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Fiction, Food, and Foolishness
Harlequin’s Deception by Candi Fox
Candi will be awarding 1 $10 Amazon GC, 2 Eooks of Harlequin’s Deception and 1 Print Copy of Harlequin’s Deception to randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Please use the RaffleCopter below to enter. Remember you may increase your chances of winning by visiting the other tour stops. You may find those locations here.
Ten years ago, the world as we know it changed. The shift is what it became known as. Overnight, paranormal beings came out of the proverbial closet. Something in reality had shifted. Those who had no idea they were paranormal were awakened to a new reality. Ten years in and Harlowe Lake Kelly, Harley to her friends, is back in her small Oklahoma town, widowed and striking out in a new career, namely, a successful magic agency. Her uncanny abilities at using potions, spells, and other means at solving supernatural crimes, thrust her into a partnership with local law enforcement. Things would be great if it wasn’t for the three sexy, but deadly, men who stand at all corners of her new life. Lucien, the ancient, alluring Vampire who has made it clear he wants more than Harley’s luscious curves. Cowboy, who wants to possess her in every way imaginable, and Aiden. The newcomer who has strict orders from his Vampire boss… but she senses has his own agenda. But in a world where things and beings are never what they seem, life isn’t promised and love comes with many strings. So what’s a girl to do to untangle those strings?Amazon Buy Link
About the Author:
Candi Fox, co-host of the wildly popular radio show Candi and Company with over 900 thousand listeners began her venture in the paranormal at the tender age of two, when she witnessed her first apparition. From that moment on the paranormal seemed to follow her. No matter where she moved, the house she lived in the house next door, or the house down the street always seemed to be haunted.
She often wondered if she drew the spirits to her. Little did she know that she was indeed a magnet of sorts. It wasn’t until she was in her late twenties that she found people who could not only explain her gifts, but would also help her hone them. Armed with this new knowledge she began to openly explore hauntings and other paranormal phenomena.
Growing up in Indiana lent her the opportunity to explore many famous haunted places including the Hannah House, which was once part of the Underground Railroad. A little over two years ago she moved to Tulsa, OK and has began to explore the haunted landscape in a new state.
Candi lives with her husband, and furry children in Tulsa. She is passionate about the occult, saving and rehabilitating horses, horseback riding, magic, all things mystical and has her Reiki Mastery.
She uses her own paranormal experiences as well as her own life traumas to write from a grounded and realistic perspective about subjects that are hard to talk about and even harder to feel for yourself.
Social Links:
Facebook | Amazon | Website | Facebook Author Page | Blog | Twitter | Instagram
Five on Friday with Lois Winston
Welcome, Lois. I’m so happy to have you on my blog today. I love your titles and covers. So clever and colorful!! Readers, let’s get to know Lois.
USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and non-fiction under her name and her Emma Carlyle pen name. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” Also, Lois is an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry. Visit Lois/Emma at www.loiswinston.com and Anastasia at the Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog, http://www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com. Sign up for her newsletter at https://app.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z1z1u5
Now, the five questions Lois chose to answer for Five on Friday.
If you could snap your fingers and make one thing happen, what would it be and why?
How about a world where everyone gets along? Wouldn’t that be nice? As for why? I think that’s pretty obvious. 😉
Ann: That would be nice…if only we lived in a perfect world!
If you could change one thing about yourself, physical, mental, emotional, what would it be and why?
I wish I were taller. I’d kill for an additional four or five inches to make me average height. When you’re short, you’re often overlooked—or worse yet, not taken seriously. Everyone looks down on you—literally—and sometimes even figuratively. You have to crane your neck to make eye contact with people, and you often feel invisible. It’s also a real drawback at the theater or a concert. You spend megabucks for a ticket, and instead of watching the show, you sit for two hours staring at the head of the person seated in front of you. Same for parades. All you ever see are other people’s backs. Take it from me; it’s no fun being the runt of the litter.
Ann: I so identify with this! I’m the shortest in my family. Two brothers 6’4″ and 6’5″, a sister who is 5’9″, Mom 5’10”, Dad 6’2″. I’m not super short, but at 5’3″, I’m certainly short compared to the rest of my clan! I tell everyone, I grew out and they grew up!
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I’m a city girl stuck in the suburbs. I’d love to live in Manhattan. If only I had a few million dollars for a decent apartment…<sigh!> I don’t even want to think about how many books I’d have to sell to make that dream come true! Every so often I get desperate and buy a lottery ticket when the jackpot reaches an obscene amount, but the most I’ve ever won was a measly seven dollars. I guess it’s a good thing I’m not a gambling addict like Anastasia’s recently deceased husband.\
Ann: I’m a country bumpkin, but I do love to visit the city!
What is one strong memory that has stuck with you since childhood…and why?
My grandfather was captain of the Essex County Police Department, headquartered in Newark, New Jersey. Outside the old courthouse where he worked was Gutzon Borglum’s statue of Abraham Lincoln seated on a bench (see photo.) You may recognize Borglum as the sculptor who created Mount Rushmore. My grandmother and I would often take the bus downtown to go shopping. We’d meet my grandfather in front of the courthouse at the end of the day and drive home with him. I have a vivid memory of being three or four years old and scared to death of that sculpture because in my mind when that poor man sat on the bench, he turned into a statue. You better believe I kept my distance from that bench!
Ann: I can totally understand that fear. Kind of like a child thinking they might go down the drain when we let the water out of the tub.
If you were going to commit the perfect murder, how would you go about it?
Come on! If I were going to commit the perfect murder, do you really think I’d describe in this interview how I’d do it? Wouldn’t that kind of defeat the purpose? (Not to mention put me at the top of the Stupid Criminals list!) However, if someone wanted to kill me, all it would take is a room filled with lilacs and eucalyptus. My airway would close up, and I’d immediately suffocate. (Don’t get any ideas!)
Ann: That sounds like a super plot for a book. I’ve not read all of yours, so you may have written that allergy in on of them! If not, you should consider it. Thank you for being on my blog today and sharing your books!
The Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries
Anastasia Pollack’s comfortable middle-class life comes crashing down around her when her husband, Karl Marx Pollack, dies suddenly, and she discovers his well-hidden gambling addiction. Karl leaves her with two teenage sons, no savings, enormous debt, and Lucille, the communist mother-in-law from Hell. As she attempts to dig her way out of debt, Anastasia finds herself stumbling across one dead body after another, forcing her to become a reluctant amateur sleuth.
Books in the series include:
Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun http://amzn.to/2oamyiQ
Death By Killer Mop Doll http://amzn.to/2n9YoDv
Revenge of the Crafty Corpse http://amzn.to/2nFqsm0
Decoupage Can Be Deadly http://amzn.to/2o3fqYR
A Stitch To Die For http://amzn.to/2oapTi6
Crafty Crimes (Three Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mini-Mysteries) http://amzn.to/2nZaVOG
The Empty Nest Mysteries
When her career is outsourced to Asia, fledgling romance author and empty-nester Gracie Elliott seeks a job that will allow her time to write. However, she soon discovers no one wants to hire her. Undaunted, she starts her own business, only to discover her path to success littered with dead bodies. The Empty Nest Mysteries pays homage to Nick and Nora Charles of the classic Thin Man movies but with a modern twist.
Books in the series include:
Definitely Dead http://amzn.to/2o3iQuD
Literally Dead http://amzn.to/2ntvJfW
your social links, and buy links (next to each title)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Anasleuth
Pinterest:http://www.pinterest.com/anasleuth
We Carry Gold by Carlene Singleton
In honor of Mother’s Day and Foster Care Month, I’d like to welcome, Carlene Singleton to share her journey. And such a journey it is! On this Mother’s Day, I hope you receive a blessing from her story. I’ll let Carlene tell you about it….
I would very much like to talk to you about our 40+ mostly black foster babies in Brandon, MS. The last 13 were severely handicapped by birth defects. My husband, children and I cared for a child with no brain, a child missing a chamber in his heart, one with severe cystic fibrosis. Nearly all had severe brain damage, and we learned how much each and every child on earth means to God. It is real, it all happened. One of my pediatricians wrote the foreword and another one wrote a blurb for the back cover. It doesn’t fit any Christian niche, and it takes the reader to where “the rubber meets the road.”
Interwoven with the factual information about the babies, are my journal entries that document my spiritual journey. The whole book is a testament to the power of God.
Blurb: That afternoon a call came from a social worker. A little black boy needed a foster home. He was eleven months old and had only half of his brain. He was spastic, quadriplegic, blind, couldn’t eat, had breathing problems and would probably die soon. As I stood there listening to her describe the poor child, I was thinking, “No, please, Lord, not another one so hard! Not so soon. Oh, Lord, I don’t want to…I don’t want to…
We Carry Gold relates the journey of one family in the exploration of faith, disability, race relations, and many more social issues. Relive Carlene’s experiences as she and her family embark on the challenge of providing foster care to special needs children. Her memories provoke deep thought and introspection.
https://www.amazon.com/We-Carry-Gold-Carlene-Singleton-ebook/dp/B01NBI6BC9
Bio:
From prejudiced people to demonic activity, Carlene has seen first-hand the unfathomable love of God for all his children. A native Mississippian, Carlene Singleton has lived the Christian faith in all its reality. Along with her husband, Hamp, and their three children, the family fostered a rainbow of children, the last dozen being special needs. A nationally known advocate for all children, she has served on the board of Right to Life of Jackson, and the founding boards of Adoption Ministries of Mississippi and the Mississippi Center for Public Policy. She is a Bible teacher, advocate for special needs children on TV, radio and in newspapers, and speaks at conferences and Human Services events.
What people are saying about We Carry Gold
I doubt there is any physician of long experience who, if he is indeed honest with himself, has not witnessed a miracle. What happened to some of these children was truly miraculous, also miraculous was the love, patience, hope, and faith embodied in Carlene as she cared for these children.
My position as a physician was to supply the “conventional wisdom” and scientific skepticism about prognosis, but as a believer, I tried never to quash Carlene’s optimism. The stories are true; the author and I have witnessed these events and rejoiced in them. She is truly a servant of the Lord.
Robert H. Thompson, M.D., former Chief of Pediatrics, Mississippi Baptist Medical Center
This book is simply a graphic love story from a mother to her children and in my humble opinion, needs to be read by every responsible human on this planet. ~CollegeArtiston, Amazon reviewer
Amazing book! Love how it takes you through the experience of each child and how that child inevitably resulted in the family growing tremendously in Christ! Great read!~~Amazon Reviewer, Kendall/Kelly
This book was a gift to me. I find it to be a compelling recounting of a spiritual journey that many will find hard to believe. But if reading this does not make a “believer” out the the reader, then what will? Not only are the stories of these children both heart-wrenching and uplifting at the same time, but the writing itself is immaculate and written with flourish and a poetic air. This is a book for anyone with a mother’s heart. Read it expecting your faith to be deepened or cultivated. We Carry Gold is truly a triumph of the inter-workings of the Holy Spirit.~~Janet Taylor-Perry, author
Book Lover~~Book Blogger
Today, I’m featuring book blogger, Fiona Mcvie. She’s a single mum with 4 grown children and 5 grandchildren…so far. She was born in Germany due to her dad being in the Army.They moved around a lot until she was 12, when they settled in Scotland UK.
She works nights a care assistant in a care home. In her spare time, she blogs where she interviews authors. She loves reading and writing poems.
You can read her interviews at: http://www.authorsinterviews.wordpress.com
So let us get to know Fiona a little better.
If you could snap your fingers and make one thing happen, what would it be and why?
Fiona: I would love to bring my dad back even just for a day to be able to let him know how much I love and miss him. ME: I'm right there with you. I was super close to my dad and I'd love to see him again. If you had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be? Fiona: Honest ME: As an author, honesty is something I depend on when someone reviews my book or offers an opinion. That is a wonderful attribute. If you could change one thing about yourself, physical, mental, or emotional, what would it be and why? Fiona: I'm happy the way I am ME: That is fabulous! So many of us would have a list a mile long. Good for you!! That sets a great role model for your grandchildren. If there was one person, real, fiction or fantasy, you could spend time with, who would it be and why? Fiona: I can't name just one person. I would love to meet all the authors I've interviewed over the years. ME: And I'd sure love to visit Scotland to meet you! What are the top three things on your bucket list? Fiona: Publish my poems even if just for my children to read. Go back to Germany to see where I was born. Again, meet the authors I've interviewed. ME: None of these seem out of the question. They could happen...maybe not meet every single author you've interviewed, but you may meet some of them someday! What's the one thing you do every day that you enjoy the least, but do it anyway? Fiona: Iron my work uniforms. ME: Well, we don't agree here, because I actually LIKE to iron, I know. I'm crazy. What is your biggest fear? Fiona: Flying. ME: It may not be my biggest fear, but it's close. I have flown, but I hate it. What is one strong memory that has stuck with you since childhood? Fiona: Pillow fights with my dad. So fun!! ME: Sounds like your dad was quite the father. You're lucky to have such wonderful memories of him. Do you have any tattoos? If so, care to say what and where? Fiona: Two.One on each of my upper arms. A blue rose with the letters T and D (for Tara and David, my twins) and a heart with the word DAD. ME: I have none, but secretly would love to get one! Shh...don't tell anyone. Do you remember your first kiss? Care to elaborate? Fiona: I was 11 and it was with my childhood sweetheart in his garden, under a tree. ME: Sigh. I wish I could remember my first kiss, but I don't. It must not have been worth remembering! What is your favorite book and why? Fiona: I love all books, so no favorite. ME: No wonder you're a book blogger!! Dog-eared pages or bookmarks? Fiona: Always bookmarks. I never dog-ear a book!
Thank you, Fiona!! And now for readers, you’re in for a treat. Fiona has shared one of her poems and her choice just goes to show how writing helps us express our most precious thoughts, opinions, and memories.
My Little Angel Above
My little angel above My heart sinks when I think That God took you away from me At 12 hours old.
He must have something special for you As it is just the good he takes And I know your dad will look after you up there
I know you are looking down on me
From your angel cloud
But it does not stop me
being heartbroken
John-Andrew 24/12/1980–25/12/1980
Follow Fiona on FB @ https://www.facebook.com/fmcvie and Twitter @ https://twitter.com/InspirationForum
Cover Reveal for Diantha Jones
Today, I am so happy to take part in revealing Diantha Jones’ beautiful new cover for book three in her Oracle of Delphi Series, Prophecy of Solstice’s End!
Summer Solstice is here. Let the games begin.
Nothing but lies (some of them her own) and deceit have brought Chloe to Olympus for the Solstice Olympic Games. As the Oracle and the special guest of the King of Myth, Chloe becomes immersed in a life of unfathomable luxury, taunting history, and overwhelming excitement. Though scheming and untrustworthy, the gods remain on their best behavior as the tension and anticipation builds around the outcome of the Quest of the Twelve Labors, the deadliest competition of the Games. All seems well on the celestial front…until athletes start turning up dead and a philosopher missing for months returns with a most terrifying story…
But that’s not all.
As Strafford confronts his troubled past and more is learned about the Great Unknown Prophecy, Chloe grows close to another, setting off a chain of events that will bring her face-to-face with a truth that will rock both of her worlds to their core.
And it’ll all happen before Solstice’s end…
Book Links:
http://amzn.to/2qhs44h
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/prophecy-of-solstices-end-diantha-jones/1116050182?ean=2940148440819
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16181270-prophecy-of-solstice-s-end
Diantha Jones loves writing fantasy books filled with adventure, romance, and magic. She’s the author of the Oracle of Delphi series, the Mythos series, and the Djinn Order series (as A. Star). When she isn’t writing or working, she is reading or being hypnotized by Netflix. She is a serious night-owl and while everyone else is grinning in the warmth and sunlight, she’s hoping for gloominess and rain. Yeah, she’s weird like that.
http://www.diantha-jones.com/
http://www.twitter.com/DianthaJones
http://www.facebook.com/DianthaJones
http://www.goodreads.com/DianthaJones
https://www.goodreads.com/
http://amzn.com/e/B008OHIEUY
http://pinterest.com/dianthajones/
http://www.djsbookcorner.com/
Five on Friday with Tina Holland
Today, I welcome author, Tina Holland to my blog. Let’s get to know her better through the five questions she chose to answer.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Maine - I’ve been there to visit a number of times and it feels like home to me. What makes you laugh? My husband. He cracks me up, I can’t imagine life without him. What is your favorite thing to do during your spare time…besides writing? I love to travel. I’ve been thinking about travel writing when I finally surrender my day job. What is one of your favorite quotes? “There is a special place in hell for women who don’t support other women.” ~Madelin Albright. I think this resonates as an author that we should support other authors in this business of writing romance and helping people grow. Give back if you will. Do you belong to a critique group? I belong to a local Critique Group - Word Weavers, because over half our members work with Fibers. I’ve also had Critique Partners through RWA Online Chapter (Holli Winters) and most recently Writer Zen Garden an online Writer Group. I find critiques particularly helpful when writing a new genre or outside your comfort zone. While I’m good at some things, there are always areas to improve.
Tina Holland was born in Frankfurt, Germany and is now settled in the Red River Valley of North Dakota. She lives on a hobby farm and enjoys horseback riding, camping, traveling, and reading books by her favorite authors.
Tina has been published since 2005 and continues to release books as her schedule allows. Tina is a member of RWA Online, Writers Zen Garden, Nice Girls Writing Naughty, and the F-M Word Weavers.
Tina's social links https://tinaholland.wordpress.com/ https://www.facebook.com/author.tina.holland https://www.pinterest.com/haveubeenaughty/ http://www.tinaholland.com
Lexi Andrews keeps her erotic writing a secret but she’ll gladly risk exposure for the chance to work with “Killer” spy creator Jake Stone. While Jake is hesitant to work with anyone, he’ll meet Lexi to appease his female fans. They hatch a plan to rehearse the love scenes and give Jake’s novel realism.
But what starts out as an experiment soon takes on a life of its own. Jake’s deadline doesn’t seem as pressing as Lexi’s lovely body. Can Jake and Lexi keep their hands off each other long enough to “Sex up the Spy”?
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