Undoing Time by Rachel Dacus – Spotlight and Giveaway

February 4, 2022 By 2 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Rachel Dacus will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Liv Pomeroy’s high hopes and lavish lifestyle come horribly undone when her fiancé runs off with her maid of honor. Swearing off love forever, she goes on a summer escape to Florence, Italy. Agreeing to help her cousin May raise funds for an art restoration project, Liv is astonished to find they share a genetic gift for undoing time. Soon she’s joining a team of time travelers who rescue history from those who would change it. And fighting her attraction to a sexy time traveling colleague, who just might turn out to be working for the wrong side in the American Revolution. A thrilling tale of time travel, romance, and espionage.






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In the dark, Liv barely could see his eyes as he whispered, “Tell me no if you don’t want me to kiss you.”

What a reversal from the judgy Tom who had practically called her a princess. She made him wait. She didn’t say No. She was two glasses of wine into reckless.

She whispered, “Yes.”

The exhilaration of knowing he’d been drawn to her from the first. He was like too much of that good Chianti, and she only wanted more.

But Tom quickly broke the kiss. She gasped. He didn’t move, holding her shoulders, but now looking down at her from so close. How far would she let this go? The sensation of his mouth lingered on hers, but he let go of her shoulders and grabbed her hand.

“I want to show you something. Will you come with me?”

“Yes,” she gasped, wondering if she could walk.

He pulled her along. Did this man never saunter?

“Look, I’m in heels—”

Suddenly, her heels were sinking into sandy dirt. She blinked under the bright sun. They were near another waterworks, but this one was a mill. It was daytime, and the water splashed down the ladder of the water wheel, making a different rhythmic music. Nearby was a rough wooden building. Clearly, they were somewhere else in space and time.

“This is where I work, one of my history projects,” Tom said, keeping his tight grip on her hand.

Liv tried to quell the shaking in her legs. She hadn’t meant for Tom to take her back in time. She began to gasp and felt she might drop to her knees. Instead, she clutched Tom’s hand as hard as she could. He reached around her waist to hold her up.

His eyes widened as he looked at her. “You said you wanted to see. Are you okay?”

“Is this the Gold Rush—here?”

Tom shrugged and smiled. “Yes. This is about three months after they discovered gold in the stream. In 1849.”

The shock quivered through her stomach and legs.

He held onto her waist and asked again. “Everything okay?”

She barely managed to stand upright but said, “Sure. Only I wasn’t expecting …”

She didn’t want to be accused of being Miss Pacific Heights. The feeling of his hands around her waist strengthened her. She was now oriented to his touch, wherever they were.

About the Author:

RACHEL DACUS writes about history, love, romance, and art – usually with a touch of the supernatural. If time travel were possible, she’d hop over to Renaissance Rome, and then check out how the American Revolutionary War is going, and maybe visit an 18th century London artist’s studio. A poet and novelist, Dacus has published four novels and four poetry collections. When not writing, she listens to music, new and old, from indie and progressive rock to classical and jazz. Once a dancer, she’s now an avid walker, often twice a day — once for the Muse and once for the world’s liveliest Silky Terrier. She blogs about the writing life and has collected a wealth of writing and publishing resources.

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The Last Keeper by J.V. Hilliard – Spotlight and Giveaway

February 2, 2022 By 1 Comment

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

A young boy’s prophetic visions.

Blind at birth, Daemus Alaric is blessed with the gift of prophetic Sight. Now, as a Keeper of the Forbidden, he must use his powers of the Sight to foil the plans of a fallen Keeper, Graytorris the Mad.

An elven Princess with a horrifying secret.

Princess Addilyn Elspeth travels from Eldwal, the magically hidden home of the Vermilion elves, to begin her life as a diplomat to the human capital of Castleshire. During her journey, she stumbles upon a mystical creature foretelling ill tidings. A terrifying force of evil.

Daemus’ recurring nightmare vision threatens to catapult him into a terrifying struggle that will leave the fate of the Keepers—and the realm—hanging in the balance. Daemus and Princess Addilyn must set out to face the menace that threatens their very existence. Will the entire realm fall to its knees?

The Last Keeper is the first book in The Warminster Series. With gripping, epic action and heart-pounding adventure, you’ll love this new adventure series.

Enjoy an Excerpt

He watched as an ethereal figure emerged from the mist, hovering over the water’s surface and meandering closer to him. It was a man, hunched and cloaked, his eyes hidden by greying bandages stained with blood—familiar, but only from his dreams. His face seemed to twist and change from night to night, growing darker and more haggard, though Daemus knew it was the same man each time. He always seemed unable to sense Daemus and was certainly unable to see him. Yet when the man was near, Daemus never felt safe. He looked like terror and death and emptiness. It was all Daemus could do not to scream.

As though tied to the same puppeteer’s strings, both Daemus and the man grew still at the same moment. Distantly, Daemus registered that something new was coming. His dream had never taken him this far, and that knowledge was terrifying. He didn’t want to know what would happen next.

His mind moved sluggishly, as though he was being slowly trapped in hardening amber. Perhaps the fog itself had clouded his mind when he was breathing it while desperately seeking his way. Panic crept up his spine, his eyes diluting as the fight-or-flight response kicked in. The man was so close that Daemus could smell the tracks of fresh blood crawling down his cheeks. It smelled of rusted swords and the bile of ruptured organs.

The man raised his head, his bloody countenance impassive, his robed arm reaching out for Daemus. It weaved through the air mere inches in front of him, as though the blinded man was looking for a stitch in the fabric of reality. Somehow, he seemed to be unaware of Daemus’s presence, though his gnarled finger was so close to the young man’s face that Daemus could see the dirt caked beneath the beds of the nails.

Daemus tried to move again, but his body refused to obey his mind’s desperate commands. He swallowed, his dry throat savoring the precious saliva, and fought back the tears that threatened to overwhelm him.

He opened his mouth and screamed.

The shrill sound ripped through the silence like a bell ringing in a sleepy village. Daemus’s hands flew up to his face as though to force the sound back in, but it was too late. Daemus knew in that moment that he’d made a fatal mistake. The figure had been unaware of him… until then.

The stranger turned.

“Finally,” he said with an evil cackle. “You’ve come for me, Daemus Alaric.”

Daemus opened his mouth to scream again, but the mist was sweeping back down from the mountains and swallowing up everything around them. Even the blinded man was no exception, and he melted away from Daemus along with everything else. Darkness overcame him, swirling into the blackness of unconsciousness as the stranger’s harsh laughter continued to echo in his ears.

About the Author:

Born of steel, fire and black wind, J.V. Hilliard was raised as a highlander in the foothills of a once-great mountain chain on the confluence of the three mighty rivers that forged his realm’s wealth and power for generations.

His father, a peasant twerg, toiled away in industries of honest labor and instilled in him a work ethic that would shape his destiny. His mother, a local healer, cared for his elders and his warrior uncle, who helped to raise him during his formative years. His genius brother, whose wizardly prowess allowed him to master the art of the abacus and his own quill, trained with him for battles on fields of green and sheets of ice.

Hilliard’s earliest education took place in his warrior uncle’s tower, where he learned his first words. HIs uncle helped him to learn the basics of life—and, most importantly, creative writing.

Hilliard’s training and education readied him to lift a quill that would scribe the tale of the realm of Warminster, filled with brave knights, harrowing adventure and legendary struggles. He lives in the city of silver cups, hypocycloids and golden triangles with his wife, a ranger of the diamond. They built their castle not far into the countryside, guarded by his own two horsehounds, Thor and MacLeod, and resides there to this day.

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My Biggest Writing Quirk: The Magic Number by Jenna Jaxon – Guest Blog and Giveaway

February 1, 2022 By 10 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jenna Jaxon will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

My Biggest Writing Quirk: The Magic Number

Every writer has their own specific oddities or quirks, and I am no different than all the others in the respect of having a quirk. However, I haven’t heard of other authors having my particular quirk, which I think stems from my being a plotter. I cannot do anything, not write one word, until I’ve finished the outline for the entire book. I don’t mind adjusting the outline after I start writing, but I’ve got to have the outline—a very detailed outline—completed before I can sit down to write a word.

When I have the luxury of time, I hand write the first draft, although that doesn’t affect the really quirky part of my writing routine. Once I finish the outline and start to write, I set myself word goals for different sections of each chapter that will total 3,000 words. Usually, the chapter is divided into thirds, and I write 1,000 words for each section. Sometimes, depending on what’s going on in the chapter, I’ll divide the chapter into halves, and write 1,500 words as one section and 1,500 on the other. I’m not exacting with the specific word count of the chapter as long as I make at least the minimum of 1,000 or 1,500 for each section. That way I’m sure to complete the word count for the novel (usually 90,000). With 3,000 words per chapter, I’ll need 30 chapters to make that magic number of 90,000 words.

Most people look at me oddly when I tell them about this writing regimen, but it certainly helps me be productive and on track for deadlines for my editors. All I can say is “Thank God computers are equipped with Word Count!”

The Battle of Waterloo made them widows, but each has found new happiness. And Jane, Lady John Tarkington, intends to keep her freedom, even if love—and one particular gentleman—are determined to claim her heart . . .

It is a truth rarely acknowledged—at least in public—that a wealthy widow is free to pursue a great many adventures. For two years, Jane has privately enjoyed her independence. Why should she remarry, even when the gentleman proposing is as wonderful as Gareth, Lord Kinellan? She entreats him never to ask her again. But as her Widows’ Club friends—now all joyfully remarried—gather at Castle Kinellan, Jane begins to wonder if stubbornness has led her to make a terrible mistake . . .

Kinellan needs a wife to give him an heir, and he wants that wife to be Jane. They are perfect together in every way, yet she continually refuses him. Just as he is on the point of convincing her, a series of accidents befall Gareth and point to an enemy in their midst. He has promised Jane a passionate future filled with devotion, but can he keep them both alive long enough to secure it?

Enjoy an Excerpt

Throwing up his hands, he groaned and sagged against the wall, his banyan sliding half off him. “Have your way with me, woman. I surrender myself into your hands. Do with me what you will and I swear I will enjoy it.”

Panting, she stepped back from him, seeing the sculpted muscular form, strong arms, and dark eyes glazed with smoldering desire as if for the first time. This man wanted her, or had wanted her to be his wife for a long time. No one would ever make her feel this way again, mo matter how many lovers she might take. She could look for the rest of her life and not find a man as kind or generous or loving as he. And she had all but thrown his love away with both hands. The revelation devastated her and she hung her head.

“Jane?” Kinellan straightened, peering into her face.

Sobbing, she threw her arms around him, laying her head on his broad chest, the only place she wanted it to be. Tears pricked her eyes. The fast beat of his heart beneath her ear should have given comfort, but did not, for her own heart was tearing asunder. The trickle of tears became a flood.

“Darling.” He slipped his arms around her, cradling her close. “What is wrong?”

“I…I don’t want to leave.”

“Sweetheart.” He cupped her chin and turned her face up to his. A thundery frown marred his brow. “Who has asked you to leave? Was it Aunt Prudence? Fiona?”

“N…no.” Jane sniffed, trying to blink back the tears and regain her composure.

“Someone else?” His frown grew darker.

She nodded. “You.”

About the Author Jenna Jaxon is a best-selling author of historical romance, writing in a variety of time periods because she believes that passion is timeless. She has been reading and writing historical romance since she was a teenager. A romantic herself, Jenna has always loved a dark side to the genre, a twist, suspense, a surprise. She tries to incorporate all of these elements into her own stories.

She lives in Virginia with her family and a small menagerie of pets–including two vocal cats, one almost silent cat, two curious bunnies, and a Shar-pei beagle mix named Frenchie.

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Talk of Tokyo by Heather Hallman – Spotlight and Giveaway

January 31, 2022 By 3 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Heather Hallman will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

CAREFUL WITH YOUR WORDS

1897 Tokyo is no different than anywhere else in the world: men are exploiting women. Specifically, Western men are exploiting Japanese women, and Suki Malveaux holds no punches in her condemnation of their behavior in her weekly column in the Tokyo Daily News.

Suki knows firsthand when Western men arrive at Tokyo Bay there’s only one outcome for Japanese women: a child and new mother left behind as nothing more than discarded shrapnel from the heartless war on love.

Griffith Spenser is her latest target. He’s been seen with Natsu Watanabe, one of Tokyo’s esteemed war widows. Under full anonymity of the moniker “The Tokyo Tattler,” Suki makes sure Griffith knows exactly why his behavior with Natsu won’t be tolerated.

Away from her Japanese mask as a columnist, Suki never intended to meet the cad. When he seeks her out to hire as a tutor for his niece and nephew, she’s faced with seeing him day in and day out without him ever knowing who she really is.

Caught in her struggle for anonymity so she can keep battling for women’s rights, Suki’s about to learn the full impact of her words on the people behind the story, especially on Griff.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Tokyo 1897

Foreign Quarter of Tsukiji

Shaky hands and racing heart notwithstanding, Suki gave herself a fighting chance. The incorrigible rake might have accusations, threats, and plans for retaliation, but she had feminine cunning. While she lacked familiarity with the mechanics involved in that sort of cunning, she’d seen how furtive glances and teasing words reduced men to foolishness. The basics of flirtation rivaled neither the complexity of French verbs nor the convolutedness of English spellings, both of which she’d mastered with ease.

A maid hastened across the garden and opened the front gate. “Mr. Spenser is expecting you,” she said in the clear, precise English of servants in Tokyo’s foreign quarter of Tsukiji.

Suki followed the maid through Spenser’s front garden, past azalea bushes boasting radiant displays of scarlets, lavenders, and magentas. Flurries of pale pink temple bells burst forth in a graceful arrangement that bore a decidedly feminine touch.

Of course it did. Spenser’s gardens would’ve been planted by his former wife.

Suki pictured the fair-haired young woman vigorously fanning herself at last summer’s festival. She’d worn one of those heavy dresses that trapped sweat and exacerbated the summer itch. Several months later, news had traveled through Tsukiji that Spenser’s bride had returned to England for good.

As Suki stared up at the Japanese-style wooden beam home with the gingerbread trim and second-story dormer windows favored by Tsukiji’s British residents, dread once again grew in the pit of her stomach. If Spenser had seen fit to alienate the woman he’d pledged to honor and protect, what did he have in store for the woman he most certainly despised?

About the Author:

Heather Hallman writes witty, sensual, contest-winning romances set in Meiji-era Japan (1868-1912). She is the author of the Tokyo Whispers series that includes Scandals of Tokyo and Talk of Tokyo.

She is fluent in Japanese language, history, and culture, and earned a doctoral degree in cultural anthropology based on fieldwork research in Japan. She lives in Tokyo with her professor husband and two young daughters. In her free time, she can be found translating ancient Japanese poetry and observing the passing of seasons while sipping green tea. Just kidding, she has no free time. But she does watch something that makes her laugh while she does the dishes.

Perennial obsessions include the weather forecast (she checks three different apps at least three times a day, as no single app can be trusted), Baltimore Ravens football (hometown obsession), and making smoothies that taste like candy bars.

Feel free to chat her up about any of her obsessions, or, even better, about historical Japan—any era is fine, she loves them all. She also enjoys exchanging book recommendations, discussions about the craft of romance writing, and stories about life in present-day Tokyo.

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The Democratization of the Private Market by Carine Schneider – Spotlight and Giveaway

January 27, 2022 By 1 Comment

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

Facebook, Uber, Robinhood: all were private companies at some point. Historically, there has been no way for investors to easily buy and sell shares in private companies. With the introduction of blockchain technology, digital securities, and decentralized financial solutions, the ability to grow the private market is on the horizon. Regulators around the world are rushing to catch up and understand how to protect investors who want to participate in this market. This book reviews the regulatory, technical, and societal challenges to open this asset class to more investors in the future.







Enjoy an Excerpt

Currently, US residents who want to invest in the private market need to have a certain net worth to participate. Under the cover of this exclusive private club is access to investment opportunities, supporting innovation, and extreme risk. As the private market has grown, the types of investment instruments and the complexity of the investment structure has increased significantly. Unlike investing in the public market, investing in private ventures can be complicated and requires an understanding of securities law, tax strategy, and, in many cases, future technology that can only be envisioned by innovative entrepreneurs. The key characteristics of the private market are: • Less company regulation • Limited public reporting requirements, especially for smaller companies • A lack of information symmetry • Only investment professionals, or the ultra-wealthy, can invest (accredited investors) With the changes in technology solutions, the advent of new financial solutions, and a change in the way some founders approach building their companies, these characteristics may change as the private market grows. Dan Gallagher, General Counsel of Robinhood and a former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner, describes the private market as “a vibrant ecosystem.” Capital is key to growth in a private company, and it can come from various sources — professional individual investors (sometimes called “angel investors”), venture capital firms (VC firms), friends and family, and crowdfunding campaigns. Private equity (PE) is sometimes confused with private company investment. PE firms tend to acquire mature companies and recapitalize and re-organize their targets. PE firms generally aren’t looking to make individual investments alongside other investors. For the purposes of this book, we will mostly focus on non-PE owned companies, although we do discuss liquidity in PE funds. The private market is attractive because investors in privately held companies hope to quickly increase the company’s value, then sell their stakes later through a buyout, trade sale, recapitalization, or listing on a public market via initial public offerings (IPOs).

About the Author:

Carine Schneider, FGE (Fellow of Global Equity) is an experienced and well-connected leader in the private market and global compensation industry with deep experience working in consulting, technology, and financial services. She is the President of AST Private Company Solutions (AST PCS). She was named one of the 100 Influential Women in Silicon Valley by the Silicon Valley Business Journal and one of 17 “Women to Watch” in 2017 by Brown Brothers Harriman Center on Women and Wealth. Carine was formerly the President, Nasdaq Private Market and has been the founder and CEO of Global Shares, CEO of Certent, and Partner at PwC. She has also held senior level positions at Morgan Stanley and Willis Towers Watson. She was the founding Executive Director of the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals (NASPP) and founded the nonprofit Global Equity Organization (GEO) where she is now Chair Emeritus, after serving as Chair for eighteen years. She 103 started her career as Manager of Shareholder Relations at Oracle Corporation where she assisted in the IPO. Ms. Schneider was born in The Netherlands and received her degree in psychology and sociology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is a frequent speaker at conferences around the world, including at President Obama’s 2016 Global Entrepreneurial Summit, and has authored various articles and chapters in industry publications. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Professional Business Women of California (PBWC). In 2019, she received the UK ProShare Award for Service to Employee Share Ownership.

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Indecent by Darcy Burke – Spotlight and Giveaway

January 26, 2022 By 2 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Darcy Burke will be awarding an ebook copy of book 1 of the Phoenix Club series, IMPROPER, to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

If Bennet St. James, the Viscount Glastonbury, doesn’t find a bride with a sizeable dowry, he’ll be in the poorhouse along with his interminable number of female relatives—all of whom he loves but are a drain on the negative fortune his father left when he died of a broken pocketbook. Desperate, he hatches a scheme to snare an heiress only to be foiled by a most vexing and alluring—and unfortunately equally destitute—paid companion.

Lady’s companion Prudence Lancaster is single-minded about finding her mother and filling in the missing pieces of her life. But a villainous viscount interrupts her plans, and his surprising charm and understanding tempts her in the most indecent ways. Soon, she’s dreaming of the future instead of wallowing in the past.

But when Bennet shares a dark secret, her hopes are dashed. For he won’t break the promise he made to his family, even if it means losing the greatest love he’s ever known.

Enjoy an Excerpt

“You didn’t have a good relationship with your father?” she asked.

His jaw tightened. “It was difficult. He was difficult. His legacy includes insurmountable debt, an estate in disarray, and other…things.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. It doesn’t seem you’re having much success with your efforts at fixing whatever he did.”

“Yes, thank you for that,” he said with as much sarcasm as she’d done earlier.

They glowered at each other over the table, each sipping their drink. Prudence hadn’t meant to prick his ire. She was too caught up in her own irritation. This was why emotions were to be avoided.

“My goodness, but the love between you is evident to any observer,” Mrs. Logan, who’d somehow arrived at the table noiselessly, remarked. She beamed at them as she set down a basket of rolls as well as plates before each of them. “How lovely. I’ll be back with some ham.”

As she hurried off, Prudence arched a brow. “Evident,” she remarked softly.

“Evidently.” He smirked. “You are correct about everything. I am despicable, and it was a horrible plan.”

About the Author:

Darcy Burke is the USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy, emotional 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.

A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her guitar-strumming husband, artist daughter, and imaginative son who will almost certainly out-write her one day (that may be tomorrow).

They’re a crazy cat family with two Bengal cats, a small, fame-seeking cat named after a fruit, an older rescue Maine Coon with attitude to spare, and a collection of neighbor cats who hang out on the deck and occasionally venture inside. You can find Darcy at a winery, in her comfy writing chair, or binge-watching TV with the family.

Her happy places are Disneyland, Labor Day weekend at the Gorge, Denmark, and anywhere in the UK—so long as her family is there too.

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The Mistletoe Contract by Jennifer Chastain – Spotlight and Giveaway

January 25, 2022 By 8 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jennifer Chastain will be awarding a $10 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.

He needs a wife. She needs money. Is their modern-day marriage an answer to their prayers or a disaster waiting to happen?

Confirmed bachelor, Nathan Rutledge shut his heart to romance when he was forced to break the heart of the only woman he ever truly loved. Now, with his father’s retirement from the family conglomerate, the torch has been passed to him. But there are two problems—first, he needs a wife in order to take over the family business. Second, someone has been embezzling company funds. With the pressure mounting, and time expiring to find both a wife he can trust and the thief, Nate needs a Christmas miracle.

Forensic Accountant, Meredith Mitchell’s life is in a shambles. Her mother needs a lifesaving transplant, Mom’s medical bills have bankrupted Meredith’s meager savings, and she’s sold everything of value, but it’s still not enough. To make matters worse, she’s now tasked with discovering accounting errors for a new client—none other than Nathan Rutledge—the same man who gave her a broken heart for Christmas eight years ago.

Meredith wants to run. Nate wants the chance to right his wrongs. So, naturally, when he proposes a modern-day marriage of convenience, she balks at the idea. But he desperately needs a wife, and she really needs the money he offers. Is this the answer to her prayers? Or will this mutually beneficial arrangement re-open old wounds that can’t be healed?

Enjoy an Excerpt

Pull it together, Meredith. You can do this. It’s only Nate’s dad.

A door slammed down the hallway, and footsteps echoed off the hardwood floors.

And then, the last person she expected to see was standing in front of her, his arms crossed over
his impressive chest. Not a dark hair out of place nor a wrinkle in his charcoal-gray suit.

Her Christmas past had come back to haunt her.

“Meredith. Tori’s not here. She’s at work.” Nate’s deep blue eyes narrowed to slits. His harsh tone along with the fire in his eyes pulled her out of her daydreams.

“I’m not here for Tori.” Meredith rose, thankful the heels on her boots added three inches to her height.

Standing on shaky legs, she patted her updo for stray hairs. She smoothed her skirt, stiffened her spine, and swallowed past the boulder lodged in her throat. No fear. Facing him, she forced herself to smile.

“Nathan Rutledge. It’s… good to see you again.” She held out her hand but let it fall when he ignored her friendly attempt.

How rude.

So, they had history—big deal. She was mature enough to put it behind her. But maybe, he couldn’t. Meredith lifted her chin. “I was expecting to meet with your father.”

Nate rocked back on his heels, hands in his pockets. “Yes, well, obviously, he’s not here. I’m now the acting CEO.”

Her eyebrows rose. “Oh, I didn’t know. My supervisor only said I was supposed to meet with Mr. Rutledge.”

About the Author:Jennifer Chastain is a member of ACFW, ACFW-NC, and My Book Therapy/Novel Academy. Several of her other stories were finalists in the Blue Ridge Mountains Foundations contest and she was a finalist in the Touched by Love contest, sponsored by the Faith, Hope, and Love Christian Writers. Her contemporary romance stories contain the themes of redemption, grace, and forgiveness.

A hopeful romantic, Jennifer loves dark chocolate, Diet Coke, old movies and a good romantic movie. She loves to experiment with new recipes in the kitchen and when not cooking, she’s reading or conducting more research for her stories. Growing up in the snowy North, Christmas has always been her favorite holiday, with the scents of cinnamon, vanilla, and pine scenting the air.

She and her husband have been married for over 25 years and they are permitted to co-exist with their black rescue cat.

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Magical Mountain by Asmaa Jamil – Spotlight and Giveaway

January 25, 2022 By 6 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Asmaa Jamil will be awarding a $25 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.

Magical Mountain is the first book in a four-part fantasy series, Kingdom of Treasures. The book retells the story of Cinderella from the fairy’s perspective, giving readers insight into a classic fairytale from a fresh viewpoint. Keeping things interesting, Magical Mountain also borrows plot and character elements from 1001 Arabian Nights (Two Sisters Who Were Jealous of Their Younger Sister). However, the story fosters its own exciting adventure as it focuses on the fairies and the story following the marriage.

In this tale of love, family, and betrayal, readers get a glimpse into what it means to be a true female hero from the fairy and human perspectives. In doing so, Magical Mountain veers from traditional fairytale conventions, in which men typically fulfill the hero role. The women in the story demonstrate what real courage and strength look like. In the end, the female characters prove to the reader that fighting with heart pays off.

Enjoy an Excerpt

“We are talking of marriage, my dear sisters. Think grand, not some merchant who is here today and gone tomorrow. No disrespect to Father,” Avina said, with a gleam in her eye.

“No, no,” Bren and Rella chorused.

Avina wore a satisfied smile. “He was a great merchant, and he wanted us to marry well. So, I ask my dear younger sisters: Who would you want to have as a husband, and why? For me, I want to have the King’s baker as a husband.”

“Why?” Bren asked.

“A baker is never in the frontline of war, and I could eat the best bread and cake in the land.”

Bren and Rella looked at each other and burst into laughter.

Avina smirked. “Well, let’s see if you can come up with something better.”

“I would be very content to marry the King’s head cook. I could feast on delicate stews, as well as bread!” Bren exclaimed.

Rella laughed so hard that she held her stomach, and Avina scowled because she was upstaged.

“It seems that our youngest sister has a better idea. Tell us what you would want, since you find our choices so amusing.”

“Very well! Since we’re making grand wishes, we should aim only for the best. I wish to marry the King himself. I would then have the best food and the best bread in the kingdom.”

Fairy Lexi muttered her magic word, “Souhait,” and then she twirled her magic wand in a circle, and then gold stars appeared.

About the Author:Originally from Northern Iraq, Asmaa Jamil was born into the Chaldean Christian ethnic group before moving to the United States, where she grew up. Leaving the corporate world not long ago to focus on her writing full time, Asmaa draws on her experiences living and working in several different countries to influence her creative process. While abroad, Asmaa learned about other cultures and their unique traditions, a key role in her development as a writer.

Asmaa Jamil holds an MBA in International Business, a PGCert in Management Information Systems, and an MLA in Near Eastern Languages. Her two decades of professional experience in retail, wholesale and entrepreneurship brought her extensive cultural insights, working with diverse international teams in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and North and South America.
Raised in a family of storytellers, Asmaa always felt inspired by the power of a narrative. Specifically, she found that family stories were the most captivating, as they speak to audiences of all ages with ease. Not to mention, Asmaa likes that family stories foster opportunities for household gatherings and traditions.

Her first book, titled Magical Mountain from the Kingdom of Treasures series, explores influential female character roles. Outside of writing, Asmaa Jamil enjoys reading history and visiting historical sites around the world. She also has a fascination for connecting the old with the new, demonstrated through her storytelling. When it comes down to it, Asmaa is happy with a cup of coffee, great conversations with loved ones, and of course, good food.

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Thorn of Secrets by B. Truly – Spotlight and Giveaway

January 25, 2022 By 3 Comments

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 on the tour.

In love with the same face that haunts me….

The falling leaves of autumn are like the deceit in my family lineage. Closing the door on the infinite cold—winter blossoms into the spring of new beginnings. In the next season of my life, I’m mending the pieces back together. Opening myself up, I even begin to date, which is a big step for me.

After graduating from high school, a shocking development causes me to be on alert. When nothing comes of it, I move forward, wanting desperately to put the past behind me.

About to start college, I bump into someone from my complicated past, and my heart is torn. The dilemma I struggle with: Do I let other people’s opinion define who I am? I must decide if I’ll push through the ridicule and pave my own path. Could the face that’s scorned me be the key to my resolve? I’ll never know if I take the easy way out.

I’ve unlocked my darkest secret only to have it return to torment me. As the thorns of his obsession encompass me, I discover I’m part of a twisted ploy. If I don’t figure a way out of this predicament, then the life I’ve known may cease to exist.

Don’t miss the riveting sequel to Madison’s story that will have you dangling on the edge of your seat.

Enjoy an Excerpt

A thunderous rumble jolts me awake. I blink in the darkness, wondering what the awful noise is outside. Another blaring sound pierces the air, causing the hair on the back of my neck to rise.

Is that an ambulance?

I cover my ears, hoping to dampen the onslaught of sound. As I gather my bearings, I remember we’re in the middle of a hurricane. On the dirty side, to be exact, and the roaring is not a good sign. Justin slept in the game room with me. The ear-splitting howl snaps him awake.

“What are those sounds?” I ask, my voice elevating.

Justin’s eyes widen as he scurries from the sofa over to the window. I doubt he can see much with the blackout. The only light in the room is from the kerosene lamp.

“I can hardly make out anything.” Justin confirms what I thought. “But something seems to be coming towards us quickly. I … think it’s a tornado.”

“What?” I hop off the sofa, quick, fast, and in a hurry. “Please tell me you’re joking?” From the look on his face, he’s not. The wind is whipping so hard, I fear the windows will break at any second. The booming roar sounds like a freight train about to run straight through the house. That’s the best way to describe the hideous noise.

Jackson races down the hall with Tanya on his heels. “What the hell is that?” he asks.

“More than likely a tornado and the blaring noise is probably the warning alarms. We need to get to the half-bath downstairs!” Justin shouts.

It’s becoming difficult to hear anything but the roar as it moves closer.

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Jackson takes the stairs two at a time.

Tanya is right behind him. Justin pulls my arm to follow. He is going so fast it’s hard to keep up. Halfway down, my toe smacks a step wrong, and I trip, colliding into him. The force of me bumping into Justin causes him to lose his balance. We tumble the rest of the way down the stairs, landing with a thud.

Tanya halts on the end of the staircase. “You’re such a klutz.”

I’m too dazed for a comeback. Justin’s weight is crushing me.

He scrambles off. “You okay?”

“I’ll be fine.”

About the Author:

B. Truly has wanted to be an author since she was fifteen years old. She is grateful to have accomplished this dream. B. Truly has very vivid dreams and a wild imagination. She likes to read, watch tons of TV shows, and movies. She’s addicted to romance and gets a thrill out of suspense and sci-fi. She writes young adult, new adult, and adult romance, sci-fi, dystopian, and paranormal genres.

B. Truly likes to explore conflicted plots of romance with thrilling twists. She also loves creating impossible situations for her characters to grow from and try to overcome.

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

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Pondering the Muse by Louis J. Desforges – Guest Blog and Giveaway

January 24, 2022 By 3 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Louis J. Desforges will be awarding a $15 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.

Pondering the Muse

Very early on in life we begin to adopt false narratives such as the perception that aspirations are “unattainable,” “far-fetched,” or “unrealistic” simply because they seem out of reach for whatever reason at the time. Rather than being encouraged to dream, we are trained to be “practical” – we are not taught to look at failures as a success waiting to happen, or to consider barriers as a challenge that will teach us more of what we need to know to succeed the next time around.

Over time, we run the danger of losing our imagination and the ability to dream. Telling stories is an excellent way to inspire children. Stories provide children with a view into new and exciting world of characters, places, cultures, and traditions.

Storytelling enhances creativity, inspires curiosity, and broadens a child’s immigration – making them more open to new ideas and concepts while teaching them about life, themselves, and others.

Sadly, children along various dimensions of diversity rarely see themselves represented in the characters of the books that they read. Representation matters. Children’s early experiences shape what they imagine to be possible for people who look like them, live where they live, or come from where they came from. Simply put, children determine what they can be based on the examples that they are exposed to.

My purpose is to be intentional about creating more diverse, equitable and inclusive stories that will inspire and cement deep within a child’s framework the confidence to achieve their dreams, regardless of their prevailing circumstances.

Like the infinite-shade of colors, the richness of life is enhanced by our natural inclination, as creative beings, to hold distinct perspectives on just about any subject. Collectively, however, I believe we all appreciate the profound significance of all the things that influenced and molded us from an early age—the moments and events that are weaved intricately into our memories.

Who amongst us cannot recall a story, no matter what artistic form used to bring it to life: a book, a show, a play, a comic, a song, a movie, or even a real-life character (that family member, teacher, coach, or friend) who shaped the lens with which we view the world then, now, and always.

For this very reason, I believe children should see themselves represented in all areas of human endeavors, cementing deep within their framework the possibilities that await, regardless of prevailing circumstances.

My hope is to bridge the diversity gap in STEM by creating excitement around Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math through diverse representation.

“I see me, therefore I can be.”

So it remains, like the infinite shades of color, the richness of life is enhanced by the stories and experiences that holds us.

-Louis J. Desforges

Enjoy an Excerpt

Of all the paths I can explore,
Of all the subjects I adore,
The world of science excites me more.
Science helps us see
What was, what is, and what can be
You’ll get a million questions from me!
I observe, I explore…
I’ll get to the core, that’s for sure.
What will I find…maybe a cure?
Or a giant fossil
Of a DINOSAUR!

About the Author:Having endless curiosity, Louis has always been enthralled by the inner workings of everything around him.

With a natural and insatiable drive to build, explore, and understand, one of his fondest childhood memories is harvesting toasters, microwaves, TVs, and other discarded electronics in his Brooklyn neighborhood so he could take apart and rebuild them, or scavenge parts to build his own remote-controlled cars or planes.

He is the first to admit that nothing ever worked as intended, or at all, for that matter, but that never really mattered to him. As long as he was dissecting, constructing, exploring and learning, his cup was always full.

Today, his tinkering looks very different. Louis spends countless hours building and rebuilding Lego sets with his four-year-old son.

With any free time left after work and family life (usually late at night), you can find Louis in his workshop (any available free space with a flat surface) writing, painting, sculpting or toiling over his photography; nonetheless, his deep love for STEM remains, and at its core feeds his endless curiosity and desire to understand the inner workings of everything.

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