Fabulous and Brunette: June 2019

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Dream Warrior by Bobbi Smith - Blurb Blitz - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hi, lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Bobbi Smith and her new book, “Dream Warrior”! 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 Bobbi and to increase your chances of winning!

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

Dream Warrior

by Bobbi Smith

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GENRE: Historical Romance

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BLURB:

From New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Bobbi Smith comes the sizzling story of forbidden love between a proud Indian warrior and the woman he cannot forget—or resist...

THE CONFLICT HE FEELS

For years Silver Wolf had fought against the white blood that flowed through his veins. He was an Indian warrior who would protect his people at all costs. Yet resisting the desire he felt for Cari McCord was a battle he would never win. He had saved Cari from certain death in a blinding Dakota territory blizzard one night. Her beauty mesmerized him and her passion left him yearning for more...

THE WOMAN HE YEARNS FOR

But Cari McCord shared the same beliefs and customs of the men who had brought so much misery to his tribe. She was one of them. How could he ever trust her with his heart and soul? But the more he denies his love for Cari, the more he is drawn to her as he surrenders to a temptation that could set him free—or devastate him forever.

ESCAPE INTO THE WORLD OF HORSES, STEAMY SEX AND BLUE WESTERN SKY

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EXCERPT TWO:

The horse’s warning whicker and the sound of a twig snapping in the underbrush nearby brought Silver Wolf awake immediately. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been asleep, and he lay still, trying to orient himself. His horse’s restless movements convinced him someone was near, and a sense of foreboding settled over him. As quietly as possible he reached for his gun.

“Don’t do it!” A man’s voice rang out in the night. “We just might have to shoot you.”

Silver Wolf stopped. “Who are you? What do you want?”

“This is Sheriff Dixon.”

“Sheriff?” He recognized the lawman’s voice and frowned. “What’s going on?” Sitting up slowly, Silver Wolf peered into the darkness.

“We’ve been looking for you for a couple of days now.”

“Why? Has there been trouble?” Silver Wolf demanded, suddenly worried about his people in the village.

“You’re damned right there’s been trouble!” Dixon thundered. “You’re under arrest.”

Silver Wolf saw the glint of the gun barrels that were pointed at him. “For what?”

“For the murder of James Mc Cord.”

The news jarred him to the depths of his soul. “James is dead?”

One of the deputies gave a harsh laugh. “As if you didn’t know, half-breed. Now get up real slow. We’re taking you in.”

Silver Wolf knew he had no choice. He stood up. “Sheriff Dixon, I haven’t seen James since Saturday night.”

“We know about that. We saw you with his daughter and we know how mad he got—”

“Shut up, Morgan. Go help Collins tie him up.”

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AUTHOR BIO:

After working as a department manager for Famous-Barr, and briefly as a clerk at a bookstore, Bobbi Smith gave up on career security and began writing. She sold her first book to Zebra in 1982.

Since then, Bobbi has written over 40 books and 6 novellas. To date, there are more than five million of her novels in print. She has been awarded the prestigious Romantic Times Storyteller of the Year Award and two Career Achievement Awards. Her books have appeared on numerous bestseller lists.

When she's not working on her novels, she is frequently a guest speaker for writer's groups. Bobbi is mother of two sons and resides in St. Charles, Missouri with her husband and three dogs.

You can follow Bobbi on Facebook in the group Bobbi Smith Books (https://www.facebook.com/groups/45814589415/about/).

Bobbi has been awarded the prestigious “Storyteller of the Year” Award from Romantic Times Magazine (New York) and has attained positions on the New York Times Best Seller List, the USA Today Best Seller List, the Walden’s Best Seller List, B. Dalton’s List, and the Wal-Mart and K-Mart Best Seller Lists.

The foreign rights to Ms. Smith’s books have been sold to China, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Russia and Sweden. Smith’s current publisher is Amazon. Bobbi has written two faith-based contemporary novels - Haven (https://bobbismithbooks.com/product/haven) and Miracles (https://bobbismithbooks.com/product/miracles) - using the pseudonym of Julie Marshall. (https://bobbismithbooks.com/author/who-is-julie-marshall)

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CONNECT WITH BOBBI:

Website:

https://bobbismithbooks.com

Email:

https://bobbismithbooks.com/contact

Facebook Group – Bobbi Smith Books:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/45814589415/about

BookBub Author Page:

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/bobbi-smith

BookBub Book Page:

https://www.bookbub.com/books/dream-warrior-by-bobbi-smith

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13375.Bobbi_Smith

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45858622-dream-warrior

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/2MH9rBV

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/2Xu7m4F

Amazon Mass Market Paperback:

https://amzn.to/2X5GtVs

Amazon Hardcover:

https://amzn.to/2FzmHXA

Barnes and Noble Mass Market Paperback:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dream-warrior-bobbi-smith/1000411793

The Book Depository Mass Market Paperback:

https://www.bookdepository.com/Dream-Warrior-Bobbi-Smith/9781420100402

BAM! Books-A-Million Mass Market Paperback:

https://www.booksamillion.com/product/A15416074243

BAM! Books-A-Million Hardcover:

https://www.booksamillion.com/product/A15218681667

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is 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.

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Beneath Black Clouds and White by Virginia Crow - Book Tour - Book Sale - Book Trailer - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hello, lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Virginia Crow and her new book, “Beneath Black Clouds and White”! 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 paperback copy of the featured book, “Beneath Black Clouds and White.” Also, come back daily to interact with Virginia and to increase your chances of winning!

This book is on SALE during the book tour for ONLY $0.99!!! See below for more details.

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

Beneath Black Clouds and White

by Virginia Crow

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GENRE: Historical Fiction

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BLURB:

Accompanied by his wife to Flanders, Josiah Tenterchilt meets a man who could not be more different from him: an apprentice surgeon named Henry Fotherby. As these two men pursue their own actions, fate and the careful connivance of a mysterious individual will push them together for the rest of their lives.

But it is a tumultuous time, and the French revolutionaries are not the only ones who pose a threat. The two gentlemen must find their place in a world where the constraints of social class are inescapable, and ‘slavery or abolition’ are the words on everyone’s lips.

Beneath Black Clouds and White is the prequel to Day's Dying Glory.

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EXCERPT TWO:

Fotherby relinquished her hands and began running at once toward Wanderford Hall. Never had the distance seemed so great, nor the hill so steep, but he ran on. He did not spare a thought for Portland, nor the woman, but continued to run. If he had not known the way or became lost amongst the trees, he had only to follow the beacon atop the hill. As he crashed through the trees and charged across the lawns of the Hall towards the fountain, he gave a cry at the enormous flames that were visible through all the windows, and the thick billowing smoke that rose from the structure. He flung himself against the timbers of the door, but it was to no avail for they had been locked. It took him several minutes before the door gave beneath his blows and he collapsed into the building.

He coughed into his sleeve as he beheld the aggressive fire consuming the interior of the house. The huge painting of his ancestors blistered and burned before him, and he looked about for a moment before calling out to his father and uncle. But, as he did so, the smoke caught in his throat and he began coughing violently. Fotherby could not allow himself the time to weep but rushed back into the house, calling his father as though he expected the old man to hear. He rushed towards the stairs and began climbing but, three steps from the top, the timber structure collapsed beneath him and he plunged to the floor below.

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BOOK TRAILER:

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GUEST POST:

World-building can be the most important element of your book. What media outlets, role-models and real-life inspirations did you draw from while writing this book?

At some point in their lives most people have wished they could time-travel. I do on several occasions. It’s this which caused me to begin exploring Historical Fiction as my chosen genre. When I read through the choice of blog topics, this one stood out as being a great opportunity to share the twisty-turny voyage I take when I’m putting my story together.

Creating a world which has already been proven in history is precarious. There are rules to it – after all, you can’t change history, can you? Otherwise it becomes a totally different genre. But what you can do is add to history. There are certain characters and locations in my books who were entirely real, brushing shoulders with those who were entirely fictitious. And then there are those who are somewhere in between.

For example, when our hero, Henry Fotherby, goes to take his exam at Surgeons Hall in London, his experience and perception of the building is based on that of a young gentleman whose journal I read. Because the building was a real building, and one that several hundreds of people have engaged with over the course of its existence, it had to be real. But Wanderford Hall, Fotherby’s country house, is entirely fictious. My visits to Buxton – Fotherby’s local town – have only ever been passing through. Deep research into the designs and dates of the town’s massive upgrading told me exactly how St Anne’s Well looked, where it was within the old town, where the taverns were situated, and the peculiar little island in the river where Fotherby has his duel. Most of my research for the places came via the digital archives of libraries, or local directories of locations.

People were a little bit more difficult. I could reference figures who were seen as heroes at the time, like General Baird, or Wellesley (who wouldn’t be promoted to Wellington for several years), but I didn’t want the book to explore these men as characters – history has already done that for them! Besides, there is already so much research out there about them, it was time to redress the balance and tell the story of the everyday heroes.

Most of my characters were entirely made up, some even with invented names, but there is one character in the book who bridges the gap between fiction and fact. This person was Doctor Shipton, who was a real physician from Buxton. I’m a real ancestry addict and I found this gentleman listed while I was doing some research. His characteristics and interactions with my other characters are entirely based on what I needed from such a character, but he was a real person. I’m not sure if he has any living descendants but, if he does, I hope they’re pleased with how I’ve portrayed him!

There’s also a gap between reality and fantasy where you can sow a few seeds! When history is a bit thin on the ground with its facts, you can fill in some of the missing pages. On one occasion in the book, a character is referenced as an inspiration to the William Blake poem “The Little Black Boy”. And it worked! Someone once told me that my books felt entirely believable, and I think the reason is that I combine about 95% historical accuracy, with 5% speculated plot. Although the storyline is (almost) complete fiction, my characters behave and engage as people of the time did.

So, with the help of journals, directories, maps and censuses, Beneath Black Clouds and White managed to bridge the precarious chasm between historical fact and historical fiction.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Virginia grew up in Orkney, using the breath-taking scenery to fuel her imagination and the writing fire within her. Her favourite genres to write are fantasy and historical fiction, sometimes mixing the two together such as her soon-to-be-serialised books "Caledon". She enjoys swashbuckling stories such as the Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas and is still waiting for a screen adaption that lives up to the film!

When she's not writing, Virginia is a music teacher in Caithness. She believes wholeheartedly in the power of music, especially as a tool of inspiration. She also helps out with the John o' Groats Book Festival which has just celebrated its 2nd year. Hopefully they'll be plenty more to come!

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CONNECT WITH VIRGINIA:

Website:

http://www.stompermcewan.com

Email:

daysdyingglory@gmail.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/DaysDyingGlory

Twitter:

https://www.twitter.com/DaysDyingGlory

Smashwords Author Page:

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/StomperMcEwan

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16049964.Virginia_Crow

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44677414-beneath-black-clouds-and-white

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/2Y9FY96

Publisher Website - Crowvus:

https://www.crowvus.com

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BOOK BUY LINKS & BOOK SALE INFO:

**Beneath Black Clouds and White is on SALE during the book tour for ONLY $0.99!!!**

Amazon Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/2XDMBDS

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beneath-black-clouds-and-white-virginia-crow/1131056346?ean=2940163228553

Barnes and Noble Paperback:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beneath-black-clouds-and-white-virginia-crow/1131056346?ean=9781913182007

Kobo eBook #1:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/beneath-black-clouds-and-white

Kobo eBook #2:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/beneath-black-clouds-and-white-1

The Book Depository Paperback:

https://www.bookdepository.com/Beneath-Black-Clouds-and-White-Virginia-Crow/9781913182007

BAM! Books-A-Million Paperback:

https://www.booksamillion.com/product/A15325274585

Smashwords eBook:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/933338

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Virginia will be awarding a paperback copy of Beneath Black Clouds and White (International Giveaway) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, June 24, 2019

The American Crusade by Mark Spivak - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hey, lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Mark Spivak and his new book, “The American Crusade”! For other stops on his 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 $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Mark and to increase your chances of winning!

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

The American Crusade

by Mark Spivak

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GENRE: Political Thriller

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BLURB:

A power-hungry vice president, a bad batch of shady intelligence, and a sinister plot to destroy Western civilization.

Just another day in America.

On May 1, 2001, a group of radical Islamic terrorists crash a Boeing 737 jet airliner into the Mall of America—and Vice President Robert Hornsby knows his moment is coming.

The attack kills three thousand American citizens and throws an entire nation into a panic, but all Hornsby sees is an opportunity, a chance to imprint his fanatical values on the soul of the country he loves and become the most powerful vice president in American history.

With the aid of his affable but ineffectual president; the reluctant, conscience-stricken secretary of defense; and a preening, foppish faith leader with more than a few skeletons in his closet; Hornsby declares war on terror—and anyone who stands in his way. But as media scrutiny of the administration’s actions overseas intensifies, Hornby’s one-man campaign against evil begins to unravel—with striking parallels to the thirteenth century’s doomed Fourth Crusade—and sends the nation spiraling toward another deadly tragedy.

The American Crusade paints a grim and often cynical picture of America’s recent past, reflecting the attitudes, politics, and fears that shaped our nation in the new millennium. By sampling the contemporaneous French text on the Fourth Crusade, On the Conquest of Constantinople, author Mark Spivak reminds us of that ever-vital adage: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Fans of The Castle by Jack Pinter, The President Is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson, House of Cards by Michael Dobbs, The Whistler by John Grisham, and the Aaron Sorkin–penned TV drama The West Wing will love this book.

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EXCERPT THREE:

The lights from the lanterns flickered against the walls of the cave. It was nearing midnight on May 1 in the tribal areas of Kabulistan, the mountainous and impenetrable regions high up near the Persepostan border. Salman Al-Akbar sat on a cushion, surrounded by his inner circle. Fazil Ahmadi, his director of operations, had just finished briefing him on the aftermath of the Mall of America attack and the subsequent suicide missions around the United States.

“Allah be praised!” Al-Akbar’s normally sad eyes were bright and jubilant. “We have succeeded beyond our wildest expectations, beyond the reach of our dreams. Allah is most with us.”

“This is so,” said Fazil Ahmadi. “Had we dreamed it, it could not have gone better.”

“What time is it now in Washington?”

“Four-thirty in the afternoon, sir.”

“And where is the young American President now?”

“We have no knowledge of his whereabouts, sir. He is in hiding.”

“Hiding?” Al-Akbar’s eyebrows arched toward the ceiling of the cave, and his normally expressionless face was close to registering hilarity. “From whom is he hiding? Robert Hornsby?”

“He has been removed from sight, sir. We suspect they took him to one of their nuclear installations.”

“Do they actually think we are in possession of nuclear weapons?”

“We believe it is a precaution on their part, sir.”

“Allah be praised!” Al-Akbar clapped his hands in glee. “This is beyond our imagining. Everything has gone off perfectly, with synchronized precision.”

“They will most certainly retaliate, sir.”

“Against whom?” asked Al-Akbar with contempt. “Our forces are safe. The loyalty of the warlords is secure, and they will not betray us.”

“We believe their most likely target will be the Dua Khamail. They will wage war against them and will surely defeat them. Then, they will restore Selim Hanjuk to power.”

“Let them have the Dua Khamail.” Al-Akbar shrugged. “To us, it matters not who is the ruler of Kabulistan. Any war they wage against the innocent population can only help us. It will bring more recruits to our side.”

“This is true.”

“One thing I will guarantee you. They may topple the government of Kabulistan, or all of the governments of the earth, but they will never be at peace again. As they fall off to sleep, they will see us in their nightmares.”

“Yes, sir. Our position is strong, and the Americans can only immerse themselves in quicksand by invading Kabulistan. They will never find us, much less defeat us.”

“Their memories are short,” mused Al-Akbar. “They forget that the Russians tried and failed. It was their Vietnam. And the Americans are far weaker than the Russians. They do not have the will for a prolonged conflict.”

“Let us not underestimate their military strength, sir.”

“These infidels are like the Crusaders of old.” Al-Akbar’s fingers worked prayer beads in the darkness of the cave. “They have many troops, they have excellent weapons, and they have knowledge of warfare. But they lack the fire of belief, as well as the support of their people. And they do not have Allah on their side.” He smiled approvingly at his lieutenant. “You have done well today. And soon we will do better still. Today is the beginning of the great Jihad. Nearly eight hundred years ago, the East was ruled by Saladin and the true believers were victorious. That day will come again.”

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GUEST POST:

How to Hold Yourself Accountable as A Writer

This seems like an odd topic at first glance, because what standards of accountability are we talking about? Obviously they have to be your own, since the yardstick of success varies so much from person to person. If your definition of being a writer is cultivating a friendship with Oprah, or succeeding on the level of James Patterson or Danielle Steel, you’ll probably give up pretty quickly and end up selling real estate.

Let’s assume, then, that you’re more or less like me: someone who is driven to become a writer and who is competing in a very tough arena. How do you keep the faith?

Meeting deadlines: I mentor beginning writers through a Meetup group, and I’m always amused when they talk about writer’s block. I tell them there’s one certain cure for it: Go to work for a daily newspaper. At the end of six months, you won’t even understand what writer’s block is. You’ll be so accustomed to turning out quality work under pressured circumstances that you’ll seek other challenges in life.

Finding time to write: You simply do whatever it takes: get up at 4 a.m. (as I did for many years, and still do out of habit), stop watching sports or Netflix, take your smart phone and smash it into 100 pieces—then you’ll have time to write. Rest assured that life will always try to get it the way, but there’s always a solution. If you’re chronically lazy, or a procrastinator, or addicted to your smart phone or Netflix, your problems are deeper than you imagine, since it’s not likely that you’ll find the time to succeed at another career either.

Staying focused: Many years ago, journalist Studs Terkel write a book called Working. It was a compilation of interviews with people who did a variety of tasks for a living, ranging all the way from garbageman to film critic. And it was a depressing book to read, because most of those people said the same thing, almost in the same words: They felt they had wasted their life, and they bemoaned the fact that they had never used their talents, never gotten a break, etc. When I read that book, I resolved not to be one of those people.

Interact with other writers: There are dangers to critique groups, but they have one significant benefit: you’ll give out a lot of advice to others, which you’ll then be forced to take. They’ll hold you accountable.

When you’re tempted to quit: Remember that no one asked you to do this—I seriously doubt that you received an engraved invitation requesting that you become a writer (check your mailbox). I kept going because I simply didn’t have anything else that really meant anything to me (and I had numerous other careers, some of which I was very successful at). If you’re truly a writer, then you really can’t quit. It’s like having a recurring disease: you may go into remission, but it will always come back. Face the fact that you’re in it for the long haul.

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AUTHOR BIO:

In the realm of non-fiction, award-winning author Mark Spivak focuses on wine, spirits, food, restaurants and culinary travel. His first book, Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History, was published by Lyons Press in 2012. He followed this with Moonshine Nation (Lyons Press, 2014), hailed as the definitive book on illegal corn whiskey in America. From 1994-1999 he was the wine writer for the Palm Beach Post, and was honored for excellence in wine criticism “in a graceful and approachable style.” Since 2001 he has been the Wine & Spirits Editor for the Palm Beach Media Group, and contributes to a number of national magazines. He is also the holder of the Certificate and Advanced Diplomas from the Court of Master Sommeliers.

Mark’s first novel, Friend of the Devil, was published by Black Opal Books in May 2016. Set in Palm Beach in 1990, it tells the story of America’s most famous chef, who has sold his soul to the Devil for fame and fortune.

Mark also has an endless fascination with the American political system and is an avid follower of Washington politics. His second novel, The American Crusade (a gripping political thriller set during the invasion of Iraq, which dips into the shadowy world of government conspiracy and political sabotage), will be released by TCK Publishing on April 4. He is currently at work on Impeachment, the sequel to The American Crusade.

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CONNECT WITH MARK:

Website:

https://markspivakbooks.com

Website:

http://www.eatdrinkjourney.com

Blog:

https://markspivakbooks.com/blog

Newsletter:

www.markspivakbooks.com/free

Email:

https://markspivakbooks.com/contact