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Monday, March 18, 2024

Island Detour by Maria Imbalzano - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!


Island Detour
by Maria Imbalzano

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GENRE:   Contemporary Romance

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BOOK BLURB:

Falsely accused of wrongdoing at a Princeton Prep school, Sophie Kearns accepts a temporary teaching position at an environmental school in the Florida Keys to wait out her suspension. The time away is meant to be an anxiety-free escape, but her clashes with the hot but arrogant marine biology teacher, Max Heaton, are anything but tranquil.

Max is determined to start an environmental research institute at the school, but he suspects the gorgeous new Lit teacher, who lacks even the most basic outdoor skills, is there to hinder that dream. Yet, something about her tames the demons from his past, and he can no longer ignore the fire she’s lit inside him.

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EXCERPT THREE:

Just because you have issues shouldn’t mean you can’t trust anyone but yourself.” The second the words were out of her mouth, she knew she’d gone too far. But he had started it. And frankly, she didn’t care if she had struck a nerve.

His jaw clenched, an almost imperceptible movement. After a few seconds he bowed his head and sighed. Then he turned his back to her, picked up his rod, and cast the line into the ocean. No comeback. No smart remark. A minor victory. Had she really gotten in the last word this time?

Unfortunately, she couldn’t let it go.

“Is that how you deal with conflict? You turn around and ignore it?”

She was definitely pushing the envelope now, but he deserved it. One didn’t just end an argument by turning away. He needed to stick with it. Fight it out. Until the bitter end.

She watched him in profile, the brooding, detached fisherman whose lips rarely inched into a smile, whose eyes rarely sparkled, and whose cutting words were meant to slice—and hurt. Which they did.

Sophie looked over at Ben, who had remained quiet during their little altercation. He held his finger to his lips as if to say enough.

She itched to continue but followed his unspoken suggestion. He knew Max a lot better than she did. And sometimes, she just had to let things settle down.

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GUEST POST:

What Have Been Your Biggest Writing Mistakes and What Lessons Have You Learned From Them?

I wish I had just one. Unfortunately, I have several. It’s a good thing I consider myself a lifelong learner since the value of making mistakes is to learn from them.

The first big mistake I made was in writing my Sworn Sisters Series. It’s about four women who have been best friends since high school, and are now in their early 30s. Each woman has their own book with their own story, but the other women come in and out of each other’s books.

The first book in the series, “Sworn to Forget,” is Nicki’s story, but Sam has a big role in that book. The second book in the series, “Sworn to Remember” is Sam’s story. I made the huge mistake of having much of these stories take place during the same time period. As a result, when I was writing Sam’s story, I had to keep going back to Nicki’s story to see exactly what they said to each other and what time of year it was when they met at different locations. I also needed to make sure the timeline of Sam’s story coordinated with the time line in Nicki’s. Further,  I had to put all the other secondary characters in scenes that overlapped. The lesson I learned was to never have stories in a series overlap. Make them serial in time so I can just write that story fresh, without having to keep going back to a prior story. As a result of my education, the third book in the series, “Sworn to Fly” takes place after the events of “Sworn to Remember.”

The next big mistake I made was with “Return to Wylder.”  I wrote the entire book in the third person, which is how I usually write.  It wasn’t until I was finished with the book that I decided it would be better if written in first person. I then had to go back and edit the entire book. Lesson Two: decide which point of view I want before I start writing the book.

Another mistake I tend to make with every book (I clearly haven’t learned this teachable lesson) is to info dump. It never fails that when I send each book in to my editor, she asks me to get rid of the first chapter (at least) and start with Chapter Two. I then need to filter in all the information I had in Chapter One throughout the next several chapters. I always agree. This assures that Chapter One starts where it should start – at a life changing moment—and that I don’t bore the reader with backstory. Lesson Three: Before I send the book to my editor, delete the first chapter myself and filter in the information throughout the next several chapters.

Another painful lesson I learned was with the manuscript I am currently working on. It’s the last of the Sworn Sisters books titled “Sworn to Collide.”  My critique partners don’t like my heroine. That is the death knell for a book. The main character can be flawed and should be, but he/she must have some redeeming trait up front to allow the reader to root for them.  If the reader doesn’t like the character, then she won’t care what happens to her and won’t want to finish the book. So…I’m working on making her a more likable character up front, despite her flaws. This has not been an easy task and I am now re-writing the book with “then” and “now” chapters to show why she thinks the way she does. Lesson Four: Make my main character likable from the beginning. Don’t wait until I’m halfway through the book to show why she is the way she is.

Just so you know, I did make mistake number three in my new release “Island Detour.”  I had to delete the first chapter. And it was so good! 😊


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AUTHOR BIO:


Maria Imbalzano is an award-winning contemporary author who writes about strong, independent women and the men who fall in love with them. She recently retired from the practice of law, but legal issues have a way of showing up in many of her novels. When not writing, she loves to travel both abroad and in the states.  Maria lives in central New Jersey with her husband--not far from her two daughters and granddaughters. For more information about her books, please visit her website at http://mariaimbalzano.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter.

Awards:
Maria is a member of New Jersey Romance Writers and has received many honors and awards for her work including the ACRA Readers’ Choice Heart of Excellence Award, the Wisconsin Romance Writers Write Touch Readers Award, The NEST (National Excellence In Story Telling) Award, the Carolyn Award, Book Buyers Best Award, The Stiletto Reader’s Choice Award, Long & Short Reviews Book of the Month Award (3rd Place for Book of the Year), and Still Moments Magazine Reader’s Choice Award.
 
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CONNECT WITH MARIA:

Facebook:

Twitter:

Instagram:

Website Link:

Goodreads Author Page:

Book Bub Profile Page:

Amazon Author Page:

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Maria will be awarding a $15 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner's Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

In All Things: God's Providence by Dr. John Nuefeld - Book Tour - Book Blast - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

 This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotins. Dr. John Neufeld will be awarding a $10 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner's Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The issue of control is a central question of life. At work, in family, community clubs and schools, with the economy or international politics, the question is, "Is anyone in charge here?" Dr. John Neufeld demonstrates the Bible teaching of God's providence. We are assured that God's Hand is upon everything and everyone, without exception. Dr. John explores God's sustaining grip through the natural world and human endeavor, in pivotal matters or the seemingly trivial, the things we welcome and those we shun. He teaches the impact of God's sovereign rule upon our hearts, minds, work, worship, homes, and nation. We can live in the confidence that God is unfolding His purpose for time and eternity.

What people are saying about Dr. John Neufeld's teaching:

"This is such an important message for us today. Thank you, Dr. John, for your encouragement to view what is presently concerning us in the world from the perspective of God and His providence. That should take a huge weight off our shoulders!"
EXCERPT ONE:

Jesus controls the atoms that make up your body, the ground under your feet, the air you breathe, the world upon which you stand and the universe in which you live. All of it is held together and directed by the Son of God. Furthermore, if Jesus were not constantly, moment by moment, sustaining all these things, the forces that hold the atoms in place would fly apart and all things would cease to be. Everything that exists—past, present and future—does so by His will and permission. Everything that goes on does so under His direction. That’s what we mean when we talk about meticulous sovereignty.

AUTHOR BIO:

Dr. John Neufeld, Bible teacher of Back to the Bible Canada, is well known both nationally and internationally for his excellence in expositional Bible teaching. Dr. Neufeld is passionate about bringing the truth of God's Word to life across Canada and beyond.

CONNECT WITH DR. JOHN NEUFELD:

YouTube:
http://www.backtothebible.ca

AMAZON BOOK BUY LINK:

Amazon US eBook:

Thursday, March 14, 2024

A Twist of Hate by T.E. Lorenzo - Book Tour - Blurb Blitz - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

A Twist of Hate

by T.E. Lorenzo

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GENRE:   Romance

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BOOK BLURB:

They love to hate each other...

Natalia is content with hating her co-worker, Adrian. The two can hardly stand being in the same room, despite having worked together for several months. When Natalia agrees to a trip out of town with a friend, little does she know that Adrian will be there, too. This is the time to crank up the hate, right?

The trip is not what Natalia thought it would be. Forced to spend time with her enemy, she finds there is more to Adrian than meets the eye. Will Natalia push aside her hatred and see the true Adrian?

With a twist of hate, just maybe...

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EXCERPT ONE:

All Natalia could think about was another opportunity to get Adrian to speak to her before they wandered around the desert together. She thought the odds might be in her favor, considering she had overheard Denver mention that he and Adrian would leave for the airport immediately after their shift ended today. Vegas would be at the forefront of Adrian’s mind. Surely he would clear the tension that had grown so awkward and heavy between them before he left.

Further playing into her hands was the special seating arrangement drawn up for the day. Lopez assigned both Adrian and Natalia to desks on the suite level, and they’d be in the same row, four seats apart.

Once she saw this seating chart posted on Friday, Natalia knew she had to crank up the heat for the big day. She dressed in a form-fitting pencil skirt that cut off just above the knees, revealing the Speedy Gonzales tattoo just above her ankle. She had even shaved—in the winter—to make sure her legs were as appealing as possible.

Natalia also wore a blouse that revealed the slightest glimpse of cleavage. She questioned herself as she dressed earlier this morning, wondering why she was putting in so much effort into her appearance to get Adrian’s attention. She hated him, after all.

It’s not for Adrian. It’s for me. I’m freshly single, going to Vegas in two days, and life is good. I can get sexy all for myself if I want to.

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AUTHOR BIO:

T.E. Lorenzo is the debut author of A Twist of Hate. Having lived through his own enemies-to-lovers story, he believes love can come from the most unexpected of places. When he's not writing, T.E. is likely chasing his kids around, playing baseball, or relaxing with a good book. He is currently living out his happily-ever-after with his wife and three kids in their hometown of Denver, CO.  

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP2TF94Z

Barnes and Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-twist-of-hate-te-lorenzo/1144416094

Kobo:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-twist-of-hate

Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1485296?ref=5princepub

Google Play:

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/T_E_Lorenzo_A_Twist_of_Hate?id=PbTlEAAAQBAJ

5 Prince Publishing:

https://www.5princebooks.com/telorenzo.html

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

T.E. Lorenzo will award a $15 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner's Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Toothbrush Animal Hunt by Carleen Dehaney - Book Tour - Book Blast - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Carleen will be awarding a $10 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner's Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Embark on a delightful adventure with Toothbrush Animal Hunt, the perfect children's book to encourage daily toothbrushing habits in a playful and enjoyable way.

From a clapping sea lion at the beach to a cheeky squirrel in the forest, children will be fascinated as they learn about toothbrushing through the actions and antics of these charming creatures. And don't forget to spot the toothbrushes hidden throughout the pages, making this hunt, a delightful game of discovery.

Say goodbye to toothbrushing struggles and let the adventure begin!
EXCERPT TWO:

AUTHOR BIO:

Meet the author, Carleen Dehaney! Carleen is a mother and wife. She hails from the UK but now calls Canada home. This enchanting book draws inspiration from a tenacious 2-year-old in need of some toothbrushing magic. Carleen embarked on a whimsical journey, incorporating playful animal sounds into her daughter's brushing routine, and thus, the idea for this captivating book was conceived. Today, her little one, who has since outgrown her toddler years, recites this tale back to Carleen, forging cherished moments between them.

AMAZON BOOK BUY LINK:

Amazon US:

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Latency by Nathaniel J. Koszer - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!



Latency
by Nathaniel J. Koszer

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GENRE:   Sci Fi Biotech

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BOOK BLURB:

Sera is a LO-EC, a human who gained superpowers as an unintended side effect of a biotechnological breakthrough. Her unique abilities allowed her to survive while others like her, including her parents, were exterminated by a world government fearful of their potential.

After decades of hiding, she meets Naren, another superpowered survivor who has infiltrated the ranks of the military. Together, they form a plan to unite with other surviving LO-ECs, claim vengeance against the forces who murdered their families, and ultimately stoke a worldwide rebellion against the government that wanted them dead.

The entirety of 26th century Earth’s armed forces stand in their way: Soldiers equipped with terrifying weaponry, armies with electromagnetic cannons, merciless bloodthirsty androids, and Spidre, the World Leader with unnatural abilities of his own. The world brought Sera and the other LO-ECs pain and loss, and they’re determined to return it in kind.

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EXCERPT ONE:

In the basement of a skyscraper hundreds of stories high, a constant shaking and groaning accompanied the cacophony of breaking glass and falling bricks from the street above. A man and a woman had spent the night here, fearing those sounds meant their building was on the verge of collapse. Finally, the sun rose and the sounds gave way to stillness. The death of the noises gave life to new fears, in that now the man and woman had to take action.

“Are there any sort of supplies on the cycles?” the man asked. He was bleary-eyed, his face was flush, and even the simple task of standing up seemed to be a struggle.

“I doubt it,” the woman replied, her expression as beleaguered as his. “And you’re sure there was nothing in these boxes?” she continued, glancing around the small storage room.

The man shook his head. “Just lots of cleaning supplies. And we can’t risk going back upstairs,” he replied. “I can’t even hear the big one lumbering around, that has to mean they’re searching another building. We need to move now. We’ll worry about supplies after we get out of New Orleans, and after it feels safe.”

The woman nodded and walked over to one smaller pile of boxes. She pulled them away and the room lit up in an orange glow. The boxes had been covering a young girl, no more than six years old, whose skin had trails of orange light swirling across her arms, legs, and face.

“We need to leave, sweetie. We’re going to find our cycles in the garage, Ok?”

The little girl nodded.

“Do you remember that woman? Alison?” she asked the girl. “Do you remember where she and her friends live?”

The little girl nodded slowly, while the man’s face furrowed with skepticism.

“If anything happens to us, you go straight to her. Do you understand?”

“She can’t go to them!” the man exclaimed in an elevated whisper. “They’re a bunch of fanatics!”

“They are, but they will keep her safe!” the woman responded.

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GUEST POST:

Everyone loves a hero! Tell us all about this genuine character and the inspiration behind their development.

Latency is a science fiction thriller with six(!) protaganists all with unique personalities and superpowers. They all get to show off in their own way throughout the story, but it is one character’s desire for revenge that leads to all six characters finding each other and uniting for a greater cause. That character is Sera, and in addition to causing the inciting incident, she also has the most diverse set of inspirations for her character design and development.

For those who haven’t read Latency yet, it takes place in the 25th century, and focuses on six LO-ECs, humans who have gained superpowers through a malfunction of biotechnology, and are now considered too dangerous for the government to allow to live. Sera is one of the LO-ECs. She can fly, glowing orange swirls of energy visibly ebb and flow within her skin, and she can forcibly expel that energy at will, creating violent bursts of energy that act similar to a bomb blast. She is about five feet tall, skinny, and would be considered African or African American complexion by today’s racial demographics (more on this later).

The initial idea for the character that became Sera is practically ancient history. In elementary school, I was obsessed with superhero teams (think the X-men and TMNT) and created my own characters that I would invent little adventures for in my head. One character was called Firefly, and her powers resembled what fireflies do in real life. She could fly, she glowed, and she had light based powers that could blind people. Over the years, thanks in large part to the Jean Grey’s Dark Phoenix arc in X-Men and Carol Danvers’ run as Captain Marvel, Firefly’s powers became the energy blast they are today. The look and feel of the energy blast is inspired by Dragonball Z, specifically Vegeta’s massive suicide explosion during the Majin Buu story arc. It is a huge blast of energy that launches out in all directions, with Vegeta/Sera in the center of it.

The origin story for Sera’s power and the rest of the LO-ECs was inspired almost exclusively by The Matrix. In that movie, humanity has been enslaved by AI robots, and human body heat and electrical synapses are used as fuel by the machines. I was fascinated by that concept, and always thought it would be interesting to see a plot where humans harnessed that power instead of machines. I waited a long time, eager to see a famous writer or producer think up that plot idea themselves, but it never came to pass. Eventually I got sick of waiting and wrote it down myself, and that became Latency.

Sera’s character design has some inspiration from other science fiction media, but a lot of it was also born out of the story itself. Her height and build came from, ironically enough, the TV show Firefly. In that show there is a female character named River Tam, played by actress Summer Glau. River is about five feet tall, ninety-five pounds, and a relentless, unstoppable hand-to-hand fighter. The size and skill of her opponent did not matter compared to her ferocity. I adored that idea. The concept of someone small, especially a small woman, being by far the most dominant physical force in the storyline was the coolest concept I had ever come across. So, when it came time to write Latency, I couldn’t imagine Sera being any other body type.

She became a black woman through the story writing process itself. Since the story takes place in the 25th century, I figured and research confirmed by that time in history most of today’s races wouldn’t exist. They would have intermingled so much that no one race could be identified. At the same time, I felt it was important for the reader to know that the characters were what we would consider mixed race today. That meant finding a genuine way for it to come up in conversation. The problem was, if everyone on earth had the same skin color, why would skin color ever come up as a discussion topic? My solution to this was to choose one character to have a different skin color, just through random genetic anomaly as a reference point for conversation. With Sera’s skin already being written as having moving, glowing swirls all over it, making her a black woman made for a cool mental image, and with that her current design was complete.

I hope everyone enjoyed reading about the many ways that Sera became the amazing character you will experience on the pages of Latency. If you haven’t picked up Latency already, I hope this exploration of one of it’s badass characters inspires you to do so!

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AUTHOR BIO:


Nate grew up in Brooklyn NY, but now calls the Bronx home along with his wife and their sons. Nate grew up on all things sci-fi. Partly due to his chronic illness, Nate always had a special place in his heart for the X-Men, and especially the invulnerable Wolverine. This was heavy inspiration for his first novel, Latency a superhero sci-fi story to be released March 5, 2024.

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CONNECT WITH NATE:

Website:

Bluesky:

X:

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BOOK BUY LINKS:


Amazon:

Barnes and Noble:

Smashwords eBook:

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Nathaniel will award a $10 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner's Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Arlya by Jack Lowe-Carbell - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

 



Arlya
by Jack Lowe-Carbell

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GENRE:   Thriller

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BOOK BLURB:

Arlya, a small town in Southern Ontario, is rocked by a gruesome crime. Four friends must work together with Detective Dylan Grey to find a pattern, a bike, a clue, and a sister before it is repeated.

James and his three best friends, Owen, Tommy, and Mike, have just finished school for the summer. The plan is the same as every other year: they are going to build the biggest fort yet, deep in the Dhoon Woods. After stumbling across a tiny, seemingly unimportant wooden hut, a series of crimes take place and their plans change.

Arlya falls into itself. Doors are locked, curtains drawn, bikes are put away, strangers invade, and kids are off the street. In the first week of summer vacation, a dark and disturbing family history is uncovered; friends turn on each other; a storm rolls through town; and a monster is hiding just out of sight, smiling its toothy grin and crawling through the corn.

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EXCERPT ONE:

One Friday night last summer, the four of them had left James’s house after his parents had gone to bed. They had biked around in the dark, briefly illuminated by the sparse streetlights looming over the side streets. Fog had drifted across the side roads; houses were barely visible through their covered lawns. Somehow, they wound their way to the bottom of Cemetery Hill.
 
“My grandpa is in there,” Tommy had said quietly.

They had looked out at the long blackness which rose menacingly above them. The trees at the top of the hill had been reaching toward the starry sky.

James had wanted to bike back. If he had left, the others would have surely followed suit. Mike had glanced at James waiting for his decision.

“My dad was supposed to be buried here,” Owen had said, his voice cracking, devoid of moisture.

The fog had continued to thicken around the four of them standing stagnant in the road, straddling their bikes.

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GUEST POST:

Overcoming Writing Obstacles

Writing this novel was, as I expected it, quite challenging.

There was a constant little sliver of doubt, every morning, every time I sat down to write. A nagging voice in the background saying, what if you can’t finish it, what if it’s not actually as good as you think, what if today you can’t do it. To overcome this I did what I know how to do, I wrote. I put some words down, even if they were garbage, it’s practice. I would go over a scene in my head again, plan a new one, I thought about characters and there motives, and I reminded myself that even if it wasn’t everything I wanted it to be, I am doing it; I am doing something I have always wanted to do, and aren’t I so lucky to do that.

That is not to say over the six months that I wrote this novel there were words put down every single day. I actually took an entire month off. I had a pretty serious health scare arise and it became a little obsolete, this idea I had. I was with my family, friends, I was thinking of the future. This strangely enough helped me when I came back to it. I realized it wasn’t quite as daunting as I thought. It wasn’t as integral to making me who I am as I had previously imagined it to. It was just me, at a desk, with a coffee, and an idea, writing something I had come up with, and I was so grateful to do it.

The steps I took from there were quite straightforward. If on a certain day I wasn’t feeling it, I was dreading sitting at my computer, I didn’t, I walked around, I saw friends, I went to the beach. But every day I checked in with myself. Every day I wanted to write I made sure to make time for it, and push away all distractions. It became a bit of therapy for me, an escape.

Now, dealing with the emotions after finishing the novel is a whole other beast I won’t get into now. 
Again, I am no pro, but if I could give any advice, it would be to check in with yourself and ask yourself how you are feeling before trying to pour everything into this thing. This isn’t everything, while it may feel like it at times, it is important to also lift your head from the page and look around. I know I struggled with that immensely but when I learned that it made it a lot easier.

Thank you for reading my rant, I would love to hear what others have gone through and how they dealt with it!

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AUTHOR BIO:


Jack Lowe-Carbell is a 26-year-old writer living in Vancouver, BC. Arlya is his first novel, and it is based in his hometown, Ayr, ON. Thanks to his dad, who read him horror stories when he was far too young, Jack has always loved the genre. His next novel is a tale of horror based in Garibaldi Provincial Park.

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CONNECT WITH JACK:

Website:

Facebook:

Instagram:

TikTok:

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BOOK BUY LINKS:


Amazon US eBook:

Amazon CA eBook:

Kobo eBook:

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:


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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Jack will award a $15 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner's Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Picasso's Lovers by Jeanne Mackin - Book Tour - Book Blast - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jeanne will award a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner's Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.






You know Pablo Picasso. Now meet the women behind the masterpieces. The women of Picasso's life are glamorous and elusive, existing in the shadow of his fame - until, in the 1950's, aspiring journalist Alana Olsen determines to bring one into the light and discovers a past complicated by secrets and intrique.
EXCERPT TWO:

I have a photo, faded and torn, of two women on a terrace. Their black jersey bathing costumes reach modestly down their thighs and up to their collarbones. Their hair is cut short in a flapper bob of the 1920’s. The women gaze straight into the camera with a hint of defiance.

Beyond the terrace is a calm sea. Even in this black-and-white photo, the blueness of the water shimmers. Sailboats are caught forever on that sea, as are the women, ambered into eternal youth and beauty. Between the terrace and the sea are palm trees with fringed tops and grainy trunks.

If you look long enough at the photo, you can feel the Mediterranean sunshine…

There is a secret folded into the shadows of the photo.

In the bottom right hand corner, there is a third woman, blurred in motion rather than posing. The camera has caught her unaware. She wears a print dress, not a bathing costume, and her is long and braided. The sun, directly behind her, backlighting her, makes her face impossible to see. The light halos the shape of her head so that she is everyone and no one.

AUTHOR BIO:
Jeanne Mackin is the author of several historical novels, including The Last Collection, which has been translated into five languages, and The Beautiful American, which won a CNY award for fiction. She has taught in the MFA Creative Writing program at Goddard College and won journalism awards, and is currently at work on her next novel.

CONNECT WITH JEANNE:

Website: