Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Don't Mess with Gracie by Carol Kilgore - Book Blitz and Giveaway


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Carol Kilgore will be awarding a $50 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The mysterious Mr. Ott is trying to intimidate Gracie Hofner into being his internal spy at The Bastion Group. She’s learned a lot about him through several sources, even using information provided by the pair of ghosts trying to save their granddaughter. But it isn’t enough. Mr. Ott is an expert in hiding his true identity.

Gracie isn’t as worried for herself as she is for her family, her friends, and her new tenant, Milo Porter. Her feelings for him have grown, but she can’t show them. Mr. Ott’s threats involve those she loves, and one friend has already been killed. Besides, she’s certain there is someone else in Milo’s life.

It takes Gracie and her growing support team to unmask Mr. Ott, but it’s what Gracie learns along the way that shows readers the wisdom of the advice Don’t Mess with Gracie.

This is the conclusion to The Amazing Gracie Trilogy—a story so big it takes three books to tell it. Gracie’s adventures begin with Jalapeno Cupcake Wench, continue with Bluebonnet Ballerina, and conclude here.



Read an Excerpt:

“I’m so glad we were down here, Milo.” Cameron blinked a few times, as if she couldn’t believe what she saw. “She could’ve been killed.”

“No. She would’ve protected her head.”

I tried. How did he know?

Milo still held her shoulders, and now his fingers were making tiny circles above her shoulder blades. “We saw you in here and were coming in so I could introduce the two of you.”

“Nice to meet you, Cameron.” Gracie nodded. “I’m bleeding? Where?”

Milo took her hands before she realized she was moving them toward her face. “It’s not bad. Let’s go inside. I’ll fix you up.”

Cameron followed them. “Milo was a corpsman in the Navy. He knows what he’s doing. When I sprained my ankle a few years ago, he took care of it.”

“I don’t usually meet people like this,” Gracie said.

“Yeah she does.” Milo still held her hands in one of his.

Gracie turned to make a face at him. The quick movement made the ground wobble. “Whoa. I’m a little dizzy.”

“That’s all right.” Milo put his free arm around her waist. “You won’t fall.”

How was this happening? She was always the one in control. The person in charge. Yet Milo had stepped up when she needed someone, and she didn’t mind. That was it—she didn’t mind. She always minded when she lost control of a situation. Maybe I have a concussion.

Milo held onto her and led her out of the garage. He glanced at her car. “I like your new Jeep.”

About the Author:

Carol Kilgore is the award-winning author of the three books in The Amazing Gracie Trilogy: Jalapeno Cupcake Wench, Bluebonnet Ballerina, and Don’t Mess with Gracie.

In addition, she is the author of In Name Only, Solomon’s Compass, and Secrets of Honor, three standalone romantic suspense novels set along the Texas Gulf Coast.

She and her husband live in San Antonio, the setting for the Amazing Gracie books, with two quirky herding dogs who still require help opening the food bin and the door.










You can learn more about Carol by visiting her website and subscribing to her newsletter or connect with her on Facebook and Twitter. Newsletter: http://www.carolkilgore.net

Carol is a member of Romance Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime.

The book will be on sale $0.99 from Mar 4-18. Beginning Mar 19, it will be regular price of $3.99.


a Rafflecopter giveaway
at 11 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Discussion of a Decent Dream by E. Curtis - Book Tour and Giveaway



In the fall of 1789, on the western edge of the Yorkshire Dales, a dense, persistent fog enshrouds the village of Ingleton. Shadowed spirits hide in the mist and bedevil the townsfolk, heralding a tragedy that has befallen one of their own.

Edmond continues to search for Alexandra, his fiancée, who disappeared the same night that the mist set upon their town. Presumed dead by all others, he visits Alexandra's empty grave, desperate for any hint of what has become of her. Weary from the sleepless nights on his quest, no longer able to stay awake, Edmond falls into a dream before her headstone and there obtains clues from Alexandra as to her whereabouts.

Haunted all the while by a malevolent spirit, Edmond follows the trail that Alexandra left for him and enters the underworld, only to learn that he has been there before, and in fact, quite often. But more, he discovers how he is to blame for Alexandra's disappearance.

A dark literary novel rich in imagery, Discussion of a Decent Dream unearths the consequences of a child's decision to surrender his heart in exchange for unholy power and transcendent knowledge.

Discussion of a Decent Dream is a Finalist in Britain's Wishing Self Book Awards in the Adult category.



Excerpt

I had seen in dream that which appeared before me, a gloriously lined whirlwind of black. It exhibited itself as odd, twitchy, yet with cohesion, both beautiful and horrible at once, as if the core of this being eclipsed an otherwise unseen dawn. The vapor then solidified and took the form of a man, though its feet made no impression in the sand.

It warmed to me, expressing in that charred face such familiarity and delight. Even for my instinctive recoil, I made no real retreat, for I again wanted to hear it speak.

Interview

Do you ever wish you were someone else?

I don’t, because I don’t much care for other people. I think it would be odd not being me. There’s already enough confusion in my mind, and suddenly being someone else would promote a dissociative crisis that I and they would probably never recover from. It’s best to deal with your own issues and avoid placing on one’s self the mess of the life of another.

What did you do on your last birthday? 

I am a bit of a foodie, so I cooked for friends.

What part of the writing process do you dread?

I used to dread editing but was taught by my line editor that this is where the magic happens, and this is true. The change that took place with Discussion from the first draft to the second was mind-blowing. Editing notes challenged me to elevate each piece of the work. Now I only dread the marketing that follows, answering questions like this, and shouting out to strangers to look at my work.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

I either don’t have this problem at all, or I have it all the time. My process is a little different than the prescribed norm. I do a lot of work in my head, settling into scene and character, processing the visions/daydreams that take over. So, I am not a writer who writes some minimum word count every day. I do think about the work each day, but I only write when I am totally immersed. Some would say that this is writers block, but I consider it part of the process. Instead of lamenting a lack of process, I see it as necessary for my style.

Tell us about your latest release.

Discussion of a Decent Dream was released in April of 2018. It’s my first novel. It was inspired by a dream I had about a girl I was dating at the time. She had died, and through a series of paintings, her sister explained to me what had happened. The paintings depicted a demon chasing her through her dreams as a lion, and when it caught her, it ate her and was able to take her soul into hell.

One night, around the same time, as I wandered through my mind as I was falling asleep, I explored some great thoughts that I told myself I should write down, lest I forget them. But I didn’t get up, and of course, the next morning I had forgotten all of them. I sat on the couch with my coffee and legal pad and pen and brainstormed for any hint of what the thoughts were about. The result was the introduction of Vigil, originally in Chapter One, now moved to Chapter Two, with him in exile in the underworld for some, as yet, unknown transgressions. 

I label the work as Dark Literary. When I say Dark Fantasy people get mad, expecting brain candy that they can consume in a few hours. Discussion has a depth and a truth, it is a story that compels one to think, and this can make some genre readers uncomfortable. Some try to read it too quickly, as one would a genre novel, and this doesn’t work. Discussion is meant to be savored at a conversational pace. At about 250 pages, it’s on the shorter side for a novel, so taking your time isn’t a major commitment, and this will aid the reader in grasping all of the subtleties, which would be missed with a pan-and-scan speed-reading session. I warn potential readers that a speed-read will result in literary brain freeze. I am not long winded, rather the opposite. The story is quite lean, and it is a story that can’t be guided by the reader, as some try to do. Let it take you where it wants to, and you will be rewarded.

Thanks...

About the Author
E. Curtis draws on personal experiences of the otherworldly for his writing. Through dreams, visions, and waking encounters, his exposure to darkness has motivated him to detail what he has come to know of the preternatural. While a few short pieces have been published on an online literary magazine, Discussion of a Decent Dream is his first novel.







The book is on sale for $0.99 during the tour.


Giveaway
One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
at 10 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , ,

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Elizabeth in the New World by Maggie Mooha - Book Blast and Giveaway



Jane Austen's most famous lovers, Darcy and Elizabeth, return in a tale of romance, adventure, and danger set in the heart of the Caribbean.

NO GREATER LOVE

Darcy’s sudden, passionate kiss sweeps Elizabeth into a bliss she has never known...but their love is short-lived. On a field of honor, Wickham, once again, engages in an irresponsible act, which leaves Darcy mortally wounded and Elizabeth broken. Refusing to leave Darcy’s side, the last vestiges of her reputation are shattered, and when Elizabeth sees Darcy in his coffin, she is ruined in more ways than one. Devastated and without hope, reluctantly she agrees to accompany friends to Grenada, a Caribbean island on the brink of revolution.

Things are not what they seem. Darcy hasn’t died, but Elizabeth is gone and he fears it is too late to recapture what he has lost. As he struggles to recuperate, he must put aside his pride and his heritage in order to find the only woman he will ever love. Never before has Darcy sacrificed so much for a passion he fought against so vehemently. And never before has Elizabeth’s strength of character been stronger - it is the only thing standing between her and an end that doesn’t include Darcy.



Excerpt

She was grateful for all he was doing for her, and for her family despite its low connections and its unseemly behavior. Gratitude, however, was not her overwhelming emotion at that moment. She wanted him to take her in his arms. She wanted to kiss him good-bye, again and again. He turned to look at her once more. 

She swallowed hard. His eyes. They bore into her like a dagger. It was now or never. What if he were killed? What if he lay in his grave never knowing that she loved him? He was prepared to sacrifice everything for her, his position, his reputation, his wealth, and now he was prepared to sacrifice his life. Could she hold her reputation above that? 

He turned away from her and headed to the door. She could not let him go without telling him of her feelings. What if he was mistaken? What if Wickham killed her father and killed him too? 
As he opened the door and exited, she said in a barely audible tone, “I love you.” She waited for the click of the door. It did not come. 

The door opened again, and Darcy entered the room once more. 

“What did you say?” he asked. 

She faltered for a moment, then repeated, “I love you,” louder this time. It all happened in an instant. She did not move and yet she was in his arms. He strode across the room with such force that he lifted her off the ground. The touch of his body was intoxicating. Suddenly, a dark cloud crossed his face, and he let her down. He still had not kissed her. 

“Perhaps you are only grateful to me,” he said, pulling away slightly, but not letting go of her. Oh no, no, he would know. She reached up and caressed his cheek. 

“How can you doubt me?” she asked. “Do you think I do not know my own mind?”

She watched his face. His eyes searched hers as if he would find in them the truth he wanted to know. She touched his face again. He kissed her.


About the Author

 I’ve always been a storyteller. When I was little, I used to tell my sister stories before we went to sleep. Most of them were serials – Superman and the like. It never occurred to me until much later in life that I should try my hand at writing.

Most of my career, I’ve been a music teacher. I’ve found music such a help when crafting a story. I actually see the structure of a book as if it was a musical composition. As for the nuts and bolts of my life, I grew up in the Chicago area and was a teacher there for quite a few years. I had a chance to teach at an international school in Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania, and I spent two years there. After adopting my son, we spent four years at an international school in the Philippines. During that time, I began writing. Now I live in the western U.S.

Most of my work has been screenplays. Over the years, I’ve won or placed well in competitions. I’m telling you this so you don’t think I sat down one day and wrote a novel out of the blue. I’ve spent many years working and learning.

A long time ago someone called me “an insatiable romantic.” I hope that's still true.

Visit with Maggie –

Twitter : @mmooha
Instagram: @mmooha5817
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggie-mooha-120a6624

BUY LINKS:






Giveaway
Maggie Mooha will be awarding $15 Boroughs Bucks to 2 randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
at 2 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)