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Friday, May 29, 2020

Return of the Fox by Pamela Gibson - Book Tour - Exclusive Excerpt - Giveaway - Enter Daily!


Hello, lovelies!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Pamela Gibson and her new book, “Return of the Fox”!  For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post – except the Available at Amazon picture, which takes you directly to the Amazon Book Sale Page.

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 Pamela and to increase your chances of winning!

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


Return of the Fox
by Pamela Gibson

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GENRE: Historical Romance

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BLURB:

The year is 1847...

…Gabriel de la Vega, disgraced son of a Mexican ranchero, returns to his Alta California home when Americans take power to help his countrymen with the bewildering transition and make amends to the woman he once wronged.

Fiercely independent, Isabella Fuentes swore she’d never forgive Gabriel for abandoning her on the night they were to elope. Now he’s back, playing a dangerous game, pretending to be meek and repentant when she knows the handsome, former outlaw is anything but contrite.

When a series of accidents threaten Isabella’s safety, Gabriel offers an outrageous solution: the protection of a brief civil marriage. Isabella is tempted. But can she rely on a man who once betrayed her and can she trust her foolish heart to let him go when the danger has passed?

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EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT:

“There you are. I wondered if you would be down for dinner.”

She turned at the sound and faced Gabriel, unable to suppress a smile. He wore an old-fashioned shirt that must have belonged to her late husband, the sleeves billowing, the neck loose and open. He resembled a Barbary pirate, off to plunder ships. All he needed was a cutlass and a patch, like the drawings in one of Sorina’s novels.

“You look . . . dashing.” She laughed. She couldn’t help it. He was blushing. Gabriel de la Vega . . . blushing.

“Shall I strike a pose?” He grabbed a silver knife from the sideboard and lunged at an imaginary foe, waving the blade in the air in a corkscrew pattern.

“Are you preparing to do battle with our chicken dinner?”

He set down the knife and put his hand over his heart. “You wound me, querida. You’re making fun of my prowess with a, hmm, dinner knife.”

“On the contrary, I’m sure you will slice the chicken with precision.”

“Right now, I’m hungry enough to eat it with my bare hands.”

They sat down at the same time, their eyes never leaving each other’s. A frisson of heat shot through her core.

“How are you, my dear? Are you feeling any better? Before we left, you were walking around like someone risen from the grave on El Día de Los Muertos.” His eyes were so kind she had to glance away. To her surprise, the dull ache in her heart was gone, replaced by a different emotion brought on by his reminder of why they were here.

Slow, simmering anger.

“I will find out who did this, Gabriel, and they will pay. They’ve burned my storehouse, taken away my livelihood. I will find a way to remain and care for my people. I will not give in.”

Gabriel poured her a glass of wine and sipped from his own. Assessing her over the rim of the glass, he nodded.

“That’s my girl. You were beginning to worry me.”

“Why?”

He paused, just before taking another sip. “When you first heard the news, you seemed to wither before my eyes. If we’re to solve your problem, I needed you to return from wherever your mind had taken you.”

“I’m back now, and I’m ready to slay dragons.”

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AUTHOR BIO:


Author of eight books on California history and thirteen romance novels, Pamela Gibson is a former City Manager who lives in the Nevada desert. Having spent the last three years messing about in boats, a hobby that included a five-thousand-mile trip in a 32-foot Nordic Tug, she now spends most of her time indoors happily reading, writing, cooking and keeping up with the antics of Ralp, the Rescue Cat. If you want to learn more about her activities go to https://www.pamelagibsonwrites.com and sign up for her quarterly newsletter and occasional blog. Or follow her in the links listed below.

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CONNECT WITH PAMELA:

Website:

Blog:

Newsletter & Blog Subscription Sign-Ups:

Email:
pam@pamelagibsonwrites.com

Facebook:

Twitter:

BookBub Author Page:

Goodreads Author Page:

Goodreads Book Page:

Amazon Author Page:

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AMAZON BOOK BUY LINK:


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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Pamela 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 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.

Thursday, May 28, 2020

Hunger Winter by Rob Currie - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!


Hello, lovelies!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Rob Currie and his new book, “Hunger Winter”!  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 $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Rob and to increase your chances of winning!

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


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 TWO:

“Your sentence has been determined,” he said.

Wrapping her tattered blanket around her shoulders, Els trudged down the hall, following other prisoners. Outside, the chilly breeze flapped her blanket, and she clutched it tighter. Guards formed the captives in a row, in front of a brick wall. More guards stood on the opposite side of the courtyard with rifles.

“Nooo!” cried a man next to Els. “They’re going to—”

“Halt die Klappe” a soldier shouted. A light rain fell. Els put her hand on the shoulder of the man who had cried out. His weeping intensified. “Noo!” he cried, looking around as if appealing to some unseen authority.

“You are all guilty of crimes against the Third Reich,” an officer announced. “You have been sentenced, and now you will pay for what you have done.”

He looked at the soldiers. “Ready,” he shouted above the din of prisoners begging for mercy. The soldiers clutched their rifles.

Els cleared her throat and sang as loudly as she could in her weakened condition, “Grant that I may remain brave, your servant for always,” she began. Several prisoners joined her in singing the national anthem. “And may defeat the tyranny which pierces my heart.”

“Ready!” the officer shouted again.

Thunder boomed and the rain fell harder. It wasn’t supposed to end like this. The Gestapo was supposed to realize Els would never talk, and they’d release her. And then she’d somehow find Dirk.

“Aim,” the officer said. The soldiers raised their rifles.

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GUEST POST:

Five Reasons You Should Read My Book:

The first reason to read Hunger Winter is because it reveals the largely unknown true story of how the Nazis tried to starve the Dutch into submission during WWII. Without food or fuel the desperate Dutch pried up every other stair step to throw in the fireplace and resorted to eating tulip bulbs. By the end of the war, they were reduced to 300 calories per day. As a result, thousands starved or froze to death.

A second reason is the Dutch had a unique relationship with the Germans. Early in the war, Hitler ordered German soldiers to be friendly with the Dutch. Partly as a result, 20,000 Dutch citizens volunteered to fight in the German army.

A third reason is that public libraries around the country have purchased the book. This includes libraries in Chicago, New York City, Kansas City, Miami, Evansville, Dallas, Seattle, Sacramento, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne, Dallas, and many more.

A fourth reason is that the reader response is very strong. Ten-year-old Frank got the book and read it in two days. While I wrote the book for kids, many adults are enjoying it, too. Karen is a grandma. She read the book and “kept staying up later than I should have because I wanted to know what would happen next. I had no idea he was such a good writer.” Mike is in his late fifties and said that Hunger Winter is the first book he has read all the way through since he graduated from college.

The fifth reason is that 2020 is the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II.

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AUTHOR BIO:


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.

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CONNECT WITH ROB:

Website:

Email:
rcurrie@judsonu.edu

BookBub Book Page:

Goodreads Author Page:

Goodreads Book Page:

Amazon Author Page:

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon Kindle eBook:

Amazon Paperback:

Amazon Hardcover:

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:

Barnes and Noble Paperback:

Barnes and Noble Hardcover:

Kobo eBook:

Apple iBook eBook:

Google Play eBook:

The Book Depository Paperback:

The Book Depository Hardcover:

BAM! Books-A-Million Paperback:

BAM! Books-A-Million Hardcover:

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Rob 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 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.

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Ashes and Blood by Katie Zaber - Book Blast - Giveaway - Enter Daily!


Hi, lovelies!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Katie Zaber and her new book, “Ashes and Blood”!  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 $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Katie and to increase your chances of winning!

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


Ashes and Blood
by Katie Zaber

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GENRE: Fantasy

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BLURB:

“I’ll start at the beginning. Long ago, before roads, before we built structures, before medicine was discovered, before the government was created, before man gained any knowledge, there were The Five. Independent from each other, The Five had a mutual respect for one another. They knew their roles in the world and their duty. They were gods…”

An adventure begins when an otherworldly tree captures the attention of Megan and her friends. The environment morphs around them, transferring them to an exotic planet. Stuck in a rural town still maimed by the plague, a chance encounter with a familiar face gives Megan and her friends some security during their adjustment period.

While settling into new, promising lives, they are attacked and stalked by planet Dalya’s humanoid inhabitants, who focus on Megan. One dark night, after an epic, magical attack, the Fae King’s knight is sent to fetch Megan. When she wakes up a prisoner, she learns that there is much more to this strange world, and it is oddly more like her own than she ever would have expected.

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EXCERPT THREE:

Megan

Today has been a whirlwind, and I’m not looking forward to tonight. I’m positive the elite members of society will flaunt their latest ensembles. A competition among the wealthy to win a proverbial pat on the back for the best dressed. A sport for the rich. They won’t work up a sweat—that’s for the poor. Instead, they compete with wits and money. Women prancing around wearing cage ball gowns, adorned with priceless jewels. Their main goal is to uncover juicy gossip while competing for the wealthiest bachelor. Men swirling this world’s version of expensive scotch talk business and watch women swoon. It can’t be very different from Earth’s aristocratic affairs, not that I ever attended. Movies and the internet displayed enough information to know what to expect.

I had assumed it would be a rather humdrum affair, but my opinion changes quickly, standing before the colossal golden doors. Realization hits me. I am so naïve.

It feels like I’m walking into a fairy tale, but the darker Brothers Grimm version.

Beautiful, handcrafted, golden double doors depict a grand party. Intricate artwork chiseled into the doors displays two long banquet tables of food, roasts on fancy platters, piles of vegetables, and dainty desserts. Between the buffet tables, people adorned with masquerade attire dance. They wave, inviting everyone to the party. Guests laugh, drink, and enjoy themselves under the watchful king. The artwork depicts the king having fun, but there’s no doubt in my mind that he studies everyone, meticulously watching individuals, judging their personality, appearance, and demeanor while in his presence. A crooked smile peels his lips back—it hints at his sly and cruel nature. I can’t help but look at the doors and realize this is a perfect portrayal of what awaits me.

Instead of a warm welcome, it’s a stern warning.

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AUTHOR BIO:


Katie Zaber writes new adult fiction. With multiple projects spanning from being transported to an alternate universe, to past lives, reincarnation, and trapped souls, to prophesied pregnancies—there are more stories to tell. She lives in North New Jersey with her boyfriend.

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CONNECT WITH KATIE:

Website:

Email:
Zaberbooks@gmail.com

Facebook:

Goodreads Author Page:

Goodreads Book Page:

Amazon Author Page:

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon Kindle eBook:

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:

Kobo eBook:

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Katie will be awarding a $25 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 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, May 26, 2020

Edger by David Beem - Audio Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!


Hey, lovelies!  It gives me great pleasure today to host David Beem and his new book, “Edger – Audio Book”!  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 $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with David and to increase your chances of winning!

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


Edger – Audio Book
by David Beem

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GENRE: Comedy, Action/Adventure

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BLURB:

Meet Edger (Ed-jer), a twenty-six-year-old gadget retail dork destined to become the world’s first superhero! His superpower: the ability to channel the Collective Unconscious, a psychic network connecting the living and the dead. In his arsenal are the skills of Bruce Lee, the strength of Samson, the wisdom of the ages...and the dancing chops of Michael Jackson—including that one twisty foot move, crotch grab, and fedora tilt. But there's a catch... Like every psychic super power to get administered through a hypodermic needle, this one comes with a prick. Someone seems to have misplaced the booster necessary for stabilizing his superpower. Without it, Edger has three days before his brain turns to pudding. Join our Dork of Destiny as he overcomes the world’s greatest butt, two rival Cluck-n-Pray gangs, an evil cow, a Green Bay Defensive Tackle, rifle-toting assassins—and a pair of stoners who inadvertently create the world’s first supervillain after a wild night on Twitter!

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EXCERPT TWO:

The water is filling.

We’re spinning.

Blondie is rapturing.

Below us, the nightclub turns like a sparkling dream. Worse, Underwearld is wallpapered in phosphorescent art photos of Caleb in his Calvin Kleins.

“Hey Edger—it’s Caleb!” says Mary, banging her shoulder against the side of our disco ball water torture prison and sloshing water. “Caleb! Caleb!”

I roll my eyes. “Of course you know Caleb. Because the universe just couldn’t let me die without letting me know: Hey—Mary knows Caleb.”

“Edger, Caleb’s H.A.R.D.O.N.”

“Hard-on for you, hard-on for Kate—”

“Oh my God, Edger. Not now, okay? High Risk Agency for Regulating the Defense Of the NFL.”

“What!? That doesn’t even make any sense! It should be H-A-R-D-O—wait, somebody capitalized the freaking O—?! You know, my tax dollars paid someone to capitalize that letter O.”

“Really? Really, Edger? You want to do this now?”

“That’s what they always say too: ‘You wanna do this now.’ But notice they never balance the budget. All I’m saying is, you gotta talk about it sometime.”

“Edger! We. Are about. To die.”

So I’m panting, she’s panting, and Caleb’s down there scanning the room in front of a larger than life phosphorescent photograph of his crotch. Because apparently all paths in life lead there.

“Caleb!” Mary yells.

“Caleb!” I yell.

And so there we are, yelling our butts off, banging our shoulders into the wall, water sloshing over our faces—you know, not panicking.

Then the water level reaches our chins.

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GUEST POST:

How to Hold Yourself Accountable:
New Writers Can Finish that Book!

One of these days I’m going to write that novel…

Don’t let these be your famous last words!

Finishing your first novel is something most aspiring fiction writers will never do. There are a zillion excuses to keep you from reaching the end. (And usually Twitter is at the top of the list.) Perhaps it’s fair to say the real secret to success is success itself, which poses a bit of a chicken and egg conundrum. Getting your book written is the only way to develop a functional system for writing your book. Below are my 10 suggestions for new writers hoping to make it from the first word to the last.

1.)  Know thyself. How much can you write on your best day? Five hundred words? A thousand? Seven thousand? Consider your frame of mind on those best days and how to create an environment where there are more best days than not.

2.)  Set practical goals. Now that you know how many words you can crank out, start small. Assume only one day a week will be spectacular. Keep showing up to write, even when it means half productivity on your average writing day. Determine how long to reach your final word count. Eg. Best day = 2000, average day = 1000. @5 days, you’ve got 6k words written each week. @60k-word projected draft, you’ll be done in 10 weeks. Put that date on the calendar, keep showing up to write.

3.)  Don’t sweat it. After all, this is the part where you simply shovel words—any words—onto the page. It need only be workable, not artful. Remember: Anything can be edited.

4.)  Plotter or pantser? Follow your intuition. If you want some structure, set aside some time (separately from writing time) to build a story frame. Pro tip: Frames can be revised too. Relax!

5.)  What happens next? At some point, every writer will get stumped. Asking yourself, “What happens next?” is a workable writing prompt for any first draft. If the answer is “I don’t know,” ask one of your characters. (Oftentimes the antagonist knows…)

6.)  Write with the door shut. You can open it later.

7.)  Develop the first draft. Once you hit your word count, put the book in the drawer and write something else. Could be a few months before you come back, and that’s good. When you return to your first draft, be forgiving, and take the opportunity to go deep! Layer in sensory experiences, motivations, conflicts, world-building details. Bring that book to life!

8.)  Does this go here? Usually story elements need moving around. Totally normal. Consider building a story roadmap, analyzing your story beats, or even creating a document in bullet points showing what’s happening in your story.

9.)  Polish last. This is the downfall of many aspiring writers. Too critical too soon. Your words will change hundreds of times throughout the process. It isn’t worth wasting tons of time polishing early on. Only after the story is secure is it worth going paragraph by paragraph, sentence by sentence, word by word. This is the time to be artful. Clean up overused expressions, words, search and destroy clichés. Useful resources: Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Dave King is a must for new authors. Edit Minion is a wonderful resource for discovering overused words, average sentence length, passive phrasing, clichés, and other writerly details.

10.)  Hire an editor! You don’t have to pay out the nose. It is an expense, but don’t you owe it to your book? Also, the more you give, the more you get. If you turn in a manuscript riddled with errors, you’re asking too much from your editor. Remember: It’s your job to write the book. It’s the editor’s job to make it shine.

What do you think of this list? Helpful, or not so much? Please sound off in the comments below!

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AUTHOR BIO:


David Beem loves superhero movies, taekwondo, and flossing. He lives in Djibouti with his family and crippling self-doubt. To help actualize David’s inner confidence, visit his website and buy all the stuff: www.davidbeem.com.

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CONNECT WITH DAVID:

Website:

Mailing List:

Blog:

Email:
edgerbook@gmail.com

Facebook:

Twitter:

BookBub Author Page:

BookBub Book Page:

Goodreads Author Page:

Goodreads Book Page:

Amazon Author Page:

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AMAZON BOOK BUY LINKS:


Amazon Kindle eBook:

Amazon Paperback:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFO:

David 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 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.