Author Archives: authorcamilson
VBT – A CONVENIENT ESCAPE
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
She has nowhere to go. He has nothing to lose.
Lily McAllen has known nothing but hardship and rejection. Her brother, the only person she can lean on, takes a job at the Miller ranch. Now with no ally, she is alone, confined, and vulnerable. She becomes desperate to get away…by any means necessary.
Despite his best intentions, Daniel Hayworth is drawn into a fatal mishap. He feels responsible. And is prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure Lily is cared for…even if that means proposing marriage.
Complicating matters, Geronimo and his raiding band terrorize the surrounding areas. Troubles mount and tensions challenge the growing attraction between Dan and Lily.
Will they make it to the church? Or find themselves victims of lies, disillusionment, or the ire of an Apache rebel?
Read an Excerpt:
She leaned into Dan’s arm, her head on his shoulder. “I just don’t know what to do, you know?”
Dan turned his face toward hers, his lips nearly brushing her forehead.
“I can’t believe he’s gone. Really gone.” Her voice cracked into a whimper.
More tears would come.
What did she need? What did he want when faced with death?
Consolation.
Dan slid an arm around her. Now she was drawn to his chest. And he embraced her from the side.
As much as she shook, she soon settled into his arms. Did she find some measure of comfort there? In the arms of the man responsible?
He closed his eyes. This wasn’t right. But could he take away what peace she found there because of his selfish desire to share the truth?
No, he would be strong and let her pull from his strength. For now.
The truth would come later.
Dan glanced at the house. How might they appear to her father? It was not appropriate for him to be embracing a woman who was not his sister or his betrothed. Or for him to find such enjoyment having her in his arms.
As he shifted his focus back to her, he saw a curtain move. Had someone been watching?
The buy link for this book is: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BW79X4P/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 — free on Kindle Unlimited
About the Author:
Sara is a coffee lovin’, word slinging, Historical Romance author whose super power is converting caffeine into novels. She loves those odd little tidbits of history that are stranger than fiction. That’s what inspires her. Well, that and a good love story.
But of all the love stories she knows, hers is her favorite. She lives happily with her own Prince Charming and their gaggle of minions. Three to be exact. They sure know how to distract a writer! But, alas, the stories must be written, even if it must happen in the wee hours of the morning.
Sara is an avid reader and enjoys reading and writing clean Historical Romance when she’s not traveling. Her books range from the Czech lands to the American wild west and from ancient Egypt to the early 1900s. Some of her titles include The Lady Bornekova, Hope in Cripple Creek, The General’s Wife, Trail of Fears, and the Convenient Risk Series.
Happy Reading!
Website: http://saraturnquist.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarat1701
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/authorsararturnquist/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarat0103/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/saravturnquist/
YouTube: https://bit.ly/sara-youtube
Sara R. Turnquist will be awarding a $30 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
VBT – WARLORD
Warlord
by Miriam Newman
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GENRE: Historical Fantasy Romance
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BLURB:
Ganina is a young girl with love to give, but giving it may cost her life.
Given to a famous old warlord to seal a treaty between two tribes, Ganina is a young girl with love to give. But Atulfa is old enough to be her grandfather. Then Atulfa and his oldest son die under mysterious circumstances and it is rumored that a younger son, Senec, has arranged their deaths.
Left without the old man’s protection, Ganina is fodder for the vicious torment of his other wives. She has no choice but to cast her lot with Senec.
Whatever he is, he is the new warlord and she is now at his mercy.
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EXCERPTS (Exclusive Excerpt):
It was Senec who broke the stalemate.
“What is your complaint?” he asked her. “Your father made what marriage for you he could and now you have a better one. It is not that I am ungrateful for your care, but show some respect.”
She flushed hot and cold. For days she had nursed him, never leaving his side except to check on Gilya, and now he took her father’s part. She felt the break of that linkage even more acutely than she did her father’s behavior and it made her angry, and incautious.
“I give it where it is due,” she responded, then flinched reflexively as Ifelsten inserted himself quickly between her and Kaleel. She realized her father had been about to clout her and it would not have been the first time, but Ifelsten had blocked him.
“This will gain us nothing,” he said.
Kaleel spit on the expensive rug. “She is not worth it, I warn you.” With a grunt of disgust, he turned and walked through the doorway.
Her father’s double meaning was clear. Still hot and cold and too much aware of Senec’s eyes on her, Ganina muttered something nonsensical and left as well, but Pytor nodded courteously to her husband and followed with some alacrity.
“Ganina,” he called and she halted, turning back to him. He was a priest, after all. No matter how angry she was, she could not ignore him. Uncharacteristically, he laid hands on her to turn her into a corner. There were too many eyes observing them in the open hall.
“Do not cost Ifelsten his life for your pride,” he said.
So their gentle priest had teeth. Ganina gave him an insolent look but did not speak because she couldn’t think of a thing to say.
“He did only what your husband could not do,” Pytor warned. “Do not make more of it than that. He will not.”
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Fantasy poetry driven by myths and legends has been my passion for as long as I can remember. I was published in poetry before catching the romance writing bug. I bring that background to my writing along with a lifelong addiction to horses, an 18 year career in various areas of psychiatric social services and many trips to Ireland, where I nurture my muse. My published works range from contemporary fantasy romance to fantasy historical, futuristic, science fiction and historical romance. Currently I live in rural Pennsylvania with a “motley crew” of rescue animals. You can see my books at www.miriamnewman.com.
Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Warlord-Miriam-Newman-ebook/dp/B088P8N6TB/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1
Smashwords Buy Link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1022916
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
Miriam Newman will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Enter to win a $10 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway
VBT – DWARF STORY
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
For Arty to miss a day of school, either he is very, very sick or a fairytale-character turf-war has begun in his backyard — such as what begins this particular Wednesday. First, he finds an ax-swinging, bearded, sweaty warrior Dwarf scaring his dogs. Soon enough, Emma, Cry and other middle-school friends also find fairy creatures — Elves, Spriggans, Pixies, and a hoped-for Dragon — crashing into their normal homework-doing, backpack-carrying, phone-charging schooldays.
Why are these magical beings here? What should be done? Is that axe sharp? Can Pixies be given aspirin?
Arty with his friends — and spying jerks, and questionable strangers with long names — follow the clues and try to find out, even as things turn dark and dangerous.
The mythical beings are taking sides. The Gwyllion, that legendary Old Woman of the Mountains, has a sinister plan, turning the neighborhood into a fantasy battleground. One that awaits young heroes.
Read an Excerpt
Some can picture the battle in their mind’s eye, or in others’ eyes, or by using magic to help them see. For the rest, I can tell them what I know.
The Old Woman of the Mountains, a Gwyllion of great and strange powers, made herself stronger by taking one of each kind of fairy: to start a new kingdom in heaven, to steal the ancient place of rest, and to make new creatures and rule over all them and their world. And then, perhaps, ours.
More folktale legends joined the war, and on both sides. Some came to rescue their friends from the foul Gwyllion and her armies of Wights, Trolls, and dark spirits.
All who fight have their own special energies and enchanted abilities; some humans believe in them, most do not. But that does not always matter.
Now the battle rages, using nature, and the earth, and the sky.
In and out of the fight, many struggle to find their way back to Eastward Manor, knowing it as the path home. Some captives that can escape the Old Woman seek and find children and hide. This is a strange occurrence, the strangest of the whole story, for me. The fairies’ connection to these young people, all friends, can only be guessed, and is personal, so should not be guessed.
All the rest, of the living fairy creatures, struggle in the War. The dead only the earth can help.
To conquer the Gwyllion, I will use the spells, and counter-spells, and the ancient symbols that secretly kept the story alive for hundreds of years, waiting for this part of the tale. They complete a mystical alchemy of words and magic. I am here, I was born to be here, to help the armies of folkies, as Arty and Emma and the adopted human children call them: the Spriggans and the Dwarves and the Elves, with any birds and trees who have taken sides.
It was those human children that the Gwyllion did not count on. When Arty sent the counters-spell out to his friends of friends, as he says, the words were read, and spoken out loud, and contemplated. And passed to others, to friends, and to friends of friends, along and along. That is turning the tide—help unlooked for!
And Ted doesn’t know it yet, but our side has a dragon. My dragon.
About the Author: Professor Welkin Westicotter Marplot, of Coillemuir, Scotland, is a collector of esoteric tales of global wisdom and curator of ancient manuscripts. He is a recluse and, as he claims, has been collecting and collating adventure and fantasy stories for over a century.
Professor W. W. Marplot will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
VBT – Wired by the FBI
Wired by the FBI
by Glenn Painter
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GENRE: Suspense, Thriller
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BLURB:
Christian Romano lives his life as a con-artist, burglar, drug dealer, and a ladies’ man, using his good looks to con wealthy women out of jewels and money. When he is arrested and jailed in one of the most violent jails in the U.S. (Cook County in Chicago), a steamy affair begins with a nympho female jail guard. When he loses control of the romance, Christian must end the affair by reporting her to Internal Affairs. It turns out that she is already under suspicion for supplying drugs to various gang members inside the jail. He has to decide if he is “”rogue”” enough to help set her up for arrest. Meanwhile, the FBI wants to recruit Christian to gather information against a sadist ex-cop, Scott Mason, who has been arrested for murder. The risk? Christian must wear a wire and testify. The reward? Witness protection for Christian and his girlfriend and a modification of his prison sentence. Will Christian risk his life for a chance at freedom? Will the female sheriff “”get even”” with him? Or will his life end at the hands of the jail’s drug lords or a lunatic former cop?
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EXCERPT
Something’s wrong, my intuition told me, as I stepped out of the stairwell and into the chaotic frenzy of the main hallway running under Division One of the Cook County jail.
Sergeant Ricky Walsh opened the heavy, rusted steel door leading to the death trap—that is A-B stairwell—then turned to me. “Romano, take the stairs down four flights to the bottom, I will meet you there.”
There are four sets of stairs that lead to the main boulevard on the first floor. They are legendary for the infamous men who have been butchered there, the bloodstained walls are a testament to the violence that is the norm in this building. As I begin my descent down the narrow and poorly lit stairwell, the thought hits me: At least half a dozen men have been stabbed in this exact place. The words taunt me as I step slowly down the stairs so that Walsh will have time to beat me to the first floor in the old, decrepit elevator.
When I finally make it down, I breathe a sigh of relief. But it is not Walsh waiting at the huge, steel door I am to exit. Instead of the old mick—who looked and walked like a bulldog with his perfectly groomed hair and mustache—it was one of the lackey guards. They would often hang out on the main floor waiting to proposition some poor woman coming to visit her man. I open the door and step through quickly, not wanting to arouse suspicion. But my heart hangs in my throat.
During my trip down the stairwell, the heavy steel recorder slid down my pant leg, stopping on top of my right foot. The ACE bandage, meant to hold it in place, was also dangling and ready to pop out for everyone to see. Panic set in as my mind processed a million thoughts, but I couldn’t break my stride.
It was common knowledge that this is where inmates often came out stabbing when sent to attack a guard by one of the gang bosses. Looking past the guard, I saw Sergeant Walsh bearing down on us as fast as his stubby legs would carry him.
“Hey Walsh,” I said, “the food poisoning is getting worse, I’m gonna puke all over this guy.”ng around to see what was going on. These guards tolerated zero bull, especially from a smart-ass like me.
I decided that it was quicker and easier to shove the recorder under the waistband of my jail pants and pray it would stay. After splashing water on my face, I poked my head out.
Walsh fell right in line with my cover. “We’re going to the hospital, come with me!” he bellowed.
I exited the closet, pushing the recorder into my torso as we walked past another guard. We traveled down the long hallway. Once we were far enough out of earshot, Walsh found an unoccupied attorney visiting room. As he opened the door, I scurried to the far corner.
“The hallway is clear!” Walsh yelled.
I pulled the recorder from my waistband and looked at it with disdain. Then I wrapped it tight with the ACE bandage. Although the long recording wires had to be reconnected and it only took a few moments, it felt like forever.
Then it hit me: I’m wearing a wire against one of the most violent hitmen Chicago has ever known, and this prick had been a Chicago cop. He probably knows every person who works in this jail. Getting whacked in a place like this costs less than a carton of cigarettes. What the hell have I gotten myself into? But there was no backing out, and I still had to get back to my tier.
Walsh looked at me, his brow furrowed. He quietly asked, “You alright, kid?”
“I better be. I signed a deal with the devil, and it’s time to pay up.”
I drew in a deep breath as we headed to the hospital, so we could sign in and make it look legit.
How did my life get to this point? I wondered as I followed Walsh. Growing up in Chicago, I was exposed to police corruption, murder, drugs, gangsters, and sex, oh yes, lots and lots of sex.
I had no clue of what awaited me, but my unsavory legacy was about to go down in history like crap down a toilet.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links
Glenn Painter is single and lives in Central Florida. He became interested in writing at an early age but did not make it his career until 2014 when he published his first book, Beyond the Sentence.
Glenn has written this story from the notes by the man who actually lived it. However, extensive research was also require in order to make the story factual.
Glenn has also founded a company, ‘Prisoner Civil Right Services.’ He is an advocate for incarcerated individuals who have had their rights violated. He is in constant contact with these individuals, their families and the council. Most of his stories are inspired by ‘factual events’ that have happened to these individuals. This makes his stories both fiction and non-fiction.
Glenn says that writing is very challenging, and you must love the trials and tribulations that come with it. He believes that patience, perseverance and determination are required essentials to see a book through to being published. The journey is just as important as the destination.
Website: http://www.gapainter.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Glenn-Painter/e/B00NETNKU6
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9875593.Glenn_Painter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/author2663
Buy links:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wired-by-the-fbi-glenn-painter/1132504339
The book will by $0.99 during the tour. Additionally the book will be discounted during the tour. The eBook will be $2.99 and the print copy will be discounted 40% on Amazon
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
Enter to win a $50 Amazon or BN GC. A Rafflecopter Giveaway.
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Q/What is the sweetest thing someone has done for you?
I can’t think of one thing, there have been so many.
Q/How would you spend ten thousand bucks?
Pay any outstanding bills I might have. MAYBE by another car (except I love my Jag)
Further promote my book
Invest (except now might not be a great time for that. Guess I’ll wait until the stock market quits falling.
Not much chance of any of the above happening anytime soon.
Q/where do you get your best ideas
From people and family members who I have helped through my other company.
Q/What comes first, the plot or the characters?
I think with me, so far, the characters. They are the ones who relay the plot to me.
Q/What does your main character do that makes him/her special
It all depends on what the circumstances are that put them where they are
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Hello Readers!
Welcome to my 15-week book tour which starts on April 14th and concludes on July 30th.
This tour was planned before the onset of this terrible covid-19 virus which has invaded our world. I want to extend my deepest sympathy to everyone, especially those who have lost loved ones.
A donation from me will be going out immediately to the charity I have listed below and I will also be donating 25% of any royalties from the book which is featured on this tour, to the covid-19 Response Fund. This fund gives support to preparedness, containment, response and recovery activities. The 25% of royalties will be donated when I receive the final notification of number of books sold. I am also encouraging all authors to make some sort of donation to help with the recovery efforts. WE ARE ALL IN THIS FIGHT TOGETHER!
We all are wondering what the long-term impact this covid-19 virus will be to our communities and our livelihoods, Every American, as well as the companies that have worked very hard for every author have been affected, but I have faith that we will recover from this terrible pandemic if we all stick together and we all do our part – no matter how small.
I will also be donating, (over and above what Goddess/Fish is offering):
$100 Amazon Gift certificate to one randomly drawn commentator
$100 Amazon gift certificate to one randomly drawn host.
These drawings will be done via Rafflecopter that will be created by Goddess/Fish Promotions at the end of the tour. To all of my fellow-authors – please don’t forget our marketing representatives, book agents, reviewers,commentator’s, hosts, etc..who are probably working from home and trying to help us.
I will be posting all pertinent information on my web site www.gapainter.com
once the tour is over. The Gift Certificates will be mailed immediately after the tour is completed and the 25% will be posted once I receive Royalties resulting in the sale of all electronic and print versions of WIRED By The FBI.
I wish that I could do more, however, with every-one’s support, WE WILL BEAT THIS TERRIBLE SETBACK.
Thank you, god bless all of you and the United States of America.
Glenn Painter
VBT – HUNGER WINTER
Hunger Winter
by Rob Currie
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GENRE: MG Historical Fiction
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BLURB:
It’s the Netherlands in late 1944. Thirteen-year-old Dirk’s Papa left to fight with the Resistance. Then Mama died. When the Gestapo snatched his older sister and he learned they were coming for him next, Dirk left home in the middle of the night. He had his pockets stuffed with food, his little sister asleep in his arms, and his heart heavy with a dark secret.
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EXCERPT
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Dirk Ingelse’s eyes flew open, and he raised his head off the pillow. Who could be knocking on the front door? Gestapo? His insides turned to ice.
The pounding resumed, the sound carrying easily up the stairs into Dirk’s bedroom. It didn’t sound like the rap of knuckles—it was more like the thumping of an angry fist. Or the butt of a rifle.
It had to be the Gestapo. They had been doing more raids lately, and they often came at night. Who else would pummel the front door of the Ingelse’s farmhouse in the middle of the night and risk getting arrested?
Dirk rolled out of bed and crept to his bedroom window. Easing the curtain open a bit, he kept his face away from the window, like Papa had taught him. He couldn’t see a vehicle. But what if they hid their car? Dirk’s right hand shook.
He couldn’t hide. They would tear the place apart to find him. And he couldn’t run—they would have the place surrounded. He’d heard stories. His right hand shook harder. It had been doing that a lot ever since—
The assault on the door resumed, even louder this time. “Open up!” growled a deep voice.
Dirk turned from the window and crept down the stairs.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Life conspired to get Rob Currie to write Hunger Winter: A World War II Novel. His father is a World War II veteran and his wife is Dutch. An award-winning author, it was only a matter of time before he would focus his writing on World War II. Research for Hunger Winter included numerous books, interviews with Dutch WWII survivors, and three weeks in the Netherlands. His investigation revealed astonishing details about the Dutch experience of the war, which begged to be turned into a book.
Born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit, he graduated from Cornerstone University and went on to earn a master’s degree and doctorate in psychology from St. Louis University. He has taught psychology at Judson University since 1987. His hobbies include playing basketball, cooking, and writing poetry.
Author Web Site: www.robcurrieauthor.com
Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Winter-World-War-Novel/dp/1496440358/
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
Rob Currie will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Enter to win a $10 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Author Interview
Tell us about you as a person. What makes you, you?
I enjoy being creative with words and one avenue of doing that is writing humorous poetry. I want to do with words what the Harlem Globetrotters do with a basketball. Here’s a sample.
There once was a hard-working poet
Who lacked talent but didn’t know it.
He worked to be witty. He tried to be terse.
But his poetry went from bad to verse.
If you could hang out with one famous person for one day, who would it be and why?
My person would be Corrie ten Boom. She survived a WWII concentration camp, yet her faith enabled her to forgive her captors.
What’s the story behind your latest book?
This book is like fusion cooking for me in that it combines multiple interests of mine. But instead of combining culinary styles, this book blends my love of World War II, books for kids, and action stories. It helps me be successful when I work at something I am passionate about. And for me, the key to being passionate is to pour my energy into a project that addresses more than one thing I love.
What is your writing process?
I get ideas for stories from just about anywhere. It’s like being in love and anything you see feeds into the way you relate to your sweetie. For example, I got a poignant plot idea for Hunger Winter from an article in the The Chicago Tribune about a young man who partially blamed himself for his mother’s death even though it wasn’t his fault. Most of my story is written by sitting and putting in the hard work and long hours. But some of the key elements come to me from things I experience or read when I’m not actively working on the book at that moment.
Tell us about your main character.
Thirteen-year-old Dirk has to hide from the Nazis, protect his sister, and find their father. His story is an action-adventure, a sort of junior James Bond or Indiana Jones. More than once he thinks he’s safe and the danger’s behind him, but he discovers the enemy has caught up with him again. He’s fiercely protective of his little sister and has a close relationship with his Papa.
If your book was to be turned into a movie, who would play the lead role and why?
I’d pick Daniel Radcliffe, who portrayed Harry Potter. Daniel has the ability to summon and display courage in the face of difficult situations.
What are you working on next?
I’m doing research for a sequel to Hunger Winter. I’m also taking time to read a variety of books, with a range of topics and styles. I believe authors have to replenish their minds with fresh ideas before writing the next book. We’ve all read novels where the sequel sounds too much like the prior story. I don’t want to do that.
What advice do you have for other writers who want to get the word out about their book?
Network with other people with the same writing interests as you. Devote yourself to be helpful to them even if you get nothing in return. In the end, it will come back to you as people will go out of their way to promote your work. Someone said, “She is always on other people’s minds because she never thought about herself. She was always focused on helping other people.”
Do you have any special/extraordinary talents?
I enjoy opening the refrigerator, seeing what we have, and improvising a new recipe. It’s a little like creating a story. You have to think how the food ingredients interact and the planning process is similar to putting together the elements of a story.
You are given the choice of one superpower. What superpower would you have and why?
I would choose the ability to say things that always make people laugh. I have a lively sense of humor and I get laughs but not always. One of life’s greatest joys is to makes a friend or family member laugh.
List 5 things on your bucket list.
- .Learn to speak Dutch
- Have one of my songs performed at a concert
- Visit more Civil War War Battlefields
- Write a sequel to Hunger Winter
- Perform a successful standup comedy routine
- Build a simple cabin in the woods
- Learn to count to five 😊
Where can readers find you on the web?
Any final thoughts?
Two endorsements for Hunger Winter:
The Corrie ten Boom House Foundation runs a WWII museum in the Netherlands, which is where Hunger Winter is set. They wrote:
“I read this book with great interest. I would love to encourage everyone to read this book. Hunger Winter succeeds in describing a very realistic picture of the situation in the Netherlands when the country was in a very difficult time.”
“This is a fine book! Bravo to author Rob Currie. I loved it all—every word and every layer.”
Louise Borden, Author of Ski Soldier: A World War II Biography
One more thing:
Half of the author’s royalties go to Compassion International, a charity which gives food to hungry children around the world. Due to the strong response to Hunger Winter, so far over $3,000 has been donated since the book’s release in early March.
Author website: www.robcurrieauthor.com
Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/yaen3br8
Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/yc73xnjw
Books-A-Million https://tinyurl.com/y7ppskxn
VBT – THE GOURMET GANGSTER
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
A Note from the AuthorThe mysteries are malicious. The recipes are delicious. John Klopfenstein, Criminal Defense Attorney ~ Carmel/Salinas, California
My son Jory and I had a great time collaborating on this book. I wrote the mysteries and he provided the recipes. Together we created some murderous titles for the recipes and decided which types of food would best fit the various mystery stories.
Some of my stories were influenced by being a gangster’s daughter.
Really. My father was a gangster.
He was a bookie, owned a gambling ‘place’ and when he was ready to move on, he and his partner opened a restaurant and bar at the heart of Main Street in Buffalo, New York.
The head of one of the big crime families lived in Buffalo. Odd as it may seem, Buffalo was home to many members of that family in the middle of the twentieth century. There are books about them, telling who they were and what they controlled—from Buffalo to Niagara Falls.
My father knew some of them, I have been told. He was invited to share their goods, their ill gained fortunes and business opportunities. He always refused, and I’m grateful for his wisdom and choice. For some reason they left him alone to forge his own gains.
He did not have or carry a gun. In fact, even though his wife, my mother (who I once called his gun moll in a story I wrote) could be nasty, he was never unkind to her or me. He was generous, and I learned a lot about generosity through his actions.
My boyfriend at the time, his friends and I would stop in at the restaurant. They would even go on their own, knowing my dad loved to have them visit.
What stories he told them! Ones he wouldn’t tell a daughter, he told them and, eventually, his grandson. Who, of course, told me.
I watched my father as he found his way, lost it and then found it again.
Through it all, I always knew I was loved. How lucky I was!
My two sons, his grandsons, also knew he loved them. They were more than special to him; he adored them.
He loved owning and hanging out at his restaurant, The Spaghetti House, and he enjoyed cooking as much as serving drinks and talking to people.
Some people sat at the bar, others in leather booths where meals were served. Passersby stopped to talk with him. Looking back, I know that, for my father, it was the best of times. Food, friendship and family were at the heart of his life.
Remembering my father, and picturing him at a restaurant he owned is what initially inspired me to write stories that took place in a restaurant. I’m a mystery writer, so they had to be about murder, mayhem and, I thought, a fun bit of madness.
Loving short stories, I decided to write a series of short mysteries, all taking place in a restaurant called Manhattan Shadow.
I’m a New Yorker at heart and have lived there for many years, so New York was perfect as the restaurant’s location and the center of the stories’ criminal organization.
.Zero the Bookie is fashioned after my father. He also appears in my Sleuths Mystery Series along with Dick and Dora Zimmerman, reminiscent of the Thin Man characters.
The idea of adding recipes made good sense, since my father was a chef and the stories were set in a mob-owned restaurant. Then, Level Best Books, our publisher, suggested putting a recipe before each story.
I agreed. “Great idea. My son is a fabulous cook; he can create the recipes. Plus, we’ll give them names to fit the stories.
Indeed, we did. For example, “Chicken Piccata Caper,” “The Sacrificial Lamb,” “The Quiche (Kiss) of Death.” Near the end we added, “A Deadly Delicious Dessert.”
It will perhaps seem strange to some readers that those desserts are ‘donuts,’ but those donuts belong to a very important memory. When my father and mother came to visit us after we moved to Long Island, my father brought along a small donut-making machine.
I wisely disappeared from the anticipated mess.
Oh, how his grandsons loved making the donuts, adding different frostings and sprinkles and devouring them. The three of them had such fun! The experiences of those times have long belonged to my son, Jory. I believe they inspired his joy of cooking.
Here are Jory’s thoughts concerning his love of both cooking and his family ties: “Some of my earliest memories about my grandfather include making donuts with him in the kitchen of our house. I remember his kindness, patience, and love for the process as well as the end result. It gave me a lifetime passion for cooking, and a desire to learn the best techniques. It did, of course, also have the effect of creating a lifetime love affair with donuts (come on, they are nature’s perfect food). As I grew older, there were many shared meals and stories that gave me a true appreciation of my grandfather as a person.
“In my family, today, we truly look forward to our evening meals. I have three kids (2 girls, 9 and 7, and a boy 3); my grandfather would have adored them. What I cook allows my children to get know my grandfather through every bite of the cuisine he created. I hope the recipes in my mother’s books inspire good memories and experiences in others, too.”
As I considered mystery stories for the book, I thought about places familiar to me or where I like to spend time.
The story, “He’s A Dead Duck,” was a reminder of a duck pond we lived near on Long Island, years ago. I loved the idea of creating a story beginning with a duck recipe. “The Chicken Piccata Caper” was the easiest; I always ask Jory to make that delicious recipe for me when I visit.
There’s a story centered in a coffee shop: I meet friends there several times a week to take a writing/computer break.
“Malled to Death” is a result of my seeing a mall at death’s door, most stores gone, when I was back east last year.
Never a dull moment in this entertaining and intriguing collection of underworld stories featuring a mob boss with plenty of axes to grind. Fascinating tales told by a talented author. As an added bonus: delicious recipes for the gourmet mobster in all of us. ~ Lida Sideris, author of the Southern California Mystery series
The Family Business
This is a collection of murder mystery stories linked by two main characters, Poppa and the Boss and at times joined by the Senior Sleuths, Dick and Dora Zimmerman and their friend, Zero the Bookie. How they get involved is often a mystery.
Poppa is head Chef for a successful restaurant, Manhattan Shadow, owned by the Boss, a powerful mobster determined to maintain control and power in his territory.
To refuse to work for him would be considered an insult. Not a good thing for Poppa’s wellbeing.
There are silent implications if one should become disloyal. There are consequences implied one doesn’t want to experience.
In the restaurants private dining room murder is often planned for all sorts of irrational reasons that seem very rational to the Boss: including power, greed, control, revenge and of course money.
The stories Poppa could tell…and does.
But who is he telling?
That’s also part of the mystery.
Of course the Senior Sleuths and Zero know.
Read an Excerpt
The Murder Car
Bruno Santos owned a dark green, 1928 Cadillac equipped with bullet-proof glass and extra body protection. “I don’t want no tommy gun to destroy this baby. And don’t forget to build in the hidden compartment.”
Full of bluster and self-importance, Santos made a lot of money illegally. He also made a lot of dangerous enemies.
The 1920’s were tailor-made for gangsters. Poverty and despair had driven many to gangs and a life of crime. However, thanks to Prohibition they had an opportunity to make millions of dollars from the illegal sale of alcohol.
With Prohibition whole new industries were born for the criminal elements. Many small-time gangsters became rich and powerful, including Bruno. Bootlegging and speakeasies made a fortune for them.
As the top crime mobs expanded, they devoured the smaller gangs. Their crimes now included narcotics, extortion and money-laundering, adding to their income and power.
Bruno was caught up in it all. The underworld violence was at his doorstep. So was the glamour. Dressed in fancy suits and wearing expensive jewelry, he drove around showing off like a big man, for all to see.
“I think he’s going to be trouble,” the boss told a few men at a local meeting.
“Yeah, drives around in the car like he’s a celebrity.”
“Keep an eye on him. He’s going to have a money problem if he keeps spending the way he is right now.” His boss was right.
The speakeasies were an open secret: a few knocks on doors throughout the country, and booze was available, “There’s a world of booze making me a fortune, and broads to help me enjoy it,” bragged Santos.
Many prospered, grew and survived. There were politicians who were easily bought, and businessmen who realized they could make more money now than most of their prior, legal enterprises. Eventually the more powerful joined forces and became part of what was known as the mob and the underworld.
“They want more money. So do I,” Bruno was about to be overdrawn, in more ways than one.
He envisioned himself like the other big-name gangsters of the 1920’s, Lucky Luciano, Al Capone and even “Dutch” Schultz. He never came close, except in his own mind.
The trouble with Bruno Santos was his obnoxious behavior, combined with an element of stupidity; assuming he could steal from the local mob boss. For several months he took an increasingly bigger piece of the money he was collecting, thinking not only did he deserve it, but he was getting away with it.
The boss was someone he had been friends with since they were teenagers. He should have known better, after all that time. Bruno had seen him beat individuals until they couldn’t get up, and worse.
He wasn’t yet 30 when it was over and the beautiful car went missing.
Newspaper headlines shouted, “Shot execution style, three shots to the back of his head, Bruno Santos was found dead at the entrance of his home. His car is gone.”
The story gave his background, some of his criminal activities and a photo of the beautiful 1928 Cadillac. No one could find it.
Here is a deadly delicious recipe from The Gourmet Gangster
Chicken Piccata “Caper”
Cauliflower Rice and Fresh Italian Bread
Chicken Piccata is a classic recipe filled with an amazing lemon butter flavor. Place the Piccata over the fresh cauliflower rice (or standard rice, if you prefer) and let the sauce coat the rice for the ideal bite. Use the bread to soak up any extra sauce. The meal is the perfect complement to the crisp, clean taste of the Sauvignon Blanc.
4 skinless and boneless chicken breasts (The thinner the cutlet the better, as it will cook easier and more evenly. If you have thicker breasts, use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound thin/flatten out.)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Season chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour and shake off excess.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter. When butter starts again to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.
Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Add seasoning to taste and return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.
Wine Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc.
About the Authors:
M. Glenda Rosen is author of a total of ten books including The Gourmet Gangster: Mysteries and Menus by The Family published by Level Best Books. They are also her publisher for The Senior Sleuth Mystery Series, and will be republishing all four books in her Dying To Be Beautiful Mystery Series. She has won several book awards, was founder and owner of a successful marketing and public relations agency for many years, receiving numerous awards for her work with business and professional women. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, LA and Alb.NM, Central Coast Writers and Public Safety Writer’s Association
She currently resides in Carmel, California and can be reached at: MarciagRosen@gmail.com
Books by M. Glenda Rosen (aka Marcia Rosen)
The Gourmet Gangster, Mysteries and Menus by The Family (Marcia and Son Jory Rosen)
The Senior Sleuths Mysteries: Dead In Seat 4-A
The Senior Sleuths Mysteries: Dead In Bed
The Senior Sleuths Mysteries: Dead In THAT Beach House (2020)
Dying To Be Beautiful: Without A Head
Dying To Be Beautiful: Fashion Queen Dying To Be Beautiful: Fake Beauty Dying To Be Beautiful: Fat Free
My Memoir Workbook
The Woman’s Business Therapist: Eliminate the MindBlocks & RoadBlocks to Success
Jory Rosen has been in the advertising and marketing business for over 30 years and is the owner of the J. Rosen Group, a full-service international advertising, branding and direct marketing agency.
For over two decades, Jory Rosen has set the tone for strong, innovative, and successful campaigns, while providing a flexibility and level of personal client service rarely seen in the industry has extensive experience in all areas of advertising, direct response and marketing including sales, production direct mail, email, web, TV, radio, alternative media and more. In addition, with over 150 campaigns under the belt, there is a strong track record of success.
Jory’s passions are his family, cooking and wine. Jory worked as a cooking demonstrator for many years in NYC and now takes the show on the road by doing cooking demonstrations for his kid’s schools and classrooms. He often cooks meals with his kids and loves seeing their reactions to new recipes and meals.
They live in Los Angeles, California.
Joryla@gmail.com
Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Gourmet-Gangster-Mysteries-Menus-ebook/dp/B07ZQYFL4N/
The book is $0.99.
Marcia Rosen & Jory Rosen will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
VBT – 7 STEPS TO CLARITY
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Please click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
The sheer amount of decisions in life can become an overwhelming burden. Sometimes we just want to know the answers to our questions. We want to know we are making the right choices. It can be hard to see the right path with the noise of the world. There are voices and media all around us, influencing everything we do. In all that noise, where is the true voice, the one that knows? You can call it God or Source or the Universe or your Higher Self, but it is contained within you. Accessing it and giving it room and silence to speak to you is the real key to achieving your best life.
In seven steps, Nicole Stephen shows the way to a happier, more peaceful daily life. To reclaim yourself, you need to shut out the “shoulds,” but in order to do that, you need to notice them. Exploring the questions and challenges that Nicole includes in this book will open your eyes to the pressures that you may have been submitting to unknowingly. In clearing up the way you see the world, you can clear a path to knowing yourself, and with that true voice guiding you, you will always find the way.
Read an Excerpt
Do you ever wonder what your life is all about? Why you are here? You are not alone. As a coach and teacher for many years, there is a common thread that runs through students, young professionals, and even CEOs at the height of their careers: “So what? Now what?” And there is confusion, lots of confusion. “Do I stay in my current job? How can I get a better job? Do I start a family? Do I stay with my current spouse? Why haven’t I found love yet? Why didn’t I stay in the band? I would have had such a diff erent life. Maybe I should be doing something more important, something worthy to impact the world in a positive and meaningful way?” What if I told you that there is a guru—a genie perhaps—that can answer all your questions? This person can make themselves available to you day or night, can answer any question, and can give you clear insights on any situation or decision, no matter how small or diffi cult. And this guru is free of charge and full of love and support for you. Too good to be true? Well, it is true and the person who has all the answers to unlock your potential with ease and fun is, yes, you may have guessed it, YOU!
About the Author:
Nicole Stephen is the founder and principal consultant for Miramar Group. During her 20-year career as an executive coach and organizational development consultant she has worked to help individuals, teams, and organizations accelerate growth and realize their potential. She holds a Masters’ and PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Virginia Polytechnic and State University. Nicole lives on the coast in the San Francisco Bay area with her husband, two children, and dog Henry.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20026975.Nicole_Stephen
https://www.miramarconsultinggroup.com/
Links to buy:
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Steps-Clarity-Personal-Guidance-System/dp/1734181443/ref=sr_1_1
The author will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter.
VBT – MAYHEM AND THE MARQUESS
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Daughter of an infamous murderer, Ivy Wollard now wields knives instead of needlepoint to survive in a society where no one wants her. When the Marquess of Blackbourne comes along and ruins her chance at a better life, she decides she’d rather have her toes eaten by eels than agree to his proposed scheme. There’s no way her surrender has anything to do with the mesmerizing angle of his jawline or the wicked twinkle in his eyes.
But Asher Blackbourne has a secret. He knows it’s just a matter of time until he goes mad and loses his illustrious title, so when Ivy falls into his path, he realizes he could use her to keep his house of cards from falling down. If every illicit touch between them doesn’t drive him mad first, that is.
Yet Ivy cannot escape her grisly legacy and the dark desires of her father’s admirers. What if violence runs through her veins, and no one who gets close is safe? Mayhem will descend as this rake finally falls for the enigmatic woman who might be just his brand of poison…Er, cure, of course.
Read an Excerpt
Blackbourne came towards the clawfoot tub, running a finger along the porcelain edge.
Ivy shrank back instinctively into the steam.
He chuckled. “Don’t worry, love. I won’t bite,” he drawled, and then paused. “Yet.”
She inhaled as his eyes flashed promises of things she wasn’t sure she understood.
“Your bathwater is quite thoroughly unrevealing with all those suds. What a pity.” He sighed, pulling the nearby chair closer to the tub and lowering himself down into it. “Will you wash your hair for me?”
Ivy blinked “Right now?” she choked, reaching up to pat her hair, which she’d styled in a high chignon.
He nodded, his posture relaxed, although Ivy knew this to be deceptive. He was waiting to hear her answer with taut focus. When she didn’t move a muscle, Blackbourne interrupted her tumultuous thoughts with a soft suggestion. “Let me help you.”
The words reached out to her with tendrils that wrapped her consciousness in a sensual fog, causing the hair on her nape to rise. This was not done, she knew. A proper lady would never allow a gentleman to touch her hair, much less while she bathed. But what about any of their arrangement was proper in the first place? Who would even know?
Besides him.
So she reached up slowly so as not to disturb the water covering her chest and drew the stickpin from her hair, letting its length fall in a heavy coil down her back.
His sharp intake of breath echoed in the tiled chamber.
Was that a good thing? Ivy’s body trembled as she watched him rise and come towards her through the steam…
About the Author:
Win Hollows is a multi-award-winning romance fiction writer who still believes that love conquers all. She currently lives in Colorado with her own real-life hero and their three fur babies. Her passion is writing stories about love and intrigue and will continue to do so as long as characters keep having conversations in her head. Hollows’ other interests include traveling to places with delicious food and languages she can’t speak, having wilderness adventures, and, of course, reading! She loves connecting with readers and fans on Facebook, Instagram, and through her website.
Social Media Links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/winhollows/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Win-Hollows-166439534079985/
Website: http://www.winhollows.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/44526655-mayhem-and-the-marquess
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mayhem-Marquess-Lords-Havoc-Book-ebook/dp/B07NHR2TYQ
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mayhem-and-the-marquess-win-hollows/1130949870
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/929031
Publisher: https://www.evernightpublishing.com/mayhem-and-the-marquess-by-win-hollows/
The author will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn commenter.
