Holidays—oh, joy! (And I really mean that!) #MFRWauthor

Lower the stress at the holidaysI know many people bemoan the work that goes into hosting or visiting family at the holidays, but I am not one of them, except in one respect. First, about my family holidays.

I have a relatively small family. Jack and I have no kids, and neither does his brother. My mom and her twin sister have no other siblings, and my aunt had just two children while Mom had only me. My two cousins live in Texas and Ethiopia. Even when they both lived here in the States, we rarely saw each other, as my dad was in the Navy and my uncle was in the Air Force, neither stationed near the other throughout their careers. Jack’s parents are gone now, so our immediate family consists of my mom and aunt, and Jack’s brother and wife—six of us. Unfortunately, none of us lives close to the others.

Years ago, Jack’s brother and sister-in-law lived in Richmond, Virginia, and we lived fifty miles away, three doors down from his parents. In those days, we rotated holidays, Thanksgiving at one house, Christmas at another, each bringing dishes to relieve the pressure. At that time, my mom and aunt lived in Dallas, Texas. Every other year, Jack and I used our Christmas break from the school where we worked and Jack’s parents’ camper to make the trek to Dallas in order to spend the holidays with The Twins and my aunt’s children. I say all this to better explain my pros and cons of family holidays.

  • PRO: Being with family—when you act like family—is Holiday stresswonderful! I understand how that might not be so if there is too much selfishness and too little care evident. That is if folks don’t get together to share the joys of the season and instead make it obvious that the day is about them and not everyone else. Believe me, I have been at family events where there is too much drinking or arguments spring up or one person is expected to do all the work. No fun. Not like family. If this is your situation, you might have to work harder at enjoying the holiday, but it can still be done.
  • PRO: You know that being with family is wonderful the most, when you can no longer be with family. Our Aussie friend, Jan, almost never gets to share holidays with her newly-minted American daughter because Jeanette lives here in the States and Jan is in New South Wales, Australia. My mom and aunt, and brother- and sister-in-law are all too far away for us to see each other often, much less at the holidays. And Jack’s parents, two of the most wonderful people ever, have been dead for many years. I would give a lot for all of us to share a holiday together again!
  • PRO: Being with loved ones, especially at holiday time, gives us a chance to catch up with the news, with how Photoslarge the kids have grown, with how each of us is getting more frail in our own ways or stronger. It gives us a chance to laugh with one another and maybe to cry, while sharing the load of what makes us cry. It provides a chance for photos with sparkly backgrounds, that we can examine later and smile over.
  • CON: Travel is so often a mess. Nothing puts the strain on a holiday like canceled flights, bad weather, and Holiday weather and travelsnarled traffic. This is the number one reason why no one in our family gets together on holidays—it’s too darn much trouble.

I miss our family holidays horribly, and more so the older I get. I remember the rolls that were forgotten on the counter, the dishes for dinner that didn’t turn out as we’d hoped and the ones that were great successes. I remember opening gifts after a sweet roll and coffee, and sharing with everyone what we received. I remember sitting and chatting with Mom after the dishes were done, and the sounds of football coming from the other room. And I remember most the laughter and love we shared.

As we go into the holiday season, my your holidays be filled with love and laughter, too!

Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.

Dee
Mystic Desire: A collection of supernatural tales sure to keep you up at night, peering into the shadows! Or just wide awake, reading.
Only a Good Man Will Do
Naval Maneuvers

Charity Sunday: Shriners Hospitals for Children

Charity Sunday

How Charity Sunday works: for every comment made on this blog post, I will donate money to the charity named. The same promise is made for every blog site listed in the group–click the Linky Links link at the bottom of this post to see the list of participants and read/comment on any of them to see a donation go to that blogger’s charity. We’re all different! Thanks for your help and your participation!


This month’s charity is one near and dear to my heart: the Shriners Hospitals for Children.  Charity Navigator has awarded Shriners Hospitals for Children “with its prestigious Four Star Charity award. Such distinction recognizes Shriners Hospitals for Children for its sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency.”

When I was ten-months-old, a polio epidemic struck Sioux City, Iowa and the surrounding area. Polio was not at all uncommon in the early 1950s, but this epidemic was horrible. I had been walking at nine-months. Then one morning I was crying in my crib and when Mom came to get me, I couldn’t stand. We have never figured out why I contracted the disease. Lots of public places—like swimming pools—were closed, and I wasn’t going to school or day care yet. Another strange thing is, Mom didn’t get it. No one has ever been able to explain it, but I have my opinion. All things really do happen for a reason. God knew that I would need a strong, loving mother to see me through the recovery I had ahead, and He kept Mom well.

Mom tells me that they announced the people who had died on the radio and also those who were admitted to the hospitals. In fact, hearing my name on the radio is how my grandparents found out I’d been admitted. The city needed so much help that the Navy sent in corpsmen from Great Lakes Naval Station, hundreds of miles away. For nine days, my fever was so high the doctors didn’t encourage Mom to believe I would live, and if I did the odds that I might have brain damage were relatively high. In other words, things were grim.

But I did survive (duh!). The damage wasn’t all that severe, either. My left side was weakened. Muscles in my left leg stopped growing as fast as those on my right and some didn’t work at all. In my first year, my godfather sponsored me to attend the Shriners Hospitals for Crippled Children (now the Shriners Hospitals for Children). They did a lot of work with victims of polio back then. Fortunately, Dr. Salk and his colleagues developed the polio vaccine in 1953 and the number of cases dropped dramatically until it’s practically unheard of today. One funny story, a young woman asked me a couple of years ago why I was limping. I told her I’d had polio. She said, “Polio! You must be really OLD!!” (Yes, young lady, I am. Thanks for the reminder.)

We first went to the hospital in Minneapolis where I was fitted for a brace that went from foot to hip. Naturally I tired easily and poor Mom! She had to carry me and that brace. After a few years, we moved to San Francisco, where I attended the hospital and they started the first of many surgeries on my leg and foot. Later, after we moved east, I went to the hospital in Greenville, SC, where I finally finished my surgeries at the age of 15.

The Shriners Hospitals never charge a family for any medical care. When I went into the hospital for surgery, I was generally there for a a month or even two. During that time, they housed me, fed me, schooled me, entertained me, and provided all medical care, before and after surgery—all for free. Our only responsibility was to get to the hospital and home. I received the very best of care in a safe and clean environment, with the best medical staff, and I will be forever grateful. If not for the Shriners, I might not have been able to walk—or to run, to dance, to drive a truck, to live a life I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and loved.

Please leave a comment and I will make a donation to an organization for which I have lasting gratitude. Thank you!

I hope you will visit the other authors who are participating in this month’s Charity Sunday and comment on their blogs. Click Click here below.

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Mystic Desire, a supernatural anthology

Just in time for Halloween! Mystic Desire

Mystic Desire is a collection of short paranormal romance stories. This is a chance to read and discover the work of a diverse group of very talented authors.

The themes in this book are varied, as are the collection of characters and artifacts, including Native American dream catchers, mystical jewelry, and characters such as lustful vampires, hot warlocks, a grumpy leprechaun, a ghostly terrier, a zombie apocalypse and things that go bump in the night.

From soft and tender love to hot passionate, kinky sex, there is something for everyone in this anthology.

The Sweetest Magic of All – Alice Renaud
When a sexy apprentice witch and a hot warlock go back in time to locate a magical amulet, they find more than they bargained for. It’s May Eve, the most magical night of the year, and normal rules don’t apply…

An Awareness of Evil – Dee S. Knight
Only two things stand between evil and a small girl: the visions of Amanda McMasters and Detective Brendan Gilchrist. Neither can afford to be wrong.

Bewitching the Wolf – Zia Westfield
The Witch, Alice Humphreys has poured her heart and soul into creating a magical B&B where guests experience the fantasy vacation of their dreams! Brodie MacEwan has been sent to investigate the mysterious death of his uncle. He never expected to discover his soul mate in his dreams. But is the illusion real? Alice knows that there is something all too predatory about the Scotsman and he makes her body tingle in places it shouldn’t!

Calling All Angels – Lora Logan
Elijah Baker, an immortal tasked with fighting against demons that exist on earth, finds peace when he meets his new neighbor, Celeste. But when he realizes that their love comes with a cost, he is faced with choosing between his calling and a chance at true love.

Dream Catcher – Callie Carmen
Long ago, a medicine man had made a matched set of dream catchers as a wedding gift to protect the Chief’s daughter and her warrior husband. He had called upon the benevolent spirits to keep the two soul mates safe and in a loving, healthy marriage. It was foretold that if the two dream catchers were ever divided the new owners would be drawn together as soul mates. Was that possible?

Life Saving – Anne Krist
Saving lives isn’t just for adults. Sometimes the innocent magic of a child can do the job better.

Love from the Mist – Patricia Elliott
When Jace Warden learns that his brother plans to announce his engagement at a family get together, he flees to the other side of the world to escape the joyous celebration. Or at least attempts to… His plane never makes it, and he winds up trapped on an island. Little does he realize, he’s not alone; there’s a mischievous little entity milling about, and she wants to play.

Love Knows No Apocalypse – Patricia Elliott
Getting stranded in the middle of a storm was not Samantha Wheeler’s idea of an ideal situation, especially in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. But fighting zombies was the easy part; her heart, though, was a whole other matter. Thanks to a man named Steve Jones.
When they find themselves in danger, she has to decide what’s more important – dying for someone she loves or surviving.

Love that Binds – Carol Schoenig
On the outskirts of a small town where nothing grows, a young girl, Ianthee, is being bullied and accused of being a witch. Young Caleb, inexplicably drawn to Ianthee, comes to her rescue. Before they can explore their feelings, Caleb and his family disappear. What happened to him, and what part does a long-ago legend play in their lives?

Love’s Ghost – R.M. Olivia
“Sorry, babe. I know it hurts to hear.” John frowned. I’ll make this brief. I spoke to the man in charge and he is giving me one last chance.”
“Come again?”
“I’m allowed to make love to my wife one last time before I have to cross over. So, are you ready for your husband? Are you ready for me, Ingrid?” He lifted my chin up and ran his thumb along my lips. I felt a chill go down my spine. How could this be real? How could this be happening?

The Anniversary – Richard Savage
A cruel twist of fate wrenched Evelyn and Peter apart on their wedding anniversary. Evelyn’s life descends into darkness. James enters her life giving her a chance of happiness. Evelyn discovers a piece of jewelry, that has the power to grant her time with Peter on their anniversary. She adores James, but needs Peter. Can she ever really let Peter go, while there’s still a chance they can be together?

The Mortal Vampire – Suzanne Smith
Remy enjoys life as a vampire, never giving a thought to sucking every last drop of tasty blood out of his unfortunate victims and leaving them door nail dead. But his cold and carefree existence changes the day he crosses paths with the beautiful and mysterious mortal Angela.

Through the Veil – Jan Selbourne
A beautiful March day in 1875 ends in tragedy when the wagon carrying Helen and Marcus plunges down the mountainside. Generations pass before Rachel Finlay finds an old sepia photo of a man and woman. She knows them but she’s never met them and now, for the peace of mind she desperately craves, she goes back to where it began. In time, through the veil, knowing she may never return.

Unconditional Lust – Breanna Hayes
The massive, hideous merrow leader, Muruch, craves the taste of human flesh. Confined to the ocean, he feeds his horde with sailors from ships pulled into the maw of the Bermuda Triangle. When US Army Captain, Nurys Shaye, puts her life on the line to save him after being captured, his hunger for human flesh is shadowed by the desire for her body and her love. Will she be able to see past his appearance and trust him to break down her walls and teach her to feel?

Darn that Social Media #MFRWauthor

Marketing on social mediaI’m not quite a Luddite, but close to it. I wasn’t always this way. Time was, I was considered a leader in computer and Internet usage. I posted on Yahoo groups with the best of them to promote my books, and could make Outlook, Word and Excel sing. Then I took a break.

When I came back into writing and using the computer had changed. I prefer email, but really, does anyone use email any more? It seems that everyone is DMing (it took me a heck of a long time to figure out what DM meant. Use your words, people!) on Twitter, Messaging on Facebook, and whatever they call it on LinkedIn. Ironically, I receive a message in my Outlook Inbox telling me I have a message on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Couldn’t people just email me to begin with??

How to receive messages was only the beginning. In order to promote our work, we now need to post daily—more often would be infinitely better, I’m told—on all of those. I don’t have Instagram or Pinterest accounts or I Social mediawould be spending even more time at the keyboard. And that doesn’t include blogging or managing a newsletter. By the time I create blog posts, both for those appearing on the Nomad Authors blog and for when I appear on the blog sites of others, I’m pooped.

Hubby used to complain that I spent so much time posting on Yahoo that I decreased my writing time significantly. He could say the same now about social media promoting. Truthfully, I never noticed any changes in sales when I used Yahoo, and I wonder if there are sales changes with all of this other promoting. I have been told point blank that we can promote 24×7 on social media and there would be no difference in sales or exposure. But who is willing to take that chance? Not me.

So is social media a friend or foe? Like most things in life, we have to do whatever we think works as well as what we enjoy, plus a bit of what we don’t enjoy, just because…well, because. I really enjoy Twitter and I don’t mind LinkedIn. I’m not a fan of Facebook but recognize that it’s expected for us to use. And I have to admit, I really enjoy blogging and our newsletter, Aussie to Yank (subscribe here). So I will keep on and hope you will keep on reading, retweeting, commenting.

Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.

Dee
Mystic Desire: A collection of supernatural tales sure to keep you up at night, peering into the shadows! Or just wide awake, reading.
Only a Good Man Will Do
Naval Maneuvers

Cover Reveal: Not You Again by Patricia Elliott

Not You Again by Patricia Elliott. I bought my copy–can’t wait to read it!

Not You Again by Patricia Elliott

🔥COVER REVEAL❤️
Hot Pre-order Deal 99 cents ebook until pub date 11/20
https://amzn.to/2J0nodU

Emma Praught has everything a woman could wish for: a house, a husband, and a teen daughter who she wouldn’t trade for the world. But when she receives that fateful call, everything falls apart.

Her husband is dead. The life she knew is over. And before she has a chance to make sense of it all, death threats roll in and so does a man from her past. One she never expected to see again.

Devon Matthews, in the stupidity of his youth, broke the heart of the only woman he ever loved. Something he has never gotten over. Now he has a chance to make it up to her by protecting them. And maybe, just maybe, she’ll find it in her heart to forgive him. If he can keep her alive, that is.
Will they make it through this unscathed or will Emma’s stubborn nature make the way difficult for them both?

One way or another, he’s not giving her up this time.

Not You Again by Patricia Elliott

[Wonderful!] Cover by Jessica Greeley

NANOWRIMO or bust! #MFRWauthor

NANOWRIMOI’ve always considered myself a pretty fast writer—when I write. I mean, I could eat lunch at work and still knock out a thousand words. I have written a 90K word book in a month. But the one year I tried NANOWRIMO, I choked. Couldn’t write 300 words in a day. Couldn’t get through a chapter in a week. Couldn’t… Well, couldn’t finish NANOWRIMO.

I felt like such a failure, but every day when I got home from work and saw that I hadn’t met my word count for the day, I panicked. Of course, I thought “I’ll make it up tomorrow,” but then I didn’t. I know it’s only a campaign against oneself, but the more I didn’t meet the goals I was supposed to, the more my stomach wrapped itself into knots. I felt the pressure. I felt the pain. I did not enjoy the experience at all.

I know some people (I know some people!) have written their novels duringWriting during NANOWRIMO NANOWRIMO, but I did not. The discipline that NANOWRIMO gives you is a good thing, but when faced with it I turned out to be the biggest wuss ever. It’s not for me, I’m afraid. But for those who thrive under the NANOWRIMO pressure, more power to you! Enjoy the month. I’ll be cheering you on from the sidelines.

Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.

Dee
Mystic Desire: A collection of supernatural tales sure to keep you up at night, peering into the shadows! Or just wide awake, reading.
Only a Good Man Will Do
Naval Maneuvers

Slaves to Desire by Eli Gilić

Slaves to Desire by Eli Gilic

Slaves to Desire by Eli Gilić (@GilicEli)
Published by Sinful Press (@SinfulPress)
Just 99c/p Throughout October!

Slaves to Desire by Eli Gilić is a unique, beautifully written erotic short story collection that deftly weaves fact and fiction. Originally published in Serbian, Sinful Press is over the moon to present the English language version of this amazing collection in both digital and print. To celebrate, we are making the ebook version available for just 99p/99c throughout October.

Blurb:

Charles Baudelaire, Rasputin, Anna Karenina, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Ophelia, Fyodor Dostoevsky, George Sand, Frederic Chopin, Vincent Van Gogh, Antonin Artaud, Maria Izquierdo, James Joyce, Federico Garcia Lorka, Salvador Dali.

Can Rasputin find redemption through the sins of others? What awaits Anna Karenina on the other side? Does passion still flow through the veins of the lovers from Verona? Can Hamlet and Ophelia escape their fate? Is Van Gogh’s loneliness a blessing or a curse? And can Dali dispel Lorca’s fear.

Eli Gilić deftly weaves fact and fiction to bring some of the world’s great writers, literary characters, artists and composers to life as they reach the heights of passion and the depths of despair in this mesmerising erotic short story collection.

Sales links:
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Excerpt from ‘Lovers in the Land of Peyote’ (María Izquierdo and Antonin Artaud), Slaves to Desire:

They brought him half-dead on a donkey, took him to his room, laid his feverish body on the bed and left me alone with him. I was terror-stricken as I listened to his frantic screams and incoherent ravings about virgins and donkeys. I wiped his burning forehead for hours and tried to reach him. He writhed, flailed his arms and legs, and I had to avoid blows carefully.

My strength was dissolving when Antonin suddenly stilled. I feared the worst, but he opened his eyes. Delirium had passed. His eyes were bright and curious. Such relief overcame me that I kissed him without thinking. I poured all the love that was burning in my heart into that kiss. I realised what I had done only when he returned my kiss. But there was no reason for anxiety because Antonin was overcome by desire just like me. He kissed me feverishly, as if to compensate for all the months of restraint. A surge of happiness flooded me. I quickly took off my robe and pulled Antonin’s pants down his legs.

Antonin just looked at me with mild disbelief. Fearing that he would pull away and say that we shouldn’t, I quickly settled above him before he had a chance to object. I had to feel him at least once. I think my heart would have broken if I didn’t manoeuvre him into me.

I looked him in the eye as I slowly descended on his hard manhood, choking from inexplicable joy. It seemed like I was becoming whole because he was filling me. I lacked something essential before Antonin entered my life just as my body had missed something vital before I felt him inside me. When I came down completely, I stilled to interpret his look. But I saw nothing except great love and total abandonment. As if to encourage me, Antonin grabbed me by the hips and began lifting and lowering me. I started moving and together we found the rhythm of lovers. Our bodies moved as if of their own will, as if saying something to each other with those feverish movements. Movements as old as the world, yet completely new, full of mysterious meaning known only to us. Faster, feverishly, marvellously coordinated as if our bodies had already done that in another world and time and we were only repeating what was carved in our hearts and bodies.

Antonin was moaning uncontrollably while rapidly raising his pelvis to meet my frenzied descents. Strangled sounds were escaping my throat, my insides were tightening from pleasure. The pressure was becoming unbearable, almost agonising. And then a miraculous burst, spasms that brought immense delight. The relief was so strong that I collapsed on him. Antonin hugged me tightly and jerked a few more times before freezing and crying out.

I sat up and showered his face with kisses, crying and laughing at the same time, mad from the rush of giddy joy.

Author Bio:
Eli Gilić is a writer and translator from Serbia who has spent much of her career translating best-selling novels for the Serbian market. She has also penned an erotic cookbook called Eat, Tease and Please.

Eli lives near a forest in Serbia with her three four-legged friends, and she spends her free time growing organic food, climbing mountains and jumping from waterfalls.

Slaves to Desire is her first short story collection, and it was originally published by Laguna, the biggest publisher in Serbia, before being translated into English for Sinful Press.

Writer Marketing ServicesSale blitz organised by Writer Marketing Services.

More magic, more spills, more Halloween Thrills!

Halloween Thrills by Devin Govaere, Maggie McBay, and Laurie KeckEarlier in the week Nomad Authors let you know about a new anthology by Devin Govaere, Maggie McBay, and Laurie Keck, Halloween Magic. Here’s the follow-up book, Halloween Thrills!

Halloween Thrills is the second anthology of Halloween stories written by Devin Govaere, Maggie McBay, and Laurie Keck. All three stories take place in Forget-Me-Not, Oregon, a town where ordinary and extraordinary people live their unique lives in harmony.

Blurb:
Halloween Thrills

Forget-Me-Not, Oregon, Book 2

The magic of Halloween continues in Forget-Me-Not, Oregon. Halloween Thrills contains three stories for Halloween about witches, their magic, and finding love with classic “monsters.”

Halloween Thrills--Devin GovaereThe Patchwork Man
Beauty is more than the sum of its parts…

When her magic vanishes, conjuring witch Daisy Summers loses the most important part of herself. She refuses to accept that she’s destined to be normal. After a fatal crash, Haven Knight is looking for a place to hide. Haven would give anything just to be normal. But who needs normal when they can have extraordinary?

All Wrapped UpHalloween Thrills--Maggie McBay
One shrouded in mystery, one searching for answers…

As Keeper of the Archives, air witch Nia Curtis finds herself all too often wrapped up in the things of old and romanticizing about times long gone. Desmond Cole is a man who, long ago, fell into a dire situation. Now there’s hope he’s found the one woman who can unravel his past. Together, they discover that only love can truly bind.

Halloween Thrills--Laurie KeckThe Wild One
He’s ready for a silver bullet. She’s ready for a mate.

Kathryn “Ryn” Deeds possesses the blood of werewolf hunters in her veins. When a werewolf shows up in the Savage Woods, it’s Ryn’s job to keep her community safe. Ryker James is a man destined to turn into a raging beast—and Ryn’s chosen mate.
Will she be able to save him before the moon destroys what is left of his humanity?

Excerpt:
Prologue
The New Home

The refugees who had fled from their homes in the east thrived in the village of Forget-Me-Not. With the freedom to pursue their livelihoods, the ability to trust their fellows, and the peace that allowed them to live in harmony against such a lovely backdrop, each citizen worked hard, cared for one another, and looked forward to a bright and promising future.
The swishing of skirts through the long grass caught Silas’ attention as Constance Curtis came to stand beside him. “It’s beautiful here.”

“Indeed it is. How goes construction on your lighthouse?” Master Deeds asked.

“Master Summers has it in hand. He feels we should be operational within a fortnight.” She laughed. “Even conjuring has its limitations at times.”

“I look forward to sending the fishing boats out,” he said, “but we need to know they will find their way home.”

Constance sighed. “Home. I feel happiness in my heart just saying the word.”

“As do we all,” he said with a smile. “And the windmill?”

“I have created a diagram for Ariana Hargrove. With her affinity to the air, and with Master Summers’ aid, I have no doubt it will be spinning within a week.”

“That is indeed good news. I have spoken with the Great Leader and his shaman, Po’laklie. They have agreed quite readily to aid us with food for the winter and gift us with seeds. Our earth elementals can nurture them in the sun houses throughout the cold months, and with their skills, I hold no doubts we will soon be able to repay them in kind. And Richard?” His voice held tenderness as he spoke of his younger friend and fellow Conclave member. “How is he bearing the strain of creating a new community?”

Constance laughed. “The man does not sleep. He enjoys this, Master Deeds. His power grows stronger every day with the freedom to create.”

Silas Deeds raked his gaze over the cottages, the cobblestone streets, and the wagons and equipment Richard had created for their use. “He has done well. We owe him much. The man will soon need a chance to recoup his strength and spend time with his wife. Let us hope there are soon more Summers conjurers to add to our home.” He winked at Constance.

He let his glances linger on the children playing merrily in the fields and the women who watched them with fondness as they washed their clothing in the River Strong. He touched upon the farm animals they had transported across the vast expanse, milling in the grasses, growing fat and healthy. The men were engaged in conversation as they worked to make their community a real home, and each looked hale and hardy.

“And you, Constance? How are you here in this new place?”

“I am well beyond my hopes, Master Deeds. My family is very happy here.”

“Grandmother!” A young woman ran toward them across the field. She heaved a breath as she came up short, laughing as Master Deeds reached out to catch her.

“What is it, Grace?”

“Master Summers needs you. Something about…the cradle?” A rosy blush spread over her face.

“Aye, my darling,” Constance said with a smile, “but not that kind of cradle. The cradle that will hold the candles for illumination.”

Master Deeds tried to meet Grace’s eyes, but she successfully avoided him.

“Grace dear, how is life with your new husband?”

“Very well, Master Deeds,” she replied, blushing furiously.

“You will soon be adding a new citizen to our roster?”

Grace’s mouth dropped open. “How did you…”

“It shows in your eyes, my dear. Your happiness, your devotion to your husband, his devotion to you. When one finds her True Intended, it is hard to maintain a secret.” He grasped her hand and lifted it to his lips. “And thoroughly unnecessary. Share your good news with the others. We will celebrate tonight.”

Grace picked up her skirts and ran toward her husband, waving madly. He caught her in his arms and spun her around.

Silas watched her as Constance followed her granddaughter with her loving gaze. He had never felt more content in his life, and he knew, in this place, contentment would be felt by all.

For many, many years.

Buy link:

Author Bios:

Devin Govaere is a freelance editor and fiction writer. She has published over a dozen novels and fourteen novellas, writing under her own name as well as several pseudonyms. She lives in North Carolina and can be contacted at dgovaere@gmail.com.

Maggie McBay enjoys writing paranormal stories filled with romance and suspense. She has published several novels and novellas, writing under her own name as well as several pseudonyms. Touched with a bit of wanderlust, she’s lived in several states over the years and looks forward to traveling in the near future. You can contact Maggie at maggiemcbay@gmail.com.

Laurie Keck lives on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She frequently visits the beach with her two small dogs and enjoys quiet time in natural surroundings. As much as Laurie enjoys the ocean, she is equally at home amidst the forest and mountains. She loves nature and wildlife. Her passion is writing stories about true love and fantasy.

Author links:

Devin
Maggie
Laurie

Halloween Thrills by Devin Govaere, Maggie McBay, and Laurie Keck

An interview with Janet Lane Walters and Forgotten Dreams

Please welcome Janet Lane Walters and her book, Forgotten Dreams!

Forgotten Dreams by Janet Lane Walters

NA: How did you come up with the idea for your book?
JLW: The idea for Forgotten Dreams was an interesting journey. Since all the heroines in the series have a Cancer birthday and the heroes are of different times. The time had arrived for a Leo hero. After reading a bit about the Leo man in a variety of astrology books I own, I decided since he is fire, he needed action and since he was a Leo, he would like the spotlight. Thus the hero was born. The heroine and he were friends and had spun dreams of forever when they were teens. My question became what would happen if he’d forgotten those dreams and came to a time when he wanted them back.

NA: What sort of research did you do to write this book?
JLW: Much of the research was in my astrology books and also my background as a nurse. Had some fun looking up how bone fractures could be treated and also thought of patients I’d known and their treatment. I looked at a lot about action figures and happen to be a fan of that kind of movies.

NA: What is the main thing you want readers to take away from your book?
JLW: That love lost can be regained but it takes work and understanding.

NA: Do you have a day job? What was your job before you started writing full time?
JLW: Years ago, I was a nurse and worked on an orthopedic unit. I’ve been retired for thirty years and have been writing steadily since then.

NA: What started you on the path to writing?
JLW: Years ago, I had pneumonia and had to take two weeks from work. Being bored, I read. My sister-in-law sent me a bag of books. Most were medical romances. There were only a few good ones. Most of the writers knew little about hospitals and medicine. I wondered if I could write a better book. That brought back memories of my teenage scribblings on books I never finished writing. I began with short stories since they seemed easier. One day an editor told me my short story sounded like the synopsis for a book and I began the process of learning how to tell stories in my imagination into books.

NA: What do your friends and family think about your being a writer?
JLW: My father was my biggest fan and he pushed my books to everyone he met. My first books where hardback and ones sold mostly to libraries. His pushing his daughter’s writing I believe was responsible for receiving money beyond the initial payment. My husband thinks of my writing as an obsession he doesn’t want to cure. He’s a psychiatrist. My children and grandchildren are proud but only one granddaughter is a real fan. As for friends, these days most of my friends are fellow writers. They are a great bunch and we encourage each other and even buy each other’s books.

NA: Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?
JLW: Absolutely plan my books ahead of time. Now I don’t have a written outline, just a sketch of what I want to be in the book and then I divide into chapters. Usually two people chapters with viewpoints from hero and heroine. Once this is done, I start to write and here it’s where the plan takes me. I’m a plotter.

NA: Do you have quirky writing habits?
JLW: Not really quirky to me but I write my rough draft and usually two more with pen and paper and type them into the computer adding notes as I type. I write faster than I type.

NA: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
JLW: When I’m not writing, I spend time critiquing other people’s writings, watching crime shows and the Cooking Channel and reading. I also care for a semi-invalid husband and sometimes do a bit of housework.

NA: Why did you choose the shirt you have on?
JLW: I pulled the first thing from the drawer and put it on.

NA: First thought when the alarm goes off in the in the morning?
JLW: Time to get moving. Will be a busy day.

NA: What errand/chore do you despise the most?
JLW: Grocery shopping. Not so much the shopping as the putting things away when I arrive home. Folding laundry comes in as a close second.

NA: What are you working on now?
JLW: Lines of Fire Challenged – the second book in a romance fantasy trilogy.

NA: What advice would you give to beginning writers?
JLW: Keep writing. The more you write the easier it becomes.

Forgotten Dreams

Blurb:

Chad Morgan is tired of his Hollywood life and his role as action hero, Storm. He’s ignoring the contracts for two more movies in the franchise. He wants to take a different direction and make a movie of his friend’s book. He has bought the rights. But his agent and the studio want more Storm. His personal life is also bouncing from one woman to another. His thoughts have turned to Emma Grassi, the woman he left behind in his quest for fame. He decides to return to Fern Lake and speak to his friend and renew his friendship with Emma.

Emma is now a nurse practitioner sharing an office with her doctor friend. She has waited for Chad to return and has decided this isn’t going to happen. She’s decided to confront him and put an end to the dream she has remembered and he has forgotten. Life takes a twist when Chad ‘s auto accident on the outskirts of Fern Lake bring them together. She wants out. He wants in.

BUY Link:
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Bio:

Janet Lane WaltersJanet Lane Walters has been published for fifty years. Not in a continuous stream as she returned to work as a nurse to help when children reached college age. She lives in the scenic Hudson River valley. She writes romances, contemporary, historical, paranormal and fantasy. She also has a cluster of cozy mysteries, and a suspense. Among her writings are also poetry and short stories and non-fiction. She worked as a ghost writer for a few years. She is an award winning author and her non-fiction book Becoming Your Own Critique Partner written with Jane Toombs won an EPIC Award.

My Places:
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Just in time for the spookiest night! Halloween Magic

Halloween Magic by Devin Govaere, Maggie McBay and Laurie KeckNomad Authors welcomes one of Dee’s favorite author friends, Devin Govaere, and her two writing companions, Maggie McBay and Laurie Keck, and their really great book for Halloween–Halloween Magic. Halloween Magic is an anthology of three stories taking place in Forget-Me-Not, Oregon, a town where ordinary and extraordinary people live their unique lives in harmony.

NA: Hi, Devin. How did you come up with the idea for your book?
DGMy co-authors and I love the small-town, romantic vibe that comes from watching the Hallmark Channel, but we also love quirky and interesting characters that live outside the norm. So creating a small town with paranormal residents was intriguing to us. Since Halloween is coming, we decided to each write a story using a classic Halloween theme.

NA: What sort of research did you do to write this book?
DG: When deciding where to place our town, we read articles and perused pictures to determine which “vibe” most connected to our ideas. We all agreed and chose Oregon and then created our town on a rather isolated peninsula. My story, Just Another Scarecrow Love Story, is contemporary, so it didn’t require research. However, my male character is a miner from the nineteenth century, so in order to get a feel for the life he might have led, I read a bit about early mining practices. The research never makes it into the story, but it gave me a sense of who he is.

NA: A fun fact about writing your book.
DG: I’ve always been intrigued by scarecrows. They’re solitary creatures who reflect how lonely life can be at times. I wanted to write a story about a scarecrow who is much more than clothes filled with stuffing. I wanted my scarecrow to find a happily ever after.

NA: Do you have a day job? What was your job before you started writing full time?
DG: I am a full-time freelance editor and write between projects. I’m lucky, however, to work from home, so my schedule is my own.

NA: What started you on the path to writing?
DG: I tinkered with writing throughout my life, particularly during those awkward junior high years. Then I got sidelined by “having a life,” which included dating as a teen and young adult and then getting married and having kids. One night I was watching TV with the kids, had an idea, got out a spiral notebook, and just started writing a story. It was much too long, and even after I edited it, it was much too long. But I loved it.

NA: The biggest surprise you had after becoming a writer.
DG: I’d always thought I was a decent writer. My teachers had told me so, and I never had any trouble communicating. It came easily to me. However, when I started writing fiction (after being a voracious reader all my life), I realized there was so much to the craft I didn’t know. Sometimes understanding concepts, such as staying within a point of view, hovered just beyond my grasp. When that finally clicked, it hit me like a sledgehammer and I wondered how I’d not seen it the whole time.

NA: Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?
DG: I only have a vague sense of where the story is going, possibly a couple of sentences of an idea. It might start with just a small exchange between characters, but once I have an understanding of who those characters will become, I just start writing and see where it goes.

NA: Which kind of scenes are the hardest for you to write? Action, dialogue, sex?
DG: Sex for sure. I’ve written all sorts of stories and books under my own name and various others. I love developing the characters, giving them dialogue, and choreographing their behaviors and actions, but when sex is required (which it often is, depending on the publisher), I had a habit of typing “Insert Sex Scene Here” just so I could move on and not lose my momentum. Consequently, even when I was finished and happy with the completed product, I wasn’t done yet. That’s a big reason why we’ve written our Forget-Me-Not stories as clean romances with just a hint of closed-door activities. When I type “the end,” I know I’m truly finished.

NA: What are your top three favorite books of all time?
DG: The Stand by Stephen King, The Witching Hour by Anne Rice, Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel. All three of these books not only entertained me but opened new worlds and possibilities to me.

NA: Why did you choose the shirt you have on?
DG: It was lying at the bottom of the bed waiting for me. I have several stages of being dressed during the day. The first stage is just to get Daisy, our dachshund, outside.

NA: First thought when the alarm goes off in the in the morning?
DG: “Where’s Daisy?” Daisy sleeps in the bed, but she likes to move around, so unless I feel her pressed against me, I don’t know if she’s scooted to the other side of the bed or is lying under the covers at the bottom. It only takes a moment to find her, because when the alarm goes off, she’s right there.

NA: What errand/chore do you despise the most?
DG: I hate grocery shopping and putting things away. Put things in the cart, take things out of the cart to put on the conveyer, put them back into the cart to carry to the car, put them in the trunk, unload everything and pile it all onto the counter, and then wonder where I’m going to put everything. It seemingly takes forever.

NA: What are you working on now?
DG: My co-authors and I have just finished Halloween Thrills, another anthology of Halloween stories, set to be released on October 13, and we’re currently writing the third anthology, Winter Tales, coming out on November 20.

NA: What sort of reader would enjoy this book?
DG: Any reader who lives for a happily ever after, who yearns for a touch of magic in their life, and who loves stories that blend paranormal elements with humor, a bit of mystery, and healthy, loving relationships would enjoy this book. We think the combination of the three stories offers something for everyone, and we hope you enjoy them.

Halloween Magic

Blurb:
Halloween Magic
Forget-Me-Not, Oregon, Book 1

Welcome to Forget-Me-Not, Oregon, a magical place filled with magical people. A place that’s most special just around Halloween, when the boundary between worlds thins and all things are possible.

Halloween Magic--Devin GovaereJust Another Scarecrow Love Story
Love Doesn’t Care if You’re Real…

Annabella Paxton, earth witch and single parent, lives on her apple orchard with her three-year-old daughter, Melanie. During the annual Halloween Scarecrow Trail event, Mellie helps to create their exhibit and names her scarecrow Carter, pretending he’s real. It’s all just a little girl’s imagination, right?

Kiss the SunHalloween Magic--Maggie McBay
She kissed the sun but found love in the darkness.

In the midst of Halloween festivities, visitor Rowan McKenna expected to find a variety of witches, ghosts, vampires, and other traditional monsters. She just didn’t expect to fall in love with one.

Halloween Magic--Laurie KeckHarmonious Haunt
Alone, he made music. Together, they made magic.

As entertainment director for Forget-Me-Not, Fallon James receives her dream assignment—meeting the one man who has entertained her with his music for most of her life. The question is, will they share a harmonious visit, or will they fall into one of life’s traps, leaving a haunting like no other?

Excerpt:

Prologue
Across the Vast Expanse—1695

Three long years, after a grueling journey across landscapes that defied imagination, the Conclave Elders stood at the top of a high cliff, staring at the peninsula below, a spit of land that dared to exist within the immense sea that ravaged its shores. Rings of islands lay in the distance, and rivers, both small and large, meandered through the visible land as far as the eye could see until it became a field of deep blue. How far that sea stretched they couldn’t begin to know.

It was the farthest they could possibly go in their quest for freedom without worrying about their physical survival. If they couldn’t find safe harbor here, there would be no place for them.

But this place felt right.

The salt air spread a welcoming, familiar balm over their faces. The deep, musky scents of the forest at their backs filled them with a sense of home. The endless expanse of the ocean reminded them of another on the eastern side of continent, and that peninsula offered them a sanctuary, a seclusion to live their lives and create a community filled with harmony and peace and…magic.

The eldest of the Conclave, a warlock most powerful named Silas Deeds, leaned down and plucked a small flower from a field of blue.

“I know this flower. I’ve seen it many places in Europe, but I learned of it in the Germanic region. They called it vergissmeinnicht.”

“What does it mean, Master Deeds?” asked Constance Curtis.

“Forget-Me-Not,” Silas said with a smile.

“Such a small thing for such large aspirations,” Constance said.

“And yet, look how it blossoms here. It fairly covers the ground, holding fast and true to the land.” He glanced at the peninsula below. “We can be like this small flower. We can hold fast and true.”

“There are others here,” Richard Summers said. “We saw so many on the journey, and the smoke we’ve seen drifting through the trees and along the riverbanks indicates there are many already living here.”

Silas nodded. “We can share this land. We can offer friendship and peace, and with time, the people already here may grow to accept us, dare I say to truly like us? We can offer them so much in exchange for their fellowship. And if a relationship with them stays firm, we can form a community nestled within theirs. Our families will have a secure haven to grow and build and learn.”

“It is an honorable wish for the future,” Constance said. “Do you think the possibility exists that we could find acceptance and fellowship here?”

Silas sighed. “It can be no worse than the places we’ve left behind, my dear friend.”

“You speak true,” Richard said.

“We come with open hearts, with open minds,” Silas said, “and it is a sorry people who fails to recognize honest and goodhearted intent.”

“Others have,” Richard said.

Silas glanced at his friend. “And we have left them behind.” He twirled the small blossom in his fingers. “Forget me not… We will never forget what has happened to some of our fellows, but we will move on and forge ahead, holding their memories strong in our hearts. These small flowers give us a sign that even the weakest, even the smallest can have strength, and, my stalwart friends, our group is anything but weak. We will make our home here.”

And they settled onto the beautiful peninsula they called Forget-Me-Not.

Buy links:
Amazon

Halloween Magic by Devin Govaere, Maggie McBay, and Laurie KeckAuthor Bios:

Devin Govaere is a freelance editor and fiction writer. She has published over a dozen novels and fourteen novellas, writing under her own name as well as several pseudonyms. She lives in North Carolina and can be contacted at dgovaere@gmail.com.

Maggie McBay enjoys writing paranormal stories filled with romance and suspense. She has published several novels and novellas, writing under her own name as well as several pseudonyms. Touched with a bit of wanderlust, she’s lived in several states over the years and looks forward to traveling in the near future. You can contact Maggie at maggiemcbay@gmail.com.

Laurie Keck lives on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She frequently visits the beach with her two small dogs and enjoys quiet time in natural surroundings. As much as Laurie enjoys the ocean, she is equally at home amidst the forest and mountains. She loves nature and wildlife. Her passion is writing stories about true love and fantasy.

Author links:

Devin
Maggie
Laurie

5 Writing rituals for success #MFRWauthor

Writing books is not magicWhen I first saw the topic for the week, writing rituals, I had to stop and think. I don’t have any writing rituals. I know that writing a book takes work—it’s not magic (darn it!). But I have trouble thinking of it as a job to do every day. I’ve let my dreams fizzle without intending to. Anyway, because I have no writing rituals of my own, I looked up the topic and found this great article in a 2015 HuffPost article.

Author Jennifer Blanchard has created a killer process made of routine and ritual that keeps her focused and creative. I like her points! I’m going to try to work her ideas into my day…and maybe finish that stupid book I’ve been halfheartedly working on for a year. Here is what Jennifer does for herself:

  • Write before I do anything else (Routine). Write before you do anything else—put your writing first. It’s important. Treat it as such, like John does. See? He starts every day writing. I like that routine, John!

Start your day writing

  • Write five days a week at least (Routine). Everyone needs a break. Pick a day or two where you don’t write or don’t write as much, but success requires action. Be sure to write every other day!
  • Release fears, doubts, and excuses (Ritual). Our topic a couple of weeks ago was how fear is our greatest enemy. Jennifer recommends an action—write down your fears, your self-doubts, and excuses that allow you to justify not writing, and burn them. Let them go. They’re holding you back.
  • Acting “as if” (Ritual). This explanation struck me between the eyes. Hubby has said so many times that I get up to the edge of making my Writing as an important businesswriting matter and then I back off. Jennifer asks in this point, if you were a bestselling author, would you put your writing “off all the time or would you site down every day and write?” Wow. I really want to follow through on this point!
  • Amping up your mindset (Ritual). Simply put, believe in yourself. Don’t let preconceived notions about what you can or can’t do keep you from achieving your writing goals. Jennifer suggests making two columns on a piece of paper. On the left, list negative notions about being a successful writer. On the right, list the counter thought to the negative. Then adopt the ideas on the right. For me, I would list the self-doubt on the left that I can never measure up to friends of mine who are authors. On the right I need to say that I can be the best writer I can be. Then I need to adopt that notion. Affirmations work!

All in all, I found this article right when I needed it. I’m sending Jennifer a thank you note! 😉 We all need aids to reach our goals for writing. Jennifer’s process starts with routine and then uses the positive thinking that comes with the rituals. Find a routine that works for you. Then make the affirmations and believe them. What do you have to lose?

Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.

Dee
Mystic Desire: A collection of supernatural tales sure to keep you up at night, peering into the shadows! Or just wide awake, reading.
Only a Good Man Will Do
Naval Maneuvers