one can triumph over adversity and ultimately thrive.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Introduction

My name is Celisha J. I have been through a lot, learned, and am better because of it. I am a firm believer that every lesson is a blessing. God has saved me so many times. I know he did this because he has something bigger planned for me.

My prayer for this book is that it helps women and children who have gone through the same or similar situations to know that they don’t have to allow the traumas of their past to keep them from being successful. I believe that God has a plan for our life, but we did something to alter that plan along the way. He did not intend for us to struggle or have a hard life. He allows us to choose the path we want to go on. The good thing is he is that he is Always there to pick us up when we fall. We were born for greatness.

Hold yourself accountable for your mistakes and forgive yourself and those who hurt you. Forgiveness is for you. I want people to know you can be the best you that you allow. No one says it will be easy, but the main thing to remember is that you are responsible for you. I believe that the only person you can truly believe in life, who won’t let you down, is God and yourself. In order for you to crawl out of the slump of being abused, hurt, let down, controlled, and battered is, your faith in God and the belief that he has better for you. He does not want us to live in our past. He intended for us to learn from it and allow our past to help other people gain strength, but if we tell our stories and we have not grown from what happened to us, then who can we really help?

I have done some things in my past that I am not proud of, and this book tells you my story and how I remember it. No, it is not everything, but the book will tell you the things that stood out the most to me. I have learned a lot and grown from my mistakes, and I have decided not to allow the embarrassment, pain, and struggles from my past to hold me back, so I am releasing it in this book.

This is my Ugly Truth!

About the Author: Born in Michigan now living in Atlanta Celisha J. is an Actress and Author all in one, landing a role in a movie and a lead role on a TV Series.

She currently has a book entitled “I Survived”. It is a chilling story about her life from losing her mom at an early age and all the things that she has endured in her life, that should have broken her but she uses her pain as motivation to continue on her journey to following her dreams of being an actress, author and motivational speaker. She is currently pursuing more roles in acting.

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Amazon Author Page
Available on Kindle Unlimited

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Scorn of Secrets by B. Truly – Audiobook Excerpt and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. B. Truly will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops at the tour.

Flowers in the Attic meets The Family that Preys

Madison

When the rising tides of my life peak, I’m left struggling with the currents of the storm. My dad is a gambling addict, and it costs him everything. Mama bounces back quickly from the havoc Dad’s addiction causes. She proves this by getting a new man. Her Rico Suave is just the tip of the iceberg—she moves us across state to live with him and his two sons.My older sister has no problem fitting in. Although I’m the total opposite—I am not a social butterfly. Taught to make the best of even the worst situations, maybe I should give my new family a chance.

My life finally seems to be back on track until a dreadful night, shatters my dreams. My world is flipped upside down because of the consequences I must now bear. Thinking about that night torments me. For my sanity, I must keep the door to my darkest memory locked. No one will believe me if I set the truth free—not even my own sister.

Justin

After the heartbreak my future stepsister has suffered, I understand Madison being skeptical of her ready-made family. As we get to know each other better, we learn were two birds of the same feather. Our chemistry is undeniable, but if we tempt fate, will our relationship oscillate in the balance?

Life seems to be falling into place until one night changes everything. What happens to her that she can’t even look me in the eyes. It’s like somehow, my face has scorned her. I want to be the key to her secret. But Madison won’t confess—desperate to keep her darkest secret locked away.

Recommended for 16+ due to sexual content and language. Some content dealing with sexual assault may be disturbing.

Enjoy an Audio Excerpt

About the Author:B. Truly has wanted to be an author since she was fifteen years old, and she’s grateful to have accomplished this dream. She has very vivid dreams and a wild imagination. She likes to read, watch tons of TV shows, and movies. She is addicted to romance and gets a thrill out of suspense. She writes YA and New Adult and Adult Romance, Urban, Dystopian, Sci-fi, Post-Apocalyptic, Romantic Suspense, and Paranormal genres.

B. Truly has three wonderful children and a husband who defines the person she today. She works full-time as an Ultrasound technologist in Sugarland, Texas.

Goodreads | Smashwords

Buy the audiobook at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Chirp Books, Google Play, or Kobo.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge for February 7, 2024

Each Wednesday, Long and Short Reviews hosts a weekly “blog hop”. For more details on how to participate, please click here.

Today’s topic is: Things I Like to Do on Stormy Days

As an Author, What Scares Me the Most by Miriam Newman – Guest Blog and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Miriam Newman will award a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

As an author, what scares me the most is…
That would have to be the universally dreaded writer’s block. I like to call it the dreaded writer’s PAUSE, because I’m trying to deny its existence as the veritable steel curtain that drops down in the middle of my brain, insisting that it wants to watch 80 episodes of Magnificent Century without pause instead of writing. Alternatively, it can force me to clean the house (sometimes several times), muck out the barn, bake something I can barely remember for which I lost the recipe years ago or even clean out a flooded basement. That last one is particularly distasteful, especially when the power is out (which is why the basement is flooded) and unidentifiable things are hitting my legs in the dark and icy cold water.

Or I could try to walk three dogs simultaneously, getting pulled over and tearing an ankle ligament. That one was particularly painful, although it did force me to sit down and write, since I couldn’t walk.

But I have a muse named Persephone (after the Queen of Hell) who regularly goes AWOL, leaving me to cope with her absence as best I can. And as you see from the above, that’s not very well.

Those who survived the Battle of Grandfather Mountain are said to be in the Hand of the Gods. No one will need that more than Sange, sister of Arak clan chieftain Javrik. Drawn to Arman Garimandi, the Omani cavalry officer who saved her people during the siege, she shocks her family by marrying him despite her brother’s caution that someday he will break her heart. Blindly in love, she follows Arman to two different forts where he is ordered. At the first, danger comes unexpectedly in the form of another woman And at the second, she finds herself an unwitting pawn–possibly even a prisoner–between two powerful nations.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Sunny Omana had felt strangely like home to Arman, probably because he had heard about it all his life. And then, when their army had defeated the Domidian hordes that had conquered it and sent him to scout the upper portions, inhabited by nomadic Arak tribes, finally he knew life had given him another chance, probably undeserved after the things he had done, but a chance all the same.

He was looking at her now, sitting on her small Arak horse, framed against vast green plains below them where wind moved in circles and waves through wild grasses. Low purple and tan foothills rose from them, shadowed by clouds, and beyond those were mountains so steep that snowcapped them even in the midst of summer. Domidians on the other side had never crossed them in force. That was why the eastern portion of Arak lands, where Sange had never been, was spared the slaughter those in the center faced as Domidians who had occupied southern Omana fled forces drawn from the compact of nations who freed it from them. Now those mountains harbored their remnants, swelling ranks of brigands who had been there for years. It was a dangerous place, but she had packed up and taken horse with him when his orders sent him there. Just as his father’s Emperator had sent him to exile in a foreign land, the one in Arman’s time had done the same. The difference was that in his, Arman had found the last woman he would ever love.

Wisps of hair had escaped her headscarf, strands of gold flying in the wind, occasionally touching her sculpted cheeks. She had a mouth made for kissing and eyes as green as gems, oddly ringed with a darker shade outlining the iris like some elfin creature. Every feature was delicate, her body a wonder and a pleasure to him. She was young and she was hope, when he had lost all of his.

About the Author:I fell in love long ago with fantasy poetry driven by myths and legends, as well as stories of heroes and battles. Ancient Celtic writings were my special passion, along with the Roman Empire, Roman Britain, the Norman invasion of England, and tales of the Vikings. My first book emerged when I was an…ahem…youthful 52. Well, I’m not 52 any more and up to 34 books and it’s been a great run.

Retired from many years in social work, now I pass my days writing, researching and living with a pack of highly demanding rescue dogs. I write in every genre I please and you can see my books at my website.

Website | Dark Castle Lords Website | Blog | Celtic Rose Blog | Email | Facebook | Twitter | BookBub Author Page | Goodreads Author Page | Amazon Author Page
Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Smashwords.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

SWAT for Dummies by Gail Koger – Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Gail Koger will award a randomly drawn winner a $20 Amazon/BN gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Just call me Calamity Jane, wherever I go, trouble soon follows. Which makes my job as a Maricopa County Sheriff’s Deputy a bit hazardous. From chasing down a bank robber to dealing with a cat burglar, or handling Sun City’s seniors who are crazy as June bugs and horny as hell.

My personal life is complicated. Off-duty I’m a ballroom dancer. Detective Sergeant Dante Delgado is my new dance partner. My relationship with him puts me in the crosshairs of a dirty cop with homicidal tendencies. Can we stop him, or will we become his next victims?

Law enforcement isn’t for the fainthearted. Are you brave enough to enter my world?

Author’s note: I was a 9-1-1 dispatcher for way too many years and this novella contains some of the wilder incidents that occurred. Yes, sex on the sidewalk is based on a true incident.

Enjoy an Excerpt

I took his hand. I was curious to see how well we danced together. I smiled as energetic salsa music filled the club.

Dante spun me around him and pulled me into a tight embrace. My skin heated wherever he touched me, and my girly parts were yelling yee-haw. One moment, we were doing the Cuban salsa, and the next, the Texas two-step. I was amazed at how perfectly we moved together.

A light touch and we were dancing the tango. Dante’s large hands skimmed down my back, grabbed my hips and up I went. He twirled me around his shoulders and lowered me down his body.

I rubbed against his crotch in a sinuous slide.

“Minx,” Dante whispered and promenading me to the right, then the left.

I focused on the slow, delicious glide of his body against mine, on the sensual havoc he wreaked with a single touch as we switched to the Texas two-step, then back to the tango.

Dante dipped me. The carnal need in his eyes instantly made my panties wet. I watched in delight as he lowered his head until our lips met.

One second his lips brushed against mine. The next, Dante slid me between his legs and slowly pulled me back up. The bulge in his pants got bigger. I danced backward, tapping my heels on the floor, and breaking into the flamenco.

Without hesitation Dante did the flamenco too. His every movement was elegant and sensual as his boots drummed a primeval rhythm. Feeling sexy as hell, I clapped my hands rhythmically and joined him.

Dante wrapped an arm around me, pulled me close and ended the dance with a kiss.

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

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram | BookBub Author Page | Amazon Author Page

Buy the book at Amazon.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If the Duke Dares by Darcy Burke – Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Darcy Burke will award a $25 Amazon/BN GC + swag to a randomly drawn winner (swag US/Canada only). Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.


Incorrigible flirt Acton Loxley, Duke of Wellesbourne is in need of a duchess. En route to greet a potential bride, he encounters a most intriguing and captivating widow who completely distracts him from his task. However, she disappears before he can deepen their acquaintance. Acton begrudgingly goes to meet his bride, unaware she and the widow are one and the same.

When Persephone Barclay’s younger sister is compromised, Persephone must wed before the scandal spreads. Her parents scramble to present her to the Duke of Wellesbourne; except he’s precisely the kind of rogue she has now vowed to avoid. Taking flight to avoid a match, Persephone runs straight into her would-be betrothed and pretends to be someone else. But dash it all, the duke proves to be irresistibly charming! If she remains in his company, she’ll end up in the wicked scoundrel’s clutches.

Even worse, her second attempt at escape lands her in increasingly poor circumstances. With nowhere to turn and her safety at risk, she may have to accept help from the one man who threatens her resolve—and her reputation.

Enjoy an Exclusive Excerpt

She gave him a dubious look as she plucked up her glass and gently tapped it to his. “Friends? It’s a trifle early to make such pronouncements, isn’t it? Perhaps we won’t get on at all.”

Acton laughed before sipping his Madeira. “I’m confident we shall.” He gave her one of his most dazzling smiles. “So confident, in fact, that I’d make a wager on it.”

She arched a brow. “How would that work?”

“I’ll wager a pound that by the end of the evening, we’ll be laughing and jesting so much that our cheeks hurt. That will mean we are friends.”

“A pound?” she looked at him as if he were daft.

Acton realized that was excessive. “A shilling?”

She shook her head. “No wagers.”

Was that because she didn’t like to gamble, or because she couldn’t afford it? Acton took in her simple costume, a dark brown traveling dress buttoned to her throat, and her lack of adornment. She wore no jewelry, not even a comb in her hair. No wedding ring either. Didn’t widows typically wear those?

“Who awaits you at home?” she asked. “Your wife?” There was an edge to the question, as if she expected an affirmative answer and had therefore judged him a cheat.

Acton swallowed a bite of roast beef and took a drink of wine to wash it down. “She might be, actually. Not that she’s my wife. Yet. I’m to meet someone to see if we will suit.”

About the Author:Darcy Burke is the USA Today Bestselling Author of over sixty captivating, compelling historical and contemporary romance. Darcy wrote her first book at age 11, a happily ever after about a swan addicted to magic and the female swan who loved him, with exceedingly poor illustrations. Her novels have been translated into five languages and are also available as audio books. Join her Reader Club at https://www.darcyburke.com/join.

A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her guitar-strumming, teacher husband, artist daughter, and writer (yes!) son. They’re a crazy cat family with two Bengal cats, a small, fame-seeking cat named after a fruit, a rescue Maine Coon with attitude to spare, an adorable former stray who wandered onto their deck and into their hearts, and two bonded boys who used to belong to (separate) neighbors but chose them instead. You can find Darcy in her comfy writing chair, folding laundry (which she loves), or enjoying game night with the family.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

Buy the book at Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Google Play, or Kobo.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What Scares Me the Most as an Author by Traci Wooden-Carlisle – Guest Blog and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Traci Wooden-Carlisle and D. Tina Batten will be awarding $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What Scares Me the Most as an Author
As an author, what scares me the most is taking full responsibility for my work and not being able to piece one thought with another to finish a message.

Let me explain.

I consider my writing a ministry. I see it as a collaboration between me and God where He gives me a message to express through my characters or a way to express a subject with a different perspective, and it is my job to listen to Him while guiding the character’s dialogue or interaction to relay that message in the story.

If I deviate or start filling in pieces just because I think they should be there, then I will have to take full responsibility for the message that is conveyed. That burden is too heavy because I am too afraid of getting the message wrong.

As long as I deliver God’s message as He intends, I’m okay with both good or not-so-good reviews. When readers share their feelings, thoughts and yearning to draw closer to God when reading my books, it makes it all worth it.

I began to have problems with my sight when I was six and it took a couple of years before I was properly diagnosed. In the meantime, I went through private tutoring in phonics, reading comprehension and grammar because my parents believed I had a reading, not seeing problem. I ended up reading at the 9th grade level in the 3rd grade and became a voracious reader. When I couldn’t read, I would write myself stories and have done so since I was eight. I absolutely love my imagination and the ability to find the right word to relay what I see in my imagination. I love the stories and thoughts I am able to piece together from one idea. I would truly feel like I have lost a huge part of me if I could no longer take one idea and weave it into a story.

The first novel I published started with me writing a story to myself. It wasn’t until I reached the seventh chapter that I realized that I might have to share it with others.

There is a thin line between the natural and the spiritual realm.

Ms. V., a humble servant of the Lord, has been placed on assignment at Center of Hope Christian Academy.

By day, she serves as a trusted counselor for students, giving them a safe haven to pour out their innermost feelings while providing professional and honest truth wrapped in a firm kindness and love that inevitably draws them closer to Jesus. Not to be outdone, the faculty also bends her ear from time to time.

By night, Ms. V. enters the spiritual realm and takes her place on the battlefield as one of God’s faithful prayer warriors. She wields her whispering sword, slicing through the enemy’s plans to bind the precious hearts under her charge.

Her assignment’s burden on her physical body is taxing, but can she withstand the strain and remain victorious?

Saving souls is her true mission, but at what cost?

Readers are in for a journey of spiritual intrigue and biblical insight as they experience the ramifications of each character’s life-altering decision.

Enjoy an Excerpt

The mist settling over the earth was about five inches high. It nearly obscured the ground in front of her as far as her eyes could see. She was reminded of mud-covered battlefields with little to shield one from enemy fire.

The clouds hung low, making the whole scene look like something out of an apocalyptic dream. The fallow ground before her was vast. It was a wasteland, offering only the promise that nothing would ever grow there again. The desolation could have gone on forever, except for the demonic presence that lined itself up like a dirty barrier of windows used to dim and conceal what was on the other side.

She felt them, though. She felt each and every one of the children held in bondage on the other side of that transparent demonic force. The thought brought to mind a scripture, and she looked down at the writing on the sword in her hand. She could have spent time thinking about how odd it was that she didn’t remember taking a sword with her, but there were more pressing matters, and she was happy to have the weapon to wield.

She began reading the inscribed scripture out loud, her voice ringing across the barren land slick with mud. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,”

As the words left her lips, they solidified in the atmosphere, charging toward their mark like a spear. They reached the barrier, causing it to shift and ripple but not tear.

About the Authors:

D. “Tina” Batten is a loving mother, wife, sister, daughter and Mima to her grandchildren. She is a gifted visual storyteller who is passionate about bringing encouraging messages of inspiration and hope to the world.
Tina Batten, a writer for over eighteen years of various dramatic works of performing art via stage, and film, encompasses unique ways of creating fascinating story concepts that touch the heart of most who view or read her work. She is both honored and thrilled to have teamed up with long-time friend, sister in the gospel and co-author Tracy on this phenomenal collaborative book project. With such a humble heart and desire to bring people together in love and unity, Tina Batten will continue her work as a visual storyteller spreading the good news of Jesus Christ one project after the other.

As Always, D. “Tina” Batten gives God All the Glory!

Website | Facebook Page | Facebook Profile | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Walking in the Spirit Trailer | If Not For The LORD, Where Would I Be? Delicious Episode Trailer
Traci Wooden-Carlisle began writing to publish in 2011 and enjoys writing stories that provoke thought and evoke emotions. Her desire is to draw readers into the lives of her characters and share messages of God’s love, His faithfulness and peace. The messages in her books speak to her way before they speak to her readers.

Traci lives in San Diego with her husband, David. When she isn’t writing she does some light traveling or assists people with their physical fitness, creates graphics, designs pretty things for her jewelry business and swag for authors.

You can find her on the following social media platforms.

Website | Newsletter | Amazon Author Page | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram | BookBub | Twitter | Pinterest
Buy the book at Amazon.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge for January 31, 2024

Each Wednesday, Long and Short Reviews hosts a weekly “blog hop”. For more details on how to participate, please click here.

Today’s topic is: Series I Wish Had Just One More Book in Them