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Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Musing Mediterranean by Beth Daigle - Book Blast - Giveaway - Enter Daily!


Hey lovelies!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Beth Daigle and her new book, “Musing Mediterranean”!  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 Beth and to increase your chances of winning!

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


Musing Mediterranean
by Beth Daigle

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GENRE: Memoir

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BLURB:

A trip to the Mediterranean—who wouldn’t be thrilled? Beth Daigle should be doing back flips as she prepares to escape her humdrum suburban life, but travel anxiety gets the best of her. This is a trip of a lifetime, something to look forward to, yet Beth is dreading it.

The daughter of an Italian mother and Greek father, Beth has always dreamed of visiting Greece and Italy. Her Type A husband, Tony, revels in planning every detail of their two-week vacation. The plan expands to include not only Beth and Tony’s two tween daughters, but Beth’s parents, sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew.

As her family’s excitement mounts, so does Beth’s trepidation. She experiences serious anxiety about the flight itself, plus spending two solid weeks with her extended family.

Despite her worries, Beth manages the eight-hour plane ride to Rome, and the adventure begins.

If you’ve never experienced the beauty of the Mediterranean, or even if you have, Musing Mediterranean will take you there through Beth’s eyes, page by page.

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EXCERPT TWO:


AMALFI COAST

The moment we were all comfortably seated, we were inundated with food, in the best way possible. We didn’t order one thing; it was all brought to us. Whatever the chef was cooking was what was served, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Every plate was also a work of art: each was hand-painted, colorful, and artistic. And before we knew it, music filled the air when the owner’s niece took a microphone and asked all the patrons to join in on a sing-along.

The Italian blond beauty entertained us with her soothing voice, ethnic songs, and gregarious hospitality.

Her rousing renditions of both familiar and unfamiliar songs left us ready to sit back and enjoy the end of our memorable meal. Served family style, it was a meal that included five appetizers, five entrees, homemade wine, pear grappa, and five desserts. It was extravagant, yet unpretentious.

As desserts and limoncello came to the table, so did the owner–chef. Every bite that was served was natural and simply prepared, yet it was the most delicious food I’d ever eaten.

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AUTHOR BIO:


Beth Daigle is a lifelong New Englander residing north of Boston with her husband and daughters. Prior to settling into her role as a writer, Beth was a marketing professional whose favorite part of the job was writing. As a freelancer, Beth has enjoyed contributing to numerous lifestyle and home publications, yet she yearned for something more than a magazine article. Then along came Musing Mediterranean. Beth quickly became immersed in chronicling this travel event and articulating her perceptions of the places she visited, the people she met, the foods she enjoyed and the crazy moments she encountered. The idea that someone who may never travel to Greece, Italy or Turkey could appreciate this experience through Beth’s eyes became a driving force behind the story. Revealing her struggle with travel anxiety helped Beth move forward and embrace, once again, how very wonderful it is to travel the world.

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” St. Augustine.

Beth is a creative soul who finds joy in art, home design, gardening, reading, writing, a good laugh and an even better television show.

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CONNECT WITH BETH:

Website:

Blog:

Newsletter:

Email:
info@bethdaigle.com

Facebook:

Twitter:

Pinterest:

Instagram:

Goodreads Author Page:

Goodreads Book Page:

Amazon Author Page:

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon Kindle:

Amazon Paperback:

Barnes and Noble:

The Book Depository:

BAM! Books-A-Million:

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Beth 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 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, August 27, 2018

Kings & Queens by Anarie Brady and Jae El Foster - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!


Hi lovelies!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Anarie Brady and Jae El Foster and their new book, “Kings & Queens”!  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 a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Anarie and Jae El and to increase your chances of winning!

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


Kings & Queens
by Anarie Brady and Jae El Foster

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GENRE: Romance

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BLURBS:

As I Follow by Anarie Brady

Princess Orla must first learn to follow if she is to lead her homeland once her evil step mother is dethroned. Who better to teach her than Prince Darcy, the leader of the rebellion against Queen Ena and a strict but fair Dominant who would love nothing better than to take the beautiful Orla in hand and return the kingdom of Athas to its former glory.

The Man with the Kind Eyes by Jae El Foster

Bridgette Mahoney just wanted a better life for herself and the people suffering under a corrupt president. What she gets is nominated to be Queen of the country whether she wants the position or not.

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EXCERPT TWO:


As I Follow, So Shall I Lead Excerpt:

“Princess, might I have a word?” a deep voice startled her out of her thoughts.

“Prince Darcy!” she squeaked, jumping to her feet. “Of course.”

“Shall we take a walk? I understand you have only seen this room of the Chateau. I’d like to give you a tour,” he said, holding his hand out to her.

Hesitantly she reached out her own hand and nodded. Ever since Gala shared some of her experiences in the Chateau’s training rooms, Orla had been curious. Actually, she had been dying to know more. While Gala had not gone into details, she had spoken of the feelings evoked by some of her sessions. Orla longed to experience such feelings of freedom, power, and something indescribable. During the past few weeks, she had witnessed the beauty of a woman kneeling before a man, the protective gentleness in the eyes of a dominant, and the glow of pride when a dominant praised his submissive. Orla felt a tingle deep within her body and had to admit that she longed for such feelings as well.

“Do you understand the dual nature of this facility?” Darcy asked as he led her down an ornate hallway.

“I believe so,” she answered. “The Chateau trains people in the arts of dominance and submission. Submission primarily, because, according to Gala, every good dominant understands what it is like to be a submissive.”

“That’s right.”

“People pay handsomely for the privilege of coming here to learn. The tuition then pays for the training of warriors who are in resistance to Queen Ena. They wish to overthrow her and place me back on the throne,” Orla said quietly.

“Indeed. Orla, it was your father’s last wish that you also be trained,” Darcy stated. “I am more than willing to help you learn how to become an effective ruler, but to become an applicant, you must yourself request it. We do not force anyone here. We abide by the dictums of Safe, Sane, and Consensual.”

Orla stopped walking and turned to face Darcy. “I understand and greatly respect you for following those dictums. Over the past few years, I have had no choice in what I wear, what I eat, when I speak, what I do, not even when I sleep. I’m ready for freedom of choice. My father also taught me that freedom is possible only when everyone agrees to follow certain guidelines. I don’t know if I’m ready to consent to this training yet, but let’s finish the tour and then I’ll decide.”

Darcy smiled and Orla breathed a sigh of relief. Despite Gala’s assurances, she hadn’t been sure that Darcy would respect her decision.

“Princess, I see you are wise as well as cautious. Both excellent characteristics in both a ruler and a submissive. Shall we continue?” he asked before tucking her hand into the crook of his arm.

Orla’s eyes widened and her heart began to beat erratically as Darcy showed her every room of the Chateau. First, there was the Medical Room where applicants were given a thorough medical exam to determine their overall fitness. “No one is excluded because of a physical difficulty,” he explained, “but it is essential that a primary be intimately familiar with any limitations. For example, if an applicant has respiratory difficulties, then the primary knows never to engage in breath play and to be very, very cautious about gags.”

“Good to know you take safety seriously,” Orla commented.

“It’s the first S of our motto – Safe, Sane, and Consensual.”

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GUEST POST:

Who Inspired Your Love for Books?

When I was little, I was raised on two things - Little Golden Books and Archie Comics. I'll be honest; I still read Archie Comics today.

My mother was always a fan of Archie, Betty, Veronica, and the rest of the gang. I am thankful she instilled them in me, as they gave me dose of humor that I have held within myself and in my writing throughout the years. Archie is my humor. The stories reflect the most unlikely of situations, and yet, to the readers, they seem perfectly normal. We all know Betty and Veronica would have both left Archie years ago, and still they fight for him and fawn over him. If that isn’t unlikely humor, I don’t know what is.

Apart from humor is a different side of me – a poetic man of prose, inspired and inflicted into me by the great American poet Walt Whitman. Mr. Whitman released several editions of his Leaves of Grass poetic anthology, and I bet you I have a copy of each… or at least my bookshelf looks like I do. I collect volumes of his work because of the inspiration it has sent unto me. A framed portrait of Mr. Whitman hangs near my desk in my home office, so that his inspiration is always nearby.

There is also a darker side to my literary being – a place in me where ghosts haunt the unsuspecting and monsters roam the earth. This side of me is built from my love of horror and suspense masterminds Ira Levin and Robert Bloch. Ira Levin was a genius at fast-paced suspense. He allowed us to see the uncanny darkness in our neighbors like no one else. Robert Bloch – who passed years ago on my birthday – opens our eyes to the psychotics of strangers and stranglers in the shadows. These two authors built pedestals of fear that could tip the blood pressure to a dangerous limit.

My Shaded Whisperings series, however, is my own little Twilight Zone. Inspired by the great Rod Serling, it is my outlet for ironic, iconic horror releases that incorporate so much more than cheap scares. The Twilight Zone made viewers think, and even the short stories that were published in the early anthologies took your mind to new places and challenged it to comprehend and understand what cannot ever possibly be understood. They made you feel, and that is my intention with Shaded Whisperings. It is a series that make you feel the fear – not just become witness to it. And trust me – the series will just get better.

With books 1 and 2 in the series currently available (Forever and Playing St. Nick), I have been busily at work to create the third installment – something I guarantee my readers have never experienced before. While I am tight-lipped about the third book, I will share just a few bits of information. It is titled Shaded Whisperings: She Rises at Night, and it tells the story of Bob and Karen – a tragically unhappy couple that move across the globe in an effort to rekindle their relationship. The other thing I will share is that it is my first – and will likely be my only – stab at the Zombie genre, and I promise you that you will stay on the edge of your seat. Don’t look for an insane zombie apocalypse. This is zombies in a different light.

I appreciate the chance to share these thoughts with you. To see how my literary influences have further inspired me, visit my website. At www.jaeelbooks.com you will find free reads on the blog, a monthly newsletter, extravagant contests, free flash fiction, behind the scenes essays, and so much more.

Bring Love. Bring Peace. Bring Care.

Jae El Foster

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AUTHOR BIO:


Anarie Brady writes hot, happily ever after love stories filled with strong men and strong women who choose to submit to their own desires. She also loves scratching her chinchilla in all his itchy spots, sipping tea, and savoring whiskey. She absolutely adores hearing from fans, so don’t be shy!

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CONNECT WITH ANARIE:

Website:

Blog:

Email:
anariebrady@gmail.com

Facebook:

Twitter:

BookBub:

Totally Bound Author Page:

Goodreads Author Page:

Goodreads Book Page:

Amazon Author Page:

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AUTHOR BIO:

 

Jae El Foster is an author with whom you question going to bed with at night, but you dare to venture beneath the sheets with him anyway. As the venture concludes, you are perhaps romanced by it, or perhaps you are frightened by it. Don’t worry, because you are always satisfied by it. Despite the title or genre of the book, Jae El sets out to please you with climatic and unexpected conclusions that will make you tremble with emotion. Hop aboard the Jae El train and give it a good ride.

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CONNECT WITH JAE EL:

Website:

Blog:

Newsletter:

Facebook:

Twitter:

Instagram:

Google+:

Goodreads Author Page:

Goodreads Book Page:

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon Kindle:

Amazon Paperback:

Barnes and Noble:

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

GIVEAWAY INFO:

Anarie and Jae El 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 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.

The Half Breed (Secret Fires) by Bobbi Smith - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!


Hi lovelies!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Bobbi Smith and her new book, “The Half Breed”!  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!


The Half Breed
(Secret Fires)
by Bobbi Smith

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GENRE: Historical Romance

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BLURBS:

SECRET FIRES

In the midst of the vast, windswept Texas plains stands a ranch wrested from the wilderness with blood, sweat and tears. It is the shining legacy of Thomas McBride to his five living heirs. But along with the fertile acres and herds of cattle, each will inherit a history of scandal, lies and hidden desire that threatens to burn out of control.

THE HALF-BREED

Chase knows he has no legitimate claim to the Circle M. After all, his father made it painfully clear he wants nothing to do with his bastard son or the Comanche girl he once took to his bed. But Chase has his own reasons for answering Tom McBride's deathbed summons. He has a job to do as a Texas Ranger, and a woman to protect—a woman whose sweet innocence gives him new faith that love born in the darkest night can face the dawn of all his tomorrows.

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EXCERPT ONE:


When the raiding party passed out from the liquor they’d been drinking, their captive Faith made her escape on foot. Terror drove her on through the darkness. She had been running for hours when she finally saw the faint glow of a campfire in the distance

Faith moved stealthily onward.  She hoped it was a company of cavalrymen or ranch hands.

Her hopes were dashed as she surveyed the scene below.

Sitting before the low-burning campfire was a bare-chested warrior.  Faith did not recognize him as one of the raiding party, but there was no mistaking the aura of danger about him.  As she was watching, he looked up in her direction.  She remained still, barely breathing, until he looked away.  Her fear turned to fury as she slipped away.  She had to save herself.


Chase McBride knew someone was nearby.  He hadn’t survived this long by ignoring his instincts, and they were screaming a warning right now.  He was puzzled, for if someone was out to kill him, they would have taken a shot by now.  Continuing to act naturally, he stretched out on his bedroll, pretending to fall asleep.  With his gun in hand, he waited.

Faith believed the warrior hadn’t seen her.  She hoped to steal his horse before he could catch her.  

She returned to watch the campsite and was relieved to find the warrior asleep.  She felt a flicker of hope.   Slowly, cautiously, she made her way toward his horse.

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GUEST POST:

Who Inspired Your Love for Books?

        My mother inspired me! During summer vacation, we made a weekly trip to the library and brought home an armload of books each time. Of course, we played outside a lot, but we always made time to read.

        My favorite book as a kid was The Boxcar Children. I’m glad to see that it’s become a series now and is still very popular.

        I knew I wanted to be an author when I was in fifth grade, and I’ve been so blessed to have been able to live my dream. I never tried to really write a book until I was a stay-at-home-mom in the late seventies. I started reading for fun again during my sons’ nap time. I was reading all kinds of grown-up classics until one day I was in a bookstore and saw The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss on the shelf. It had a small G-rated picture of a guy holding a girl in his arms. I took it up to the register and asked the lady if it was any good. She raved about it. That was the first real romance novel I ever read, and it kept me up until 3 a.m. that night. I couldn’t put it down. I remember thinking, “I wonder if there are any more books like that out there?” Thank heaven, there were. And I also thought, “I could write one of these!” My very first book took me two and a half years to write, and I was very blessed to sell Rapture’s Rage back in 1982. I got to meet Kathleen Woodiwiss at a Romantic Times Conference some years back and thanked her for being an inspiration to me. She was a wonderful, gracious lady.

        I joined some writers groups and started going to writers conferences. Writing is a very solitary career. A great saying I heard years ago—“An author’s applause is silent”—is so true. It’s great fun to get out and meet other authors and the readers who come to the autograph parties.

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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:

Facebook Group – Bobbi Smith Books:

Goodreads Author Page:

Goodreads Book Page:

Amazon Author Page:

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon Kindle:

Amazon Paperback:

Barnes and Noble:

The Book Depository:

BAM! Books-A-Million:

BAM! Books-A-Million:

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

GIVEAWAY INFO:

Bobbi 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.