Welcome to FAB Lovelies!

A Lifestyle blog that focuses on all things from fashion to beauty; fitness to weight loss; recipes to coupons; books to movies; travels to entertainment; and everything in between.

Monday, June 19, 2023

Rodeo Clowns and Shakedowns by Trixie Silvertale - Book Tour - Book Blast - Giveaway - Enter Daily!


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Trixie Silvertale will be awarding a $75 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner's Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Front row seats to murder. Thousands of eyewitnesses. Can our psychic sleuth trust her own eyes?

Mitzy Moon is loving life after the honeymoon. And as part of their agreement to try new things, she’s happily whooping it up at the local cowboy competition. But the newlyweds get roped into yet another investigation when their date night ends with a dead rodeo clown.

As her new husband’s history with the prime suspect’s wife tests all loyalties, Mitzy struggles to balance jealousy with keeping her man out of the hoosegow. And now she’ll need saddlebags of extra help from her mentor, Ghost-ma, and her entitled feline to unhorse the ruthless culprit.

Can Mitzy and Erick wrangle all the clues, or will spurious accusations bring a deadly showdown?

Rodeo Clowns and Shakedowns is the second book in the hilarious new paranormal cozy mystery series, Harper and Moon Investigations, a spinoff from the popular Mitzy Moon Mysteries. If you like snarky heroines, supernatural intrigue, and a dash of romance, then you’ll love Trixie Silvertale’s bucking brainteaser.

Buy Rodeo Clowns and Shakedowns to lasso a killer today!
EXCERPT TWO:

“GET IT OFF ME!” I swipe the snake to the floor, step as far away as possible, and continue to flail my hands and shiver.

Ghost-ma floats down to the motionless reptile and shakes her head. “Just an old rubber snake from the toy basket in the children’s section, Mitzy.” She reaches an ethereal hand toward Pyewacket and raises one finger. “You shouldn’t torment your best human, Mr. Cuddlekins.”

With the welcome knowledge that a live snake is not slithering around my closet, I return to the bench. “Yeah, what she said, Pye. I can’t put up with feline shenanigans and keep ghosts out of my head before a proper cup of coffee!”

Grams chuckles as she continues to rifle through the closet. “Don’t blame me, dear. I honestly thought you said it out loud because I wasn’t watching your lips. I was hard at work finding the perfect outfit for your first rodeo parade.”

“It will be the rodeo parade I missed, if you don’t pick something soon! Erick just sent me another text. The marching band is warming up. Yeesh! Pick something! Anything!”

“Reeeee-ow.” A warning.

“Look, you’ve even got Pyewacket concerned. He’d hate for me to stand up Detective Harper. You know Pye’s all Team Erick, now.”

Ghost-ma and I share a giggle, and I stretch out my arm to scratch the broad tan head of my furry overlord. Along with this bookstore, a swanky apartment, and a healthy monetary inheritance, my grandmother passed on her most precious possession: Robin Pyewacket Goodfellow.

Pye is a half-wild caracal …

CONTINUE READING HERE: https://readerlinks.com/l/3460643

AUTHOR BIO:
USA TODAY Bestselling author Trixie Silvertale grew up reading an endless supply of Lilian Jackson Braun, Hardy Boys, and Nancy Drew novels. She loves the amateur sleuths in cozy mysteries and obsesses about all things paranormal. Those two passions unite in her Mitzy Moon Mysteries and Harper and Moon Investigations, and she's thrilled to write them and share them with you.

Thursday, June 15, 2023

The Cobbler by Steve Madden - Book Tour - Blurb Blitz - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hey, lovelies!!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Steve Madden and his new book, “The Cobbler,” here on FAB!!  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 Steve Madden and to increase your chances of winning!!

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

The Cobbler

by Steve Madden

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

GENRE:   Memoir

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

BOOK BLURB:

Everyone knows Steve Madden's name and his shoes, but few are familiar with his story. Over the past thirty years Steve Madden has taken his eponymous shoe company from the fledgling startup he founded with a mere $1,100.00 to a global, multi-billion-dollar brand. But Madden's mistakes, from his battle with addiction to the financial shortcuts that landed him in prison, are as important to his story as his most iconic shoes. In this raw, intimate, and inspiring book, Madden holds nothing back as he shares what it took to get here and the lessons he's learned along the way. Readers are treated to the wild ride though his rise, fall, and comeback. But they will also walk away uplifted by a man who has owned up to his mistakes, determined to give back.

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

EXCERPT THREE:

Jordan called me The Cobbler simply because I was obsessed with shoes. But to me it means so much more than that. A cobbler puts the various pieces of a shoe together: the upper, the lower, the lining, and so on. But a real shoe guy knows that shoes are made of more than just raw materials. The inspiration behind the style is just as important and includes references pulled from music, pop culture, and whatever else is going on in the zeitgeist. The result is a shoe that’s not just comfortable and well made, but that says something about the person who is wearing it.

I got a thrill out of pulling these various pieces together to create my most iconic styles, from the Marilyn to the Mary Lou, the Slinky, and, more recently, the Troopa. But I’ve used the same techniques to piece together a team of mostly outsiders, hires that make no sense individually but that are amazingly effective together. And though it’s hard to separate the company from my life, that’s been pieced together, too, and thanks to my kids and friends and the people I love, it’s now mostly whole.

So, which one am I: the egomaniac, the trend spotter, the entrepreneur, or the visionary? What about the family man? Honestly, they’re all true. I’m the same flawed person I’ve always been. In fact, the more successful I’ve become, the less sure of anything I have grown. When I was young and just starting out, I thought I had all the answers. Hard work and money were all that mattered. Success at all costs would be worth it. Now, I’m not so sure. I have money. I have success. And I’ve paid for it by losing years of my life and people I loved. Was it worth it?

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

AUTHOR BIO:

A man who wears many hats-and shoes-Steve Madden cannot be described in one word. He is an entrepreneur, an award-winning designer, and a business titan whose eponymous company is currently worth 3 billion dollars. On the flip side, he is an ex-con, a recovering addict, and a devoted family man. Over the past thirty years, the provocative shoe designer built a booming brand and nearly lost it all to The Wolf of Wall Street, only to rebound by giving back and creating a global empire. Through it all, he hasn't forgotten his humble beginnings or his core consumer, resulting in millions of adoring fans worldwide. Considered the fashion footwear mogul of the twenty-first century, Madden has an innate sense of what's hot, what's next, what's exciting, and more importantly, how this will translate to the customer. He is also an active philanthropist and mentor who supports a number of organizations that help those in need of a second chance.

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

CONNECT WITH STEVE MADDEN:

Website:

https://www.getthecobbler.com

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1367110.Steve_Madden

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52814168-the-cobbler

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

BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/3N90MZ2

Amazon US Paperback:

https://amzn.to/3CLe3CB

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Cobbler-Steve-Madden-ebook/dp/B0BSDRXQMM

Amazon CA Paperback:

https://www.amazon.ca/Cobbler-Disrupted-Industry-Grace-Stronger/dp/B0BLC2BT86

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-cobbler-steve-madden/1142626288?ean=9798986463919

Barnes and Noble Paperback:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-cobbler-steve-madden/1142626288?ean=9798986463902

Kobo US eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-cobbler-6

Kobo CA eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-cobbler-6

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

GIVEAWAY INFO:

Steve Madden will be awarding $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner’s Choice!!!) 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 fabulous community outreach projects and 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, June 14, 2023

Tales of the Forgotten Founders by C.W. Allen - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!


Hey, lovelies!!  It gives me great pleasure today to host C.W. Allen and her new book, “Tales of the Forgotten Founders,” here on FAB!!  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 C.W. Allen and to increase your chances of winning!!

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

Tales of the Forgotten Founders

The Falinnheim Chronicles

Book Three

by C.W. Allen

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

GENRE:  Middle Grade Fantasy

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

BOOK BLURB:

Zed and Tuesday ought to be living the good life. After all, it’s not every day two kids take down an evil dictator and their mom gets put in charge of an entire dimension. But after moving into Falinnheim’s palace, they learn that life as royalty isn’t as carefree as they’d imagined.

Mysterious hidden passages aren’t the only secrets lurking within the palace walls. When the siblings discover a stash of banned books, they realize everything they’ve been told about Falinnheim’s history might be a lie. And though contact between worlds has been cut off for centuries, returning home might not be as impossible as their parents claim.

Could the adventures of a runaway monk, a reluctant viking, a silent ambassador, and a rebel librarian hold the solutions to both problems? To find the truth, Tuesday and Zed will have to learn the stories of Falinnheim’s forgotten founders.

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

EXCERPT ONE:

For some odd reason, Bastian started laughing. “Now you’re just messing with me,” he said, wagging an accusing finger at Tuesday. “London’s imaginary!”

Tuesday stared at him, perplexed. “No?”

“Oh come on,” Bastian insisted, “London’s in a bunch of stories. Peter Pan and Sherlock Holmes both talk about London, and they aren’t real either, you know.”

“Wait, now you know Sherlock Holmes, too? He wasn’t in any of the books you showed us.”

“That’s because he’s not from a book,” Bastian said with a shrug. “Here, see for yourself.” He scooted over to the jumble of papers on the crate shelves and pulled out a dog-eared magazine. He flipped past several black and white illustrations until he found the page he wanted, then handed it to Tuesday.

“The Valley of Fear,” she read aloud, “a new Sherlock Holmes story by A. Conan Doyle.” Her eyes flicked to the page heading. “The Strand magazine. January, 1915.”

“See?” said Bastian smugly. “London’s just a place from stories. Like Oz, or Neverland.” He laughed again. “I mean, it’s not like there’s really a land called India full of talking animals, just because The Jungle Book says so.”

Zed tried to break the news to Bastian without making him feel stupid. “Look, we know the stories are made up, but those are all real places. Well, not all of them—Neverland and Oz are imaginary—but India and London are real.”

“Have you ever been there?” Bastian argued.

“Well, no,” Zed was forced to admit. “But I’ve seen them on maps.”

Bastian just rolled his eyes. “Stop trying to prank me. Next you’ll be saying there really are giant wind storms in a place called Kansas.”

“There are!” Tuesday protested.

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

GUEST POST:

World Building Inspirations

I find that, rather than a single source of inspiration that sparks an idea, most of my writing is really bringing together a fruit salad of different elements I find interesting.

The setup and world building for the Falinnheim Chronicles series came from a lot of places. I loved puzzle mysteries like The Westing Game as a kid, so these books are my attempt to give something back to the genre I love. The shape-shifting swords in the anime Bleach inspired Falinnheim’s slipsteel inventions. I had a large and comically-misbehaved dog years ago, so I wanted to incorporate the humor from that experience into Nyx’s character.

Tales of the Forgotten Founders is the series conclusion, so I needed to wrap up all the mysteries and explain how the world got started. Louis Sachar’s novel Holes and Kate Milford’s fictional city of Nagspeake gave me the idea to present this foundation as a story-within-a-story that the readers could dig into alongside the characters. The main plot action is interspersed with chapters from the history book Zed and Tuesday are reading, The Book of the Founders. These are basically self-contained short stories about people from Falinnheim’s past: a reluctant viking, a runaway teenage monk, a rebel librarian, and—surprise!—Zed and Tuesday’s own parents.

I knew even before I wrote the first book in this series that the backstory involved the ancient library of Alexandria, but as I did more research in preparation for this third book I discovered that political leaders fighting for control actually led to the famous library’s downfall, not a fire or a war as I had imagined. That conversation about book banning is incredibly relevant for today’s readers, but it wasn’t a theme I intended to explore until I was halfway through writing Tales of the Forgotten Founders—it emerged organically as I researched the real history of Alexandria. Here’s a fantastic video that sums up the history, if you’re interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvWncVbXfJ0

Bastian, a new character in this book, was a lot of fun to write. Falinnheim and the “other earth”—or the real world, as we know it—each see themselves as the regular, normal, logical way to be. So I thought it would be fun to contrast those perspectives by having Bastian read “fairy tales” about what life is like in our world, which he sees as strange and foreign. Characters in Neil Gaiman’s Stardust experience a similar shift in perspective when Victorian England collides with the magical land of Stormhold—each sees the other as otherworldly.

As you can see, bringing together all these inspirations from history, television, and other writers’ creations makes Tales of the Forgotten Founders a love letter to the stories that capture my imagination. I had a fantastic time in the world of Falinnheim, and I’m so excited to share the conclusion of Zed and Tuesday’s adventures!

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

AUTHOR BIO:

C.W. Allen is a Nebraskan by birth, a Texan by experience, a Hoosier by marriage, and a Utahn by geography. She knew she wanted to be a writer the moment she read The Westing Game at age twelve, but took a few detours along the way as a veterinary nurse, an appliance repair secretary, and a homeschool parent. She writes long stories for children and short stories for former children. When she’s not writing, she helps other writers hone their craft as a board member of the League of Utah Writers.

Her debut novel Relatively Normal Secrets is the winner of the Gold Quill Award, being named the best children’s book of the year by a Utah author. The Falinnheim Chronicles series continues with The Secret Benefits of Invisibility (Cinnabar Moth, 2022) and Tales of the Forgotten Founders (Cinnabar Moth, 2023). She also has shorter work published in numerous anthologies. Keep up with her latest projects at cwallenbooks.com.

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

CONNECT WITH C.W. ALLEN:

Website:

https://www.cwallenbooks.com

Newsletter:

https://www.cwallenbooks.com/contact

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/cwallenbooks

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/cwallenbooks

Cinnabar Moth Publishing Author Page:

https://cinnabarmoth.com/cw-allen

BookBub Author Page:

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/c-w-allen

BookBub Book Page:

https://www.bookbub.com/books/tales-of-the-forgotten-founders-by-c-w-allen

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2983485.C_W_Allen

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62981907-tales-of-the-forgotten-founders

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/3MmaxS8

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

BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/3OYH7xC

Amazon US Paperback:

https://amzn.to/3P3ZBN7

Amazon US Hardcover:

https://amzn.to/3WWERZw

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Tales-Forgotten-Founders-C-Allen-ebook/dp/B0BZ6J8FBX

Amazon CA Paperback:

https://www.amazon.ca/Tales-Forgotten-Founders-C-Allen/dp/195397175X

Amazon CA Hardcover:

https://www.amazon.ca/Tales-Forgotten-Founders-C-Allen/dp/1953971768

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tales-of-the-forgotten-founders-c-w-allen/1143178174?ean=2940166031525

Barnes and Noble Paperback:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tales-of-the-forgotten-founders-c-w-allen/1143178174?ean=9781953971753

Barnes and Noble Hardcover:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tales-of-the-forgotten-founders-c-w-allen/1143178174?ean=9781953971760

Kobo US eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/tales-of-the-forgotten-founders

Kobo CA eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/tales-of-the-forgotten-founders

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

GIVEAWAY INFO:

C.W. Allen will be awarding $10 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner’s Choice!!!) 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 fabulous community outreach projects and 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 13, 2023

The Mysteries of Tarot: A Work of Imagination by Kirsten Weiss - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hey, lovelies!!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Kirsten Weiss and her new book, “The Mysteries of Tarot: A Work of Imagination,” here on FAB!!  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 Kirsten and to increase your chances of winning!!

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

The Mysteries of Tarot:

A Work of Imagination

Tea & Tarot Cozy Mysteries Series

Book Seven

by Kirsten Weiss

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

GENRE:   Contemporary Mystery / Suspense

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

BOOK BLURB:

The Mysteries of Tarot: A Work of the Imagination

How to Read the Cards for Transformation

When Tarot reader Hyperion Night sent his manuscript, The Mysteries of Tarot, to a friend to edit, it was a simple guide to reading Tarot. Hyperion couldn’t anticipate that his editor’s notes would evolve into a murder mystery, or that his friend would go missing. Shockingly, the annotated manuscript eventually made its way back to Hyperion, who forwarded it to the authorities.

Now this astonishing Tarot guide is available as a book. The Tarot guidebook features:

Tarot basicsHow to manage different interpretations of cards in a spread, how to read court cards, and a clear and simple method for dealing with reversals.

Detailed card breakdowns Keywords, flash non-fiction narratives, and a deep dive into the symbols of each of the 78 cards of the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana.

Questions to apply to the cards for transforming your lifeInsightful questions for each card to help you dig deeper into your Tarot reading practice.

Bonus feature: the guidebook also includes his editor’s comments on the more esoteric and philosophical interpretations of the Tarot, as well as his notes on the baffling mystery that engulfed him.

Gain deep insight from the cards, transform yourself, and solve The Mysteries of Tarot with this work of experimental fiction that’s part Tarot guidebook, part murder mystery.

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

EXCERPT THREE:

Ace of Cups

New love. New relationship. Awakening of cosmic consciousness. Channel for spirit. Gratitude.

It’s a little depressing how often I’ve drawn the Ace of Cups. Aces are about beginnings and initiation, and cups about emotions and love. So for me this card has usually indicated a new relationship, though not necessarily a lasting one. Until one day, when the relationship this Tarot card was nudging me toward had zero to do with romance.

I’d been reading Tarot for a couple years by that point. I knew the classic meanings, I could put them together, and I was even starting more intuitive work with clients. I was doing (and still do) my own daily Tarot card reading—just one card. That day, I’d drawn the Ace of Cups. And though I wasn’t expecting a good day, the Ace gave me a lift of hope.

Its meaning unfolded later that day. I was in the hospital visiting my aunt. We’d been taking her there on an almost weekly basis after a cancer diagnosis—I won’t go into the details. But she’d been coming down with one infection after another, with no end in sight.

I was bored, sitting outside the examination room. So although the spring day was drizzly, I wandered to the balcony garden outside. At the moment, the clouds parted, and a sunbeam struck the ocean. The light glimmered, the ocean whitening around it.

And suddenly, I knew. My aunt was going to be okay.

I returned inside. The doctor emerged from the exam room and told us my aunt was in remission.

It was my first knowing. My first true connection. Did I channel? Did I forge some connection with the universal mind?

I’m still baffled. Until that moment, the idea of awakening cosmic consciousness in myself had been entirely theoretical. There are some things you can’t entirely understand until you experience them.

I’m still not sure I do understand. I don’t have these moments of insight on tap. My knowings don’t come on command. But they do still occasionally come.

Aces. Someone once told me that the first card in the suit contains all the energy of that suit. In that moment at the hospital, I felt all the energy of the Cups—intuition, spirit, connection—flowing through me. I was initiated that day by something bigger than myself.

The Symbols

A golden chalice floats above a pool dotted with water lilies, the latter representing eternal life. Five streams (representing the five senses?) overflow from the cup.

The cup is commonly believed to represent the Holy Grail from Arthurian legend. In the story of the knight Parcival, a dove magically empowers the Grail, and in this card, a dove with a communion-type wafer dives toward the cup. The cup also resembles a baptismal font, implying a spiritual initiation.

What Does This Card Mean for You?

How can you be that over-flowing chalice? Because it’s by being loving that we attract love of all kinds to us.

Notes: Ace of Cups

85 Adelaide came to the cottage today with her latest rescue (a Chihuahua). She’d learned about my brother’s threatened conservatorship and wants to help. I’m grateful.

She told me Charles has been trying to get more control of our father’s company for years. I had no idea it mattered to him that much. He’s been the Chief Financial Officer since last spring. I’d assumed he was on track to take the company over, and I would have been happy to let him. I don’t care about managing the money or the company. But I don’t want to be on an allowance at my brother’s mercy either. At least my sister, for all her faults, is on my side.

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

GUEST POST:

How to Hold Yourself Accountable

Before I moved to writing, I worked as a financial advisor. It was a lot more sales than I liked, so I gave up after two years. But one thing that job taught me was how to schedule my day, which ties in closely to accountability.

Planners are unforgiving. You spend the booked time doing the work, or you don’t. You hit your to-do list, or you don’t. But planners can also be inspiring. The process of setting goals, of breaking down the steps to accomplish a goal, makes it all seem possible. And the really crazy thing about a planner, is once I’ve got something written down in it, it happens.

I calendar my writing time, editing time, and marketing tasks every day. And I’ve based it on the way my brain works. I discovered that mornings are best for long, focused concentration. Afternoons, I’m easily distracted, which makes them a better time for task switching (i.e. lots of short tasks). For me, this means writing a chapter first thing every morning, editing until lunch, and then marketing in the afternoons.

But this only works if I refer back to my planner every morning to check what has to be done, and every evening to make sure it got done. Usually on Sunday I’ll do a weekly review of what’s happened and what needs to happen next week.

And if this seemed militantly structured, it kind of is. But there’s something freeing about it.

In my new experimental mystery, The Mysteries of Tarot, my character Hyperion writes about the Emperor and the Empress cards. And I’m just going to quote from it here, because I think my fictional Tarot reader said it best:

“In the Empress card, a pregnant woman lounges between cultivated fields of grain and a wild forest. A heart-shaped stone with the glyph for Venus is carved into her throne, littered with comfy pillows.

The power and authority of the Empress’s office is only a thin veneer over her abundant, creative nature. Though nature is chaos, the Empress is not. In front of the wheat field, she symbolizes chaos cultivated to the good—the chaos we need for change, growth and creativity.

Here’s the deal. We’re creatures of both nature and society. Like a farmer’s field, we’re part chaos, part order. The Empress represents the former and her counterpart, the Emperor, the latter.

In their healthy aspects, the Empress keeps the Emperor from becoming too rulebound, rigid, and tyrannical. The Emperor provides structure for the Empress to blossom. Because like the Empress, we need structure and boundaries (at least some boundaries) in order for our personal creativity and purpose to flourish. Whether it’s setting word-count goals or deciding only to paint in hues of blue, boundaries can up an artist’s game.”

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

AUTHOR BIO:

Kirsten Weiss writes laugh-out-loud, page-turning mysteries, and now a Tarot guidebook that’s a work of experimental fiction. Her heroes and heroines aren’t perfect, but they’re smart, they struggle, and they succeed. Kirsten writes in a house high on a hill in the Colorado woods and occasionally ventures out for wine and chocolate. Or for a visit to the local pie shop.

Kirsten is best known for her Wits’ End, Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum, and Tea & Tarot cozy mystery books. So if you like funny, action-packed mysteries with complicated heroines, just turn the page…

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

CONNECT WITH KIRSTEN:

Website:

http://www.kirstenweiss.com

Newsletter:

https://kirstenweiss.com/get-the-book

Email:

kweiss2001@kirstenweiss.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/kirsten.weiss

Twitter #1:

http://www.twitter.com/kirstenweiss

Twitter #2:

http://www.twitter.com/SBPM_Museum

Pinterest:

https://www.pinterest.com/KirstenWeiss

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/KirstenWeissAuthor

BookBub Author Page:

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kirsten-weiss

BookBub Book Page:

https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-mysteries-of-tarot-a-work-of-the-imagination-tea-and-tarot-cozy-mysteries-book-7-by-kirsten-weiss

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5346143.Kirsten_Weiss

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/124945681-the-mysteries-of-tarot

Amazon Author Page:

http://amzn.to/3dp682k

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

BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook ->

https://amzn.to/3P6RXSb

Amazon US Paperback ->

https://amzn.to/43xyGh4

Amazon US Hardcover ->

https://amzn.to/43R7VUQ

Amazon CA Kindle eBook ->

https://www.amazon.ca/Mysteries-Tarot-Work-Imagination-Cozy-ebook/dp/B0C18BKGXB

Amazon CA Paperback ->

https://www.amazon.ca/Mysteries-Tarot-Work-Imagination-Cozy/dp/1944767908

Amazon CA Hardcover ->

https://www.amazon.ca/Mysteries-Tarot-Work-Imagination-Cozy/dp/1944767932

Apple Books eBook ->

https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6447194167

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook ->

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mysteries-of-tarot-kirsten-weiss/1143066958?ean=2940185843253

Barnes and Noble Paperback ->

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mysteries-of-tarot-kirsten-weiss/1143066958?ean=9781944767907

Barnes and Noble Hardcover ->

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mysteries-of-tarot-kirsten-weiss/1143066958?ean=9781944767938

Google Play eBook ->

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Kirsten_Weiss_The_Mysteries_of_Tarot?id=Thq3EAAAQBAJ

Kobo US eBook ->

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-mysteries-of-tarot

Kobo CA eBook ->

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-mysteries-of-tarot

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

GIVEAWAY INFO:

Kirsten will be awarding a $10 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner’s Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

**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 fabulous community outreach projects and 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, June 12, 2023

Patroosh, the Hungry Pelican by Renée James - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hey, lovelies!!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Renée James and her exciting new children’s book, “Patroosh, the Hungry Pelican,” here on FAB!!  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 $15 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Renée and to increase your chances of winning!!

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

Patroosh, the Hungry Pelican

by Renée James

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

GENRE:   Children's Fiction

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

BOOK BLURB:

Pancakes, milkshakes, fish and chips galore... Patroosh the hungry pelican will enjoy all four. Especially if there's ketchup he can pour.

With Seamus the seagull by his side, always there to help decide.

Will these two feathered friends find what they want for lunch?

They're feeling peckish and do enjoy a good munch.

What could be in store for diners today at their favourite marina café?

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

EXCERPT SEVEN:

36 Word Count

Seamus flaps his wings, making all sorts of noises. YAWP YAMMER YELP.

Then he hears a voice from below. “Down here, quick; we’ll hide until the people order more food for us to pick,” says Patroosh.

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

GUEST POST:

Top 5 Reasons to Purchase Patroosh, the Hungry Pelican

1.)  Patroosh, the Hungry Pelican is an engaging story that will keep your child entertained and interested.

2.)  The book teaches children about the importance of never giving up and teamwork.

3.)  The illustrations are colourful and eye-catching, making the book visually appealing to children.

4.)  The book promotes positive values such as perseverance, sharing, and friendship.

5.)  This book is a perfect addition for children with many fun reading opportunities, ensuring it finds a well-deserved place on any child's bookshelf.

*******

Check out Renée’s inspiration for the “Patroosh,” Book Series – her adorable family and their fun beach vacations!!!

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

AUTHOR BIO:

Renée James comes from a background in communications and the commercial television industry. She has worked on a variety of creative projects both nationally and internationally.

She loves nothing more than spending time with family and friends, which includes their much-loved dog. She is passionate about travel, beach days, and, of course, story-time. Her children are the bee's knees as they're constant reminders to be present, and always make time to play.

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

CONNECT WITH RENÉE:

Website:

http://www.reneejamesbooks.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/reneejamesbooks

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/reneejamesbooks

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21279212.Ren_e_James

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/124923880-patroosh-the-hungry-pelican

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/2SGKYEC

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

BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/3N5Mybg

Amazon US Paperback:

https://amzn.to/3P7vDYB

Amazon US Hardcover:

https://amzn.to/43Y2vHD

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Patroosh-Hungry-Pelican-Renée-James-ebook/dp/B0BZ52C5Y5

Amazon CA Paperback:

https://www.amazon.ca/Patroosh-Hungry-Pelican-Renée-James/dp/0228882060

Amazon CA Hardcover:

https://www.amazon.ca/Patroosh-Hungry-Pelican-Renée-James/dp/0228882079

Barnes and Noble Paperback:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/patroosh-the-hungry-pelican-ren-e-james/1143286531?ean=9780228882060

Barnes and Noble Hardcover:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/patroosh-the-hungry-pelican-ren-e-james/1143286531?ean=9780228882077

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

GIVEAWAY INFO:

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


a Rafflecopter giveaway

**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 fabulous community outreach projects and 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.