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Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Out Sick for Surgery

Good morning lovelies!!  I just wanted to let you all know that yesterday was my last post for the week…  I am having surgery this morning and will be out for recovery…  All the current posts and giveaways will remain active so please continue to stop by and enter to win…  There just won’t be a new book tour stop until 11/01/18 as I needed to take some time off to recover post-surgery…  I recently tore my ankle ligaments and am having them repaired, it’s called a Grade 3 ATFL Tear…  Yea not so much fun lol!!!  So please keep me in your thoughts today... I will miss you all so much and will try to post an update on my status as soon as I can... But they say I'll be out of it for a few days, so don't worry if you don't hear from me for a few days...  I will miss you all and I look forward to coming back on November 1st with lots of exciting new book tour posts and giveaways!!!

My foot after the accident

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Goddess Fish Promotions Tenth Anniversary Party - Celebration Tour - Interview - TWO Giveaways!! - Enter Daily!!


Hey lovelies!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Marianne and Judy for their 10th Anniversary Celebration Tour!  For other stops on their Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win LOTS of fabulous prizes!!!  See below for more details!!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Marianne and Judy and to increase your chances of winning!!

Thanks for stopping by!  Wishing you lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!

Goddess Fish Promotions Tenth Anniversary

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Welcome to the Goddess Fish Promotions Tenth Anniversary Month Long Celebration!

Who is Goddess Fish Promotions? And what do we do? We're glad you asked!

We didn't want your visit here to be dry and boring, so we decided to have a poetry competition and put what we do into verse. Here are the initial entries:

Marianne:

Roses are Red.
Violets are Blue.
I'm awful at poetry.
Coffee.

Judy:

We can edit your book
find things you didn't see
It will be fun to look
at the changes from me.

Yeah, for some reason, Judy won!

Even better, her poem is correct. We DO offer editing as one of our options. Here are a couple of testimonials from clients:

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TESTIMONIALS:

“I worked with Marianne on a complete edit and was very happy with the results. Her feedback was clear, easy to follow, and she probed on things I hadn’t thought of. She was also responsive whenever I had questions and helped me work through a few issues. Her feedback and guidance improved the quality of my manuscript, all at a very fair price. I’m working on my next book and plan to use their services again.”

~ J B Glazer, author, In Search of Mr. Anonymous

“Choosing the right editor for a project is incredibly important to an author. Let’s face it, we want the best for our books. When I was considering editors for my first indie-published book, Regenerate, I naturally thought of Goddess Fish Promotions–and I’m so glad I did.

Marianne Arkins and Judy Thomas are incredibly attentive and professional during the entire editing process. Their input was invaluable and the story is much stronger because they cared enough to help unsnarl plot points and find order in the chaos..

I can’t wait to work with them again. Truly, a top-notch editorial team!”

~ Sarita Leone, award-winning author of Regenerate

We also offer Virtual Book Tours, Graphic Design, Social Media Promotion and more. You can see more testimonials here:

http://www.goddessfish.com/testimonials

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INTERVIEW:

What would we find under your bed?
Judy: Nothing.  The last mattress set we bought was so thick, I had trouble getting into the bed when it was on the frame.  So, we took the frame out and set the box spring on the floor.  Now it’s the height of a normal bed.

Marianne: Dust bunnies, maybe.  I have dogs and a cat, so it gets a little furry. I try to vacuum there, but … I’m sure I miss some.

What was the scariest moment of your life?
Judy:  Christmas night a few years ago.  My husband had a stroke and was in the hospital nearly a week.  It was a rough time, but he’s fine now.

Marianne: My husband was in the ER for something completely innocuous, started seizing and went into VTach and had to be revived with a defibrillator… all in front of me.  A funny, while this was happening, this hospital employee came and stood by me quietly.  Once things were settled down, he turned to me and said, “You handled that really well.”  Apparently he was there for ME, lol.  I’m definitely the person you want with you in an emergency. I’m stone cold calm.  But after, I fall apart.

What group did you hang out with in high school?
Judy:  I didn’t have one particular group … I was in chorus and drama club, but got along well with pretty much everyone.

Marianne: I got along with everyone, but I was in drama and choir, so that’s mostly who I hung out with.

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We hope you enjoyed getting to know us a little (more information is below) and we'd like to do the same. We'd LOVE to see a little poem that tells us a bit about you in the comments. We'll be awarding random book giveaways and $5 Amazon GCs to some of the best poetry we find. It might not be at every stop, but when something really makes us smile, we'll reward it! Come on, be daring...

And now, more about us:

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ABOUT GODDESS FISH PROMOTIONS:


Goddess Fish Promotions was established October 14, 2008. Why? Well, when Marianne became a published author and got her the first taste of trying to promote a book on a budget, there was only one other virtual book tour company in place at the time, and their fees were simply too high for a small press author. After coordinating and running her own tour, she knew other authors could use the same service for a reasonable price. Thus, Goddess Fish Promotions was born.

Because both Judy and Marianne were authors and editors prior to running Goddess Fish Promotions, they approach the business with a unique point of view, and treat their clients how they would expect to be treated.

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THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE FISH:

Judy Thomas

Judy has a college degree in English and she’s worked in retail, education, at her local library as well as an editor for a small press and for the now defunct ShadowKeep Ezine. She’s also a published author so can see things from both sides of the fence. In 2013, she “retired” and now spends her days helping authors make their dream come true—as well as working as much as she can with her local theater group.

Marianne Arkins

Grammar freak and coffee lover, Marianne wrote her first novel at ten years old, built her first commercial website in 2000, and published for the first time in 2006. She worked as a professional editor for just over a year, and knows what it’s like to write, edit and promote a book on a budget.

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CONNECT WITH GODDESS FISH:

Website:

Facebook:

Twitter:

Pinterest:

Instagram:

Google+:

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GIVEAWAY #1 INFO:

This giveaway is open to EVERYONE!!!

Marianne and Judy will be awarding One $50 Amazon/B&N GC, Two $25 Amazon/B&N GCs, and Two $10 Amazon/B&N GCs to randomly drawn winners via Rafflecopter during the tour.


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GIVEAWAY #2 INFO:

This giveaway is open to AUTHORS!!!

Marianne and Judy will be awarding Two $10 GCs for ANY Goddess Fish Promotions Service, Winner’s Choice of either a Free Blurb Blitz (2 weeks) or Book Blast (5 days), 50% off ANY Tour (Excludes Review Tour or Full Service Tour), Four Free 25 Complete Book Edit, Two Winner’s Choice of Teaser or Social Media Cover Graphic Design to randomly drawn winners via Rafflecopter during the tour.


This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. Goddess Fish Promotions is solely responsible for the giveaway prizes.

The Renaissance Club by Rachel Dacus - Book Tour - Book Trailer - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!


Hi lovelies!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Rachel Dacus and her new book, “The Renaissance Club”!  For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Rachel and to increase your chances of winning!

Thanks for stopping by!  Wishing you lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!


The Renaissance Club
by Rachel Dacus

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GENRE: Speculative Women's Fiction

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BLURB:

Would you give up everything, even the time in which you live, to be with your soul mate? That's what young art historian and teacher May Gold must decide when she slips through time's folds to meet the man of her dreams and the subject of her master's thesis -- fiery 17th century genius artist Gianlorenzo Bernini.

In her fantasies May is in his arms, the wildly adored partner of the man who steered Renaissance art into the Baroque. In reality, she has just landed in Rome with her stodgy boyfriend and teaching colleagues for a tour of Italy. She yearns to unleash her passion and creative spirit.

When the floor under the gilded dome of St Peter's basilica rocks under her feet, she finds herself in the year 1624, staring straight into Bernini's eyes. Their immediate and powerful attraction grows every time she meets him during the tour. Passion blossoms, but history says they have no future. Can May thread her way through time, and will she take a perilous risk to begin a magical, exciting new life?

This time travel romance is perfect for lovers of Italy, art, and love stories.

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EXCERPT TWO:

May said gently, “But you have your work at St. Peter’s.”

Bernini nodded and sipped. Enthusiasm suddenly flared in his expression. “I have been asked to improve the church’s façade, and I have a magnificent idea. Twin bell towers. To contribute the grandeur the church has lacked.”

She frowned, knowing those bell towers of his would be erected on unstable ground. He didn’t know, and they had no soil engineers in his time. His first tower would be built, and a crack would appear. The crack would take down Bernini’s career as Architect of St. Peter’s.

At this moment, he was deciding, and his enemies were circling. His pope would die and a new pope would be elected, one who disliked Bernini’s extravagance. The opposition would break over him in a tidal wave.

“You know, working on St. Peter’s isn’t everything,” she said. “After your work there you’ll create your greatest sculptures.”
       
“But why should I not continue in my sacred role?”

She knew the failure would nearly kill him. His highly emotional nature and ambition would combine in a life-threatening explosion of despair.

He looked down. He gulped the rest of the wine, looking slightly worried, as if her lack of enthusiasm troubled him. But then he smiled.

“You will see my next great triumph!” he declared, the Bernini bravado taking charge of him.

“You must follow your inspiration, of course.”

She smiled at him, thinking that there must be some way to change the course of his future. At the same time, she was thinking how absurd that thought was.

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BOOK TRAILER:


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GUEST POST:

Four Reasons to Read The Renaissance Club

1.    The Clothes

Time traveling means you get to magically be clad in a different dress every time—and nice authors write you great dresses. In the 17th century, women wore very low-cut silken bodices and voluminous skirts that rustled around them as they walked. There was a lot of clothing to be inside. They were adorned with roses, slit sleeves, golden piping, and even pearls and gems.

2.    Bernini – the Rock Star of the Renaissance

It’s possible that he invented the term “hottie”, though it took several centuries to translate it from the Italian of his era. Who wouldn’t want to fantasize about a passionate, genius artist who sent every woman he passed by into a swoon? Main character May Gold had a legitimate reason for obsessing about him: she wrote her master’s thesis on Bernini’s deriving inspiration from the satirical, bawdy theater of Renaissance Rome. She never dreamed that she’d come face to face with him, but when she did, the floor under her rocked—literally, from the time traveling effect.

3.    Italy – The Best Vacation Ever

In The Renaissance Club you can vicariously tour Rome’s magnificent, crumbling history, Assisi’s hilltop charm, Siena’s medieval fortress, Florence’s fabulous art museums, Venice’s romantic, colorful, canal-threaded city of islands. And yes, you will even virtually eat the unbelievably tasty pasta.

4.    Finding Your Soul Mate

Would you give up everything, even the time in which you live, to be with your soul mate? That’s what young art historian and teacher May Gold must decide when she slips through time’s folds to meet the man of her dreams and the subject of her master’s thesis — fiery 17th century genius artist Gianlorenzo Bernini. In her fantasies May is in his arms, the wildly adored partner of the man who steered Renaissance art into the Baroque. In reality, she has just landed in Rome with her stodgy boyfriend and teaching colleagues for a tour of Italy. She yearns to unleash her passion and creative spirit. When the floor under the gilded dome of St Peter’s basilica rocks under her feet, she finds herself in the year 1624, staring straight into Bernini’s eyes. Passion blossoms, but history says they have no future. Can May thread her way through time, and will she take a perilous risk to begin a magical, exciting new life?

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AUTHOR BIO:


Rachel Dacus is a poet, essayist, and novelist who writes about love and relationships, with a touch of the supernatural. Love and history are the themes of her debut novel, The Renaissance Club, a tale of romance between a young art historian and her hero, the fiery 17th century Italian sculptor Gianlorenzo Bernini. Praise for her novel — “enchanting, rich, and romantic” — describes the kinds of love and adventure stories Rachel enjoys, preferably set in exotic places. She has traveled to Italy and India and plans to expand her journeys beyond countries that start with the letter “I”.

She’s the daughter of a bipolar rocket engineer who worked on missiles during the race-to-space 1950’s. He was also an accomplished painter.

Her interest in Italy was ignited by a course in Renaissance art history that culminated in tour of northern Italy. She’s been hooked on Italy ever since. Her essay on Italy, motherhood, and infertility was anthologized in Italy, a Love Story: Women Write About the Italian Experience.

Dacus shows off her versatility in four poetry collections. Her newest is Arabesque. Three other collections are: Gods of Water and Air, Femme au Chapeau, and Earth Lessons. She raises funds for arts, human service, and healthcare organizations and takes walks with her way-too-smart Silky Terrier.

Find out more about Rachel Dacus and The Renaissance Club – at the links below.

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CONNECT WITH RACHEL:

Website:

Blog:

Email:
rachel@dacushome.com

Facebook Fan Page:

Facebook Personal Page:
https://www.facebook.com/rachel.dacus

Twitter:

Pinterest:

Goodreads Author Page:

Goodreads Book Page:

Amazon Author Page:

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon Kindle:

Amazon Paperback:

Barnes and Noble:

Kobo:

Apple iBooks:

The Book Depository:

BAM! Books-A-Million:

IndieBound:

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Rachel will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.


**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase made I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.

Monday, October 22, 2018

Rescued by the Scot by Laura A. Barnes - Blurb Blitz - Giveaway - Enter Daily!


Hello lovelies!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Laura A. Barnes and her new book, “Rescued by the Scot”!  For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Laura and to increase your chances of winning!

Thanks for stopping by!  Wishing you lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!


Rescued by the Scot
by Laura A. Barnes

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GENRE: Historical Romance

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BLURB:

Rescued for Vengeance
Set out to finalize a deal for her brother’s return, Skye MacKinnon instead captures the double agent working alongside her enemy.  When she holds her prisoner hostage at her castle, he draws her into an attraction that spirals out of control. After she fights off his spell, she deceives him for her own agenda. As she betrays his trust, she is caught in the web of the evil villain who is terrorizing England. When her prisoner rescues her from the torture, she becomes afraid of her own shadow. As Skye recognizes her love for him, can she overcome her fears, or will she be forever destroyed by the violence of her mission?

Rescued for Desire
Chained and left waiting for his own demise, Zane Maxwell is soon rescued by a Scottish goddess. He is enraptured by her charms and drawn under her spell. Her touch and look sink into his soul a connection he cannot resist. While he lures her into his confidence and seduces her into his bed, her only plans are betrayal. When she is captured, he realizes she was only protecting his life. Now he must rescue her and destroy the man who hurt her. Can Zane convince her of his love, or did he miss his chance of a life filled with the woman of his dreams?

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EXCERPT TWO:

Skye ascended the stairs quickly, slipping inside the first room she came upon. The room was an artist’s studio, filled with canvases and paints scattered everywhere. Skye wandered around the room, forgetting the reason she was here as she gazed at the drawings spread around her. They were amazing, such detail made vivid by Zane. After seeing his other two pieces, she understood the passion of his work. A huge canvas rested in the corner, covered with a tarp baring traces of paint. Skye slid the cover aside and saw a painting full of vibrant color, wanting to see the whole picture, she dragged off the tarp. A picture of beauty stood before her, she admired the attention to the detail. Every stroke of the brush captured the love of the subject. The colors only made the painting bolder.
       
Skye gazed upon herself. Zane captured his love for her in every detail from his heart. He painted her wearing a long green ball gown, covered in diamonds. She was elegant. It was the look in her eyes that drew her attention. They were the look of love and desire, an invitation to her soul. A look only meant for him. He painted her hair unbound, falling around her in waves. Long curls winding themselves down her body, settling near her breasts. There were emeralds and diamonds draped from her neck and hanging from her ears. Skye couldn’t believe it was her in the picture, but he made her believe in him. In them.

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AUTHOR BIO:


I have always dreamed of being an aspiring author. I am making my dreams come true, one word at a time. When I am not writing, I am spending time with my family. I love reading books on lazy afternoons, and late into the night. Anytime really. Married 28 years to the love of my life and we have three wonderful children and two sweet grandbabies. Besides writing, I have always wanted to travel. In the last few years we have gotten our passport stamped in England and Scotland. We are hoping to add Italy to the list soon. My debut novel is Rescue By the Captain.

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CONNECT WITH LAURA:

Website:

Blog:

Email:

Facebook:

Twitter:

Book+Main Bites:

Lulu Author Page:

BookBub Author Page:

BookBub Book Page:

Goodreads Author Page:

Goodreads Book Page:

Amazon Author Page:

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon Kindle:

Barnes and Noble:

Kobo:

Apple iBooks:

The Book Depository:

BAM! Books-A-Million:
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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Laura will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.


**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase made I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.