Lisa Beth Darling & 'Prodigal Son' @ @GoddessFish #Contemporary #Fiction

Today we have author Lisa Beth Darling visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?

* Lisa Beth Darling is 49 years-old, lives in her hometown of New London, CT with her husband of 30 years, Roy and is mother to their two daughters. She is the author of more than fifteen novels along with several short stories and non-fiction books. When she’s not writing she likes to garden and is an avid movie buff.

A look into...

~ Blurb ~ * In the final installment of the Sister Christian Series, the Court has demanded a hearing regarding Hannah's capacity. Hannah and Nick are falling deeper and deeper in love. Looking forward to a bright future together they begin planning their life together. A shadowy stranger from the past has set his sights on Hannah and her 3.5 million dollar trust fund. Is he really Rick MacNeill, the son Hannah thought died in the terrible fire at Saint Anne's? Is he someone sinister? The last of the family secrets come to light in this roller coaster ride of suspense, love, betrayal, and faith. ~ Excerpt ~ * Grabbing a second piece of pizza and again settling into the comfortable chair Mason answered, "I'm not bi-polar I'm just a temperamental geni—" the pizza fell from Mason's hand to the paper plate.
* Nick felt movement and thought Aphrodite was going after the food again but when he moved his hand to shoo her away Mason grabbed his wrist to stop him. His eyes shifted upward to meet Mason's gaze and saw him raise a finger to his lips before he pointed to the bed. Nick looked down to see it wasn't Aphrodite moving on the bed it was Hannah's fingers and they were going for the pizza sitting on the flat of his stomach. Nick's mouth opened and Mason's grip tightened to silence him. Both of them sat frozen watching Hannah's slow hand make its way toward the cooling slice of cheese and pepperoni. In their current positions only Mason could see Hannah's face, her eyes looked a little clearer but her expression was still blank until her fingertips touched upon a slightly burnt slice of pepperoni.
* Hannah snatched the pepperoni from the top of the pizza along with a gooey strand of melted mozzarella and popped it into her mouth like a thief in the night making off with someone's family jewels. A splash of tomato sauce burst off it as she chomped down nearly biting her fingertip. It stuck on the corner of her mouth with a strand of cheese clinging to it.
* Even though he was slightly awestruck, Mason had enough experience with family members to anticipate Jackson's next move even before he thought of making it. He wrestled the man's arm to the mattress to keep him from jumping up and shouting out something that would startle her. "Not a sound," Mason whispered. "Don't move." Buy Prodigal Son (Sister Christian, 4) here... Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Smashwords Find Lisa Beth Darling here... Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Website Thank you for joining us here today, Lisa Beth Darling! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

ANNOUNCEMENT! Lisa Beth Darling will be awarding a digital copy of Prodigal Son to 3 randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour! So be sure to leave a comment AND use the Rafflecopter below. Also, visit the other tour stops for a greater chance of winning!

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A Look At Maggie Bolitho & 'Outback Promise' @maggiebolitho @GoddessFish #ContemporaryFiction

Today we have author Maggie Bolitho visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?

* Maggie Bolitho grew up in Victoria BC Canada, where she spent her childhood flying under the radar, constructing alternate universes, and wishing to be somewhere over the rainbow. Shortly after her 17th birthday she set out to see the world. Eventually, she moved on to Australia.
* While living Down Under and exploring the outback, Maggie started writing fiction. Her adult short stories have been published in various anthologies in Australia, the US, and Canada. She has written for Quills Canadian Poetry magazine, her YA novel LOCKDOWN was published in 2014, and in 2015 she published OUTBACK PROMISE.

Today Maggie Bolitho will be talking about how she became a writer and what inspired her in regard to the story she's promoting.
The road to becoming a writer
* I was a story spinner from my earliest memories, creating elaborate worlds into which I escaped frequently. My childhood universes were usually populated by five or six dogs, a cat or two, any number of horses and a talking monkey. Often I wrote long lists of character names in the back of old exercise books, along with maps and drawings to show who lived where.
* In my twenties I took a couple of stabs at creative writing but lacked the confidence to persevere. I came to regard my storytelling compulsion as something even more private than my sex life. Better not tell anyone about it, because they’d either laugh or recoil in horror.
* Eventually I met a woman online who encouraged me to try my hand at fiction. A published author herself, she dragged me out of the closet and set me loose on the world. V.M. Caldwell died in 2013 and never saw my first novel, but I take comfort knowing that she had read the draft and knew publication was in the works.
My current work
* My 2015 novel, Outback Promise started as a tiny grain of sand, carried back to my Sydney home after three months in the outback in 2005. During that trip I wrote daily journals, over 100,000 words in total, about the places I saw and the people I met.
* The outback made me feel as insignificant as dust. At the same time I felt connected to that ancient land in a deep, primal way.
* At the Devil’s Marbles (the area known to the traditional owners as Karlu Karlu) I encountered notes about the Aboriginal dreamings. They told of the Kwerreympe spirits that live in the caves under the rocks and lure children away from their families. The thought of a lost child was planted and years later I found Ros, Grady, and their cherished son, Cadel.
* It took a long time for the story to come into focus. At first, the characters were a faraway mirage on a desert highway. For eight years I worked on the book and shelved it, over and over again, before it was ready for submission.
* The vastness of the outback was a compelling inspiration – how it heals and tears asunder, all at the same time. It’s a perfect place to bare one’s soul, to shed pain and grudges.
* In 2015, my husband and I returned to Australia for an extended visit. I did my final edits while travelling that vast continent. It felt like Ros and Grady were there with me. A look into...

~ Blurb ~ * Six years ago, the Balfours lost their son Cadel to a hit-and-run driver.
* A few months ago, Ros discovered Grady's affair.
* With their marriage fast disintegrating, they decide to take a three-month camping trip into the heart of Australia to try and mend deep wounds and rekindle the fire that once fused them close. This trip will decide the fate of their relationship: do they have enough strength and enough love left to accept what life has put them both through?
* But trust and forgiveness don't come easily, and Ros and Grady have to navigate not only the wilderness of the Outback and the challenges of other travellers, but also the chasm of grief and bitterness they have sunk into over the last six years. Their only hope for survival lies in facing the secrets they have both tried to keep buried ... ~ Excerpt ~ * The day my son died, he ate a Vegemite and banana sandwich for lunch.
* His small voice, almost forgotten now, jarred me awake that morning. ‘How do bees get to school?’
* Forty pounds of energy scrambled onto the bed.
* ‘Who’s asking me these questions so very early?’ I surfaced from a dream fog.
* ‘Mummy! It’s sunny!’ Cadel wedged himself between his father and me. His breath smelled like apple juice.
* ‘Okay, so how do bees get to school?’
* ‘On the school buzz.’
* His infectious giggle filled the room. I peered out at the bright blue sky and abandoned all hope of sleeping in. We said we’d take him hiking with his new backpack if the weather was good.
* Grady rolled over and grunted. His wavy dark hair hung in his eyes as he tried to look stern. ‘Lady Rosalyn, do you know this little person?’
* ‘No, Sir Grady, I do not.’
* ‘Should we make him walk the plank?’
* ‘It’s me, Daddy.’
* ‘What? When?’ Grady shook his head. ‘Me? Me who?’
* ‘It’s me! Cadel!’
* ‘I don’t remember giving permission for you to come aboard. Are you sure you’re not a pirate? I’d better give you the pirate test.’ He lifted Cadel’s pyjama top and blew a raspberry on his soft stomach.
* Cadel shrieked and flailed his small arms.
* I slid out of bed and left the two of them, wrestling and twisting the sheets into knots. Buy Outback Promise here... Amazon | Barnes & Noble Find Maggie Bolitho here... Facebook | Twitter | Website Thank you for joining us here today, Maggie Bolitho! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

ANNOUNCEMENT! Maggie Bolitho will be awarding an eCopy of Outback Promise to 3 randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour! So be sure to leave a comment AND use the Rafflecopter below. Also, visit the other tour stops for a greater chance of winning!

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Abby Bardi & 'The Secret Letters' @abbybardi @GoddessFish #Contemporary

Today we have author Abby Bardi visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?

* Abby Bardi is the author of THE BOOK OF FRED. She grew up in Chicago, went to college in California, then spent a decade teaching English in Japan and England. She currently teaches at a college in Maryland and lives in historic Ellicott City with her husband and dog.

Today Abby Bardi will be talking about how she became a writer and what inspired her in regard to the story she's promoting.
* I’m one of those people who have literally always written. My parents used to say I wrote my first song when I was two, and I probably kept that up because they thought it was cute. (I still write songs.) I started writing poetry when I was seven and stories when I was twelve. In high school, I filled a spiral notebook with really terrible poetry and carried it everywhere. In college, I took creative writing courses, where I had some great teachers who were very patient with me—because to be clear, though I was really committed to writing and loved it so much I literally could not stop, I would say in retrospect that I had absolutely no talent. My teachers helped me improve my writing, and over the years I’ve worked really, really hard at it.
* In the course of all this writing, I’ve gotten really interested in technique, in figuring out what exactly makes something exciting, fun, or moving to read. I try to teach students how to do some of these technical things because craft provides a way of expressing all the fascinating things people have inside them. My favorite quote about writing is from the novelist Gustave Flaubert: “Human speech is like a cracked cauldron where we play melodies to make bears dance, when we wish to move the stars.” This is our tragedy as writers, though some of those tunes for bears can be pretty good.
* So how I became a writer was basically by working obsessively on writing for years and years and never giving up because it’s what I love to do, and I love to share that with other people, so I also teach writing.
* The Secret Letters was inspired by a

A Look At Iris Dorbian & 'Diary of a Mad Club Girl' @IrisDorbian @GoddessFish #Contemporary #Fiction

Today we have author Iris Dorbian visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?

* Iris Dorbian is a former actress turned business journalist/blogger. Her articles have appeared in a wide number of outlets that include the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Venture Capital Journal, DMNews, CFO.com, Playbill, Backstage, Theatermania, Live Design, Media Industry Newsletter and PR News. From 1999 to 2007, Iris was the editor-in-chief of Stage Directions. She is the author of “Great Producers: Visionaries of the American Theater," which was published by Allworth Press in August 2008. Her personal essays have been published in Blue Lyra Review, B O D Y, Embodied Effigies, Jewish Literary Journal, Skirt! Diverse Voices Quarterly and Gothesque Magazine. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.

Today Iris Dorbian will be talking about how she became a writer and what inspired her in regard to the story she's promoting.
* I think I was always a writer in my soul yet it wasn’t something I fully acknowledged until later on in life. Certainly, my love of words and storytelling guided me toward that path. But it wasn't until I attended Columbia's Journalism School that I truly become a professional writer.
* Of course, some creative writing stalwarts might blanch at the notion that through journalism I became a writer, thinking those two disciplines are diametrically opposed. However, that kind of thinking is faulty. Journalism gives me the tools to tell a story, to ask the relevant questions, fill in the necessary details albeit within a factual context. Writing a novel is almost the same except the material you’re dealing with isn’t a news story but a story forged within the crucible of the imagination.
* In the case of “Love, Loss and Longing in the Age of Reagan,” I had been wanting to write for the longest time a coming of age novel based on my experiences as a very callow and naïve student attending NYU in the early 1980s. There were so many things that transpired during those four years, things which left a lasting psychological imprint on me, that I knew if I was going to write fiction it would have to start with those years. Plus, it was truly a very fascinating period—MTV was in its infancy, the internet did not exist, yuppies were ruling Wall Street and cocaine was the drug du jour. And in the first NYU dorm I lived in, I was surrounded by people who were so gifted they would later become this social, political and artistic crème de la crème. To give you an example, Bill Wilhelm (whom New Yorkers know better as Mayor de Blasio) was the president of the dorm! I remember when he campaigned for the spot and I just couldn’t understand why anyone would want that position!
* So in many ways, “Love, Loss and Longing in the Age of Reagan” is a roman a clef although a lot has been fictionalized. It’s also my affectionate tribute to a long-lost bygone chapter in my life. A look into...

~ Blurb ~ * It's the early 1980s, MTV is in its infancy, the Internet does not exist, Ronald Reagan is president and yuppies are ruling Wall Street. Edie is a naïve NYU student desperate to lose her virginity and to experience adventure that will finally make her worldly, setting her further apart from her bland suburban roots. But in her quest to mold herself into an ideal of urban sophistication, the New Jersey-born co-ed gets more than she bargained for, triggering a chain of events that will have lasting repercussions. ~ Excerpt ~ * After sleeping through the next two days, I found myself wide awake, playing the grooves out of Flock of Seagull’s “Telecommunication” on my roommate’s turntable. For some inexplicable reason, I always felt compelled to play this vinyl disc as nightly ritual in preparation for my job at the Ritz.
* As droning synthesizers ushered in this song, which sounded like something George and Jane Jetson would listen to on crack, I’d pull out from my bureau the short and slightly pleated black skirt I got at Macy’s at the Garden State Plaza mall in Paramus, New Jersey. The store was having a special “New Wave” sale and I, eager, to fortify my loyalty to the passing trends of my volatile youth, bought up some stock that consisted of a yellow lame dress that I had convinced myself looked like it came out of the ‘20s and a really cool Betsy Johnson sweater skirt that had purple and pink butterflies strewn all over it. Because Ritz management decreed that all waitresses wear black, I shoved my legs into black Capezio tights and threw on a black sweater whose sleeves and collar were trimmed with a furry boa I adored.
* Usually by the time the tune ended, I was ready to go, dressed head to toe in full Ritz regalia. This was my cue to turn the needle back to where it started, scratch it up some more and play the ditty yet again. I fed off every detail of this clockwork ritual, the way a diabetic feeds off insulin. It was a necessary prelude to an evening rarely without consequence. I was steeling myself for the possible insanity that awaited me. Buy Love, Loss and Longing in the Age of Reagan: Diary of a Mad Club Girl here... Amazon Find Iris Dorbian here... Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Muckrack.com Thank you for joining us here today, Iris Dorbian! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

ANNOUNCEMENT! Iris Dorbian will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour! So be sure to leave a comment AND use the Rafflecopter below. Also, visit the other tour stops for a greater chance of winning!

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A Look At Elyse Douglas & 'The Summer Diary' @douglaselyse @GoddessFish #romance

Today we have author Elyse Douglas visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?

* Elyse Douglas is the pen name for the married writing team Elyse Parmentier and Douglas Pennington. Elyse grew up near the sea, roaming the beaches, reading and writing stories and poetry, receiving a Degree in English Literature. She has enjoyed careers as an English teacher, an actress and a speech-language pathologist. She and her husband, Douglas Pennington, have completed five novels: The Other Side of Summer, Christmas for Juliet, Wanting Rita, Christmas Ever After, The Christmas Town and The Christmas Diary.
* Douglas grew up in a family where music and astrology were second and third languages. He attended the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and played the piano professionally for many years. His two detective books include Death is Lookin' for ELVIS and Death is a TAPDANCER. His great, great grandfather lived to be 132 years old, and was the oldest man in the world when he died in 1928.

What are you going to tell us about today?
* My story, The Summer Diary. A look into the story

~ Blurb ~ * After her best friend and husband are killed in an airplane crash, a young woman finds her best friend’s diary and learns that she was secretly in love with another man, a soldier. Determined to find the secret lover, Keri sets off on a journey and discovers the key to her destiny. ~ Excerpt ~ * Seconds later, the tension returned. She saw Big Pete, and a tall younger man emerge from around the back of the house and start toward her. His dogs, Brownie and Tippie Toe, were right behind. She steadied herself with effort, and combed back her hair with stiff fingers.
* Under the bold yellow sunshine, Ryan seemed to approach in slow motion, in easy unhurried strides. The playful wind scattered his long, sandy-blond hair, and he pushed a hand through it and removed his sunglasses, squinting her a look as he slowly closed the distance. He wore a sleeveless blue T-shirt, denim cut-off shorts and faded black Keds sneakers. He had considerable breadth of shoulder, a wide chest and gleaming muscled arms that suggested an athlete in the prime of his career.
* This was not the same man Keri had seen in the photograph at Sally’s house. There was a force about this fully present Ryan—an elegant masculinity that completely pushed Keri off balance. This big tanned man standing before her had impact, he captivated, impressed; he aroused intrepid desires. Keri felt a warm animal response. There were little tremors in her legs, her chest, her fingers.
* Ryan stopped, standing five feet away from her, staring, waiting. He had a noble hero face, all sharp lines, a sharp jaw, a strong muscular neck.
* Keri’s thoughts stalled. She saw his intense sea-gray eyes probing her, checking her out. His expression was a blank page.
* Big Pete spoke up. “Keri, this is Ryan. Ryan… Keri.”
* Keri had the urge to leave. She had the urge to run. She’d never felt so ill at ease. Her façade of indifference melted away whenever she looked at Ryan. He was a magnetic wonder, whose reserve and mystery further amplified his attraction. Buy The Summer Diary here... Amazon Find Elyse Douglas here... Amazon Author Page | Twitter | Website | YouTube - Book Trailer Thank you for joining us here today, Elyse Douglas! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

ANNOUNCEMENT! Elyse Douglas will be awarding a $50 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour! So be sure to leave a comment AND use the Rafflecopter below. Also, visit the other tour stops for a greater chance of winning!

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A Look At Laura McNeill & 'Center of Gravity' @LauraMcNeillBks @GoddessFish #suspense

Today we have author Laura McNeill visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?

* After six years behind the anchor desk at two CBS affiliates, Laura moved to the Alabama Gulf Coast to raise her family. Her accolades in broadcasting include awards from the Associated Press, including Best News Anchor and Best Specialized Reporter.
* Laura works at Spring Hill College as the school’s web content and social media manager and is active in her community—participating in fundraisers for the American Cancer Society, Ronald McDonald House, and Providence Hospital’s Festival of Flowers.
* Laura was recently awarded a 2-book deal with Thomas Nelson Publishing, a division of HarperCollins. Her novel, Center of Gravity, set in Mobile, Ala., will be published in July of 2015. Laura is represented by Elizabeth Winick Rubenstein, president of McIntosh and Otis literary agency in New York. Her writing awards include those from William Faulkner-Wisdom Creative Writing Competition, Writer’s Digest, RWA, and the Eric Hoffer competition.
* She holds a master’s degree in journalism from The Ohio State University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. She is currently pursuing a second master’s degree in interactive technology from the University of Alabama. She is a native of Upstate New York and currently resides near the Alabama Gulf Coast with her two children.

What are you going to tell us about today?
* My story, Center of Gravity. A look into the story

~ Blurb ~ * Her whole life, Ava Carson has been sure of one thing: she doesn’t measure up to her mother’s expectations. So when Mitchell Carson sweeps into her life with his adorable son, the ready-made family seems like a dream come true.
* In the blink of an eye, she’s married, has a new baby, and life is grand.
* Or is it?
* When her picture-perfect marriage begins unraveling at the seams, Ava convinces herself she can fix it. It's temporary. It’s the stress. It’s Mitchell’s tragic history of loss.
* If only Ava could believe her own excuses.
* Mitchell is no longer the charming, thoughtful man she married. He grows more controlling by the day, revealing a violent jealous streak. His behavior is recklessly erratic, and the unanswered questions about his past now hint at something far more sinister than Ava can stomach. Before she can fit the pieces together, Mitchell files for divorce and demands full custody of their boys.
* Fueled by fierce love for her children and aided by Graham Thomas, a new attorney in town —Ava takes matters into her own hands, digging deep into the past. But will finding the truth be enough to beat Mitchell at his own game?
* Center of Gravity weaves a chilling tale, revealing the unfailing and dangerous truth that things—and people—are not always what they seem. ~ Excerpt ~ * The road rushes under the wheels. I rearrange snippets of the frantic conversation. Gash. Some blood. Breathing fine. Emergency room. A few more miles to the hospital.
* I flash back to this morning. Packed sack lunch, flop of dark hair across his bare forehead, navy backpack slung over one shoulder. A surge of pure love courses through my heart. A stab of worry steals my breath. I force myself to focus.
* The traffic light ahead flashes green to yellow. Intersection’s clear. I push the accelerator to the floor, glance in the rearview mirror. Air from the open window catches Sam’s wisps of hair. He smiles, showing off his first few baby teeth, and reaches a chubby hand at the rays of sunshine streaking by, trying to catch the light.
* Thump. Thump. The Jeep jerks to the left. I guide the wheel, hold it steady, and take my foot off the gas. When I pull over and brake, the abrupt stop sends up a dust cloud.
* “Uh-oh,” Sam says.
* I unbuckle, jump out, and survey the damage. A glance at the tire confirms it. Flat. Dead.
* Hands on my hips, I bite my lip.
* Tentatively, I grab the jack from the back of the Jeep, the weight of it solid and heavy in my hands. I can fix this. After all, in my former life, as a school counselor at Mobile Prep, I was the problem-solver, crisis manager, and shoulder to cry on. I always handled situations. And I didn’t need help.
* Then my eyes fall on Sam as he babbles and blows bubbles in the back seat. I hesitate, gripping the metal between my palms. As the sun beats down on us, heating my skin, my pulse begins to race. Maybe I was fearless because I didn’t know any better. I wasn’t a mom then. I didn’t have two children depending on me. Trusting me to do the right thing, be on time, and not screw up. Buy Center of Gravity here... Amazon | Barnes & Noble Find Laura McNeill here... Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter | Website Thank you for joining us here today, Laura McNeill! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

ANNOUNCEMENT! Laura McNeill will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour! So be sure to leave a comment AND use the Rafflecopter below. Also, visit the other tour stops for a greater chance of winning!

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A Look At Jonah Kruvant & 'The Last Book Ever Written' #JonahKruvant @GoddessFish #Dystopian

Today we have author Jonah Kruvant visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?

* A writer, teacher and student of the world, JONAH KRUVANT received his BA from Skidmore, his teaching degree from Fordham and an MFA from Goddard College. Jonah lives in New York City. He is the author of The Last Book Ever Written.

What are you going to tell us about today?
* My story, The Last Book Ever Written. A look into the story

~ Blurb ~ * In a futuristic American society where all citizens have computerized chips in their brains and insert needles into their veins to enter a virtual reality, Victor Vale leads a fairly typical life. He is an officer of the law with greater ambitions, a family man, and a dutiful citizen of the Nation. Yet when The Chief assigns him a case to go undercover and expose a community of illegal “creators,” Victor finds himself strangely compelled to creative writing. For the first time, he starts to question the world around him, and becomes involved in a web of lies, uncertain of whom to trust, and unable to distinguish between virtualism and reality. As he searches for answers, Victor slowly begins to unravel hidden truths about the world, and even uncovers an astonishing secret from his own past.
* In order to prove to the “creators” that he is genuine, Victor writes a manuscript, at great risk to his wife and son. When books are banned and ultimately destroyed, Victor realizes that his book alone has survived. Only then does the reader come to a startling realization in a unique narrative twist. ~ Excerpt ~ * Not long after the Cleansing Act, I was promoted to Detective. I was thirty-four. I had a wife and child to support. A career to pursue. My son wanted things, my wife wanted things; hell, I wanted things. I had worked on the force for thirteen years and it was time I got my detective badge.
* That was all I could see back then. I didn’t care about creators.
* Then I was assigned to the case. But even before I stepped into the Chief’s office, events began taking shape that marked both the beginning and the end of a new chapter in my life. It was on my way to the police station, wading through the unbearable stench of the dirty human flesh of the Slums, that I began to question things, what I thought I knew about the world … and about myself.
* So this is where I start my story. This is where I begin my book.
* That day, for whatever reason, I felt conscious of my surroundings. The beggars were pushing each other out of the way to get under awnings and balconies of restaurants and apartments as it started to rain. The restaurants were filled with shattered glass, moldy kitchens. The strongest beggars lived in cramped apartments with cockroaches and termites. The ones that couldn’t find shelter that morning just lay there, shivering from the cold. Some would let raindrops fall from the sky into their open mouths. Two naïve children were chasing each other around bodies and giggling, cleaning dirt out of each other’s hair. The bright lights of the skyscrapers, the swiftness of the skytrain, the convenience of the airpath—all a beggar had to do was look up and he would find himself in a fantastical world of dreams. Buy The Last Book Ever Written here... Amazon Find Jonah Kruvant here... Facebook | Website Thank you for joining us here today, Jonah Kruvant! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

ANNOUNCEMENT! A randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter will receive a $10 Amazon/BN GC and a digital copy of the book (US Only) from Jonah Kruvant! So be sure to leave a comment AND use the Rafflecopter below. Also, visit the other tour stops for a greater chance of winning!

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A Look At Virginia McCullough & 'The Chapels on the Hills' @VEMcCullough @GoddessFish #contemporary #romance

Today we have author Virginia McCullough visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?

* Bestselling author Virginia McCullough’s fiction titles include Amber Light, Greta's Grace, Island Healing, Book 1 of her St. Anne's Island Series, and The Chapels on the Hill. The Jacks of Her Heart, which releases in May 2015, offers a lighter take on romance in middle-age. Her novels offer hope, healing, and plenty of second chances—and her characters always share some fun and laughter along the way, too.
* A lifelong writer, Virginia has written over 100 books as a ghostwriter or coauthor. Her clients include well-known doctors, lawyers, professional speakers, and individuals with a story to tell. She’s come to see that her nonfiction work also offers readers hope and healing. Virginia coauthored (w/Lynda McDaniel) Write Your Book Now and Storytelling Toolkit, both available on amazon.com. She currently lives in Wisconsin. Visit Virginia online.

What are you going to tell us about today?
* The Chapels on the Hills. A look into the story

~ Blurb ~ * When tragedy struck, Sonia and Aaron’s reason to be together seemed to slip away, along with the love they once shared. Both believe they’ll find closure at an event dedicating a music pavilion to their son, allowing them to say a final goodbye and freeing them to commit to new relationships. But instead of finding peace, memories of the life they shared with their son, Matt, stir up unexpected feelings, prompting them to relive both sweet and painful times of their shared memories of the life they shared…
* And they can’t forget Matt’s special gift…
* By age five, Matt’s cello teacher declared him a child prodigy. But life with a prodigy can become complicated and even strains Aaron and Sonia’s marriage. Sonia is forced to balance her commitment to Matt and his music with running Chapel’s Botanical Garden, a business she created to save Aaron’s family’s land. Aaron’s law practice leads him to high-profile cases all over the country. Aaron is concerned about music dominating Matt’s childhood, but he eventually understands his son’s gift is already leading him to a life far away from their home in Lady’s River, Wisconsin.
* When Matt is taken from them unexpectedly, Aaron and Sonia turn in different directions, eventually going their separate ways. It seems to be working…or is it? For Sonia and Aaron, only a trip through the past will allow them to redeem the future—perhaps even find a shared future again. ~ Excerpt ~ * He had to make a decision and stick to it. For days, Aaron had shifted back and forth between a firm choice to attend the dedication of the pavilion and an equally strong conviction to skip the event altogether. Nothing worked harder on the knot of tension in his gut than indecision.
* He picked up the announcement and scanned it once again. It had Sonia’s fingerprints all over it. Well, not literally, but the neat, easy-to-read embossed lettering matched her taste. Aaron no longer followed the Unity Flight Family Group’s activities as closely as he once had, but when he’d first heard their plan to build an open-air pavilion on the site of the plane crash he’d known instantly it had been Sonia’s idea. The dedication of this final memorial also marked the five-year anniversary of the day they lost Matt forever.
* Aaron pushed his chair back from the desk and made his way to the window that spanned the outside wall. On a clear day, he could look down from his twentieth floor office and see the Chicago River below, but that afternoon heavy rain pelted the glass, blocking the view he usually found comforting. He’d lived most of his fifty years in a small town where a river served as the one constant, a reference point for home. Maybe that explained why he’d been drawn to the river in his adopted city, the place where he’d resolved to start over and build a new life.
* Absently slapping the announcement into the palm of his other hand, he rationalized that he could use the weather as an excuse not to go to the dedication ceremony. Or, he could beg off because of scheduled weekend depositions. Buy The Chapels on the Hills here... Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords Find Virginia McCullough here... Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Website | LinkedIn Thank you for joining us here today, Virginia McCullough! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

ANNOUNCEMENT! Virginia will award one randomly drawn commenter a digital copy of one of her fiction books! So be sure to leave a comment AND use the Rafflecopter below. Also, visit the other tour stops for a greater chance of winning!

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A Look At Noelle Adams & 'Reconciled for Easter' @NoelleAdams3 @GoddessFish #contemporary #romance

Today we have author Noelle Adams visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* Noelle handwrote her first romance novel in a spiral-bound notebook when she was twelve, and she hasn’t stopped writing since. She has lived in eight different states and currently resides in Virginia, where she teaches English, reads any book she can get her hands on, and offers tribute to a very spoiled cocker spaniel.
* She loves travel, art, history, and ice cream. After spending far too many years of her life in graduate school, she has decided to reorient her priorities and focus on writing contemporary romances.

What are you going to tell us about today?
* My contemporary romance story, Reconciled for Easter.

A look into the story

~ Blurb ~ * Abigail has been separated from her husband for almost two years. After a marriage that brought her only insecurity, she seeks a life now of peace and independence with their six-year-old daughter. Thomas wants to put their marriage back together, because he liked the wife he used to have, but she never wants to be that person again.
* She might need his help with their daughter and start to enjoy his company again, but she just can't trust him with her heart. Even when she discovers that her heart still wants him for a husband. ~ Excerpt ~ * She was leaning back against the counter, and Thomas was standing far too close to her. Once again invading her personal space. And this time she easily recognized his tone as snide. “What the heck is your problem?”
* Thomas had one hand on the counter beside her, bracing himself as he stood just a few inches away from her. She would have scooted over, but that would have been a surrender.
* His green eyes were intent on her face, and she saw his nostrils flare just a little. “You smell like him.”
* Abigail gasped, mostly from shock and outrage but also with the faintest trace of arousal at the intimacy of the words. “What?”
* “I said,” he gritted out, edging even closer until the fabric of his shirt brushed against her arm and one of her breasts, “you smell like him.”
* “Well, what do you expect?” she demanded, her anger blazing quickly. No one could rile her up like Thomas could. “I spent the evening with the man.”
* Something grew even tenser in his expression. “Did you?”
* She knew him well enough to understand the resonance in his words. “Damn you, Thomas,” she said in a harsh whisper, making sure her voice didn’t carry past the kitchen. She’d never used such language before they’d gotten separated. “You have no right to act this way.”
* Clearly Thomas too was conscious of not waking Mia, since his murmur was thick, rough, and soft. “I’d like to remind you of the fact that you’re still my wife.”
* “And what makes you think I need any sort of reminder of that?"
* His lips tightened into white. “I saw him walk you to the door.”
* She sucked in an indignant breath and clenched her fists at her sides. Thomas was still far too close. She could feel the heat radiating off his body, sense the leashed tension in his stance, hear the fast, uneven breaths he was taking. “So someone isn’t allowed to be polite to me now, because I’m still your wife?”
* Thomas made a guttural sound and braced his other hand on the counter, imprisoning her in between his arms. He leaned forward, pushing her back, and he rasped against her ear. “That man wasn’t just being polite. You know it as well as I do.”
* She was so angry now she could hardly think straight, and it was worse to know that he was right. She’d been foolish in not recognizing what Jim was thinking long before now.
* But worst of all was a familiar feeling building beneath her belly. She knew how to recognize it. Knew it was triggered by the proximity of Thomas’s lean, hard body, his familiar scent flooding her senses, his piercing eyes and thick voice.
* Her body was primed for sex with him, even as she wanted to scratch lines down his slightly flushed face.

Buy Reconciled for Easter here...
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

Find Noelle Adams here...
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Book Trailer

Thank you for joining us here today, Noelle Adams! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

ANNOUNCEMENT! Noelle will be giving away a $25 Amazon/BN Gift Card! So be sure to leave your name and email with your comment AND use the Rafflecopter below. Also, visit the other tour stops (find them here: goddessfishpromotions-book-blast-reconciled-for-easter) for a greater chance of winning!

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Welcome special guest: author Heather Heyford ~ @HeatherHeyford @GoddessFish #Romance #contemporary

Today we have author Heather Heyford visiting.
What would you like to tell readers about yourself?

* Heather Heyford learned to walk and talk in Texas, and then moved to England. ( “Ya’ll want some scones?”) Now a recovering teacher, Heather writes love stories, feeds hardboiled eggs to suburban foxes, and makes art in the Mid-Atlantic.
* Additional Bio: Born in the Northeast, Heather Heyford learned to walk and talk in Texas, and then moved to England. (“Ya’ll want some scones?”) While in Europe, Heather was forced by her cruel parents to spend Saturdays in the leopard vinyl back seat of their Peugeot, motoring from one medieval pile to the next for the lame purpose of ‘learning something.’ What she soon learned was how to allay the boredom by stashing a Cosmo under the seat. Now a recovering teacher, Heather writes love stories, feeds hardboiled eggs to suburban foxes, and makes art in the Mid-Atlantic. She is represented by the Nancy Yost Literary Agency (NYLA, @nyliterary) in New York City. The first book in her Napa Wine Heiresses Series from Kensington Publishing, A Taste of Chardonnay, is now available!

So, Heather Heyford, What/Who inspired you to become a writer? When did you attempt your first story? What length was it? What's become of it? How many stories did you complete before you sold your first?
* Ever since I wrote A Taste of Chardonnay, people have been asking me if I always wanted to write. The answer is, no! I didn’t start writing until about five years ago, when a love story rolling around in my head wouldn’t leave me alone. Naively, I thought, “I can do this. I went to college.” Ha! I had no idea what I was doing. I made every mistake a writer could possibly make in that book. It was my teacher. I got a bunch of rejections—deservedly so—but I also got a lot of positive feedback. After that, I studied hard, including researching the market to see what people wanted to read. I ended up selling my second effort, the Napa Wine Heiresses series.

What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?
* Oh my goodness, I’ve received so much help along the way from other writers. The romance writer community is the most generous group of people I’ve ever met. Probably the best piece of advice I ever got was to “show, don’t tell.” It’s so obvious once you know that, but it had to be pointed out to me. The worst advice? For me personally, it would be to join a critique group. That never felt right to me. Why would an amateur take the advice of other amateurs? Besides, I sure didn’t want to be responsible for steering someone wrong! Now, I know lots of writers who swear by critique groups, and a clutch of experienced professionals is something entirely different from a group of newbies trying to find their way.

The book you’re promoting, is it a stand-alone story or part of a series?
* The Napa Wine Heiresses series consists of 4 books: A Taste of Chardonnay, A Taste of Merlot, A Taste of Sauvignon, and A Taste of Sake. It’s best to read them in that order, though they can stand alone. They are all about how the four daughters of Napa’s’ most notorious vintner carve out their own niche in the world…and find love along the way, of course!

What sparked the idea for the story/series?
* I was inspired to write the series after my husband took me on a dream-come-true trip to the California wine country. After all, most romance readers are just like me. Our favorite things are reading, romance, travel and wine. What could make a better series than those?

*** Now for some fun info… ***
Would you/have you own(ed) a snake or some other exotic pet?
* My daughter’s guinea pigs outlived all her friends’. Why? Because long after she lost interest in them, I continued to care for them out of my love of animals…even though the slightest scratch from their long nails gave me big, red welts.

Which do you prefer: rain or sun & warm weather or cold weather?
* Oh, I’m definitely a sunshine kinda girl. I lived in England for three years as a child, and it’s true what you’ve heard about their gray skies. Once when the sun shone for three days in a row, it broke some kind of record.

If you could live anywhere in the universe, where would it be and why?
* Are we talking pure fantasy? I’d have three houses: a ranch in Wyoming, an apartment in London, and a villa in the Caribbean!

If you were stranded on a desert island and were only allowed to have five modern conveniences with you, what would they be?
* I can see it all now…me sitting under a rustling palm with my Kindle in my hands, watching the sun go down. On a little table next to me are a lamp and a laptop. Inside my hut is a TV and fridge stocked with wine. What time’s my flight?

*** About Heather Heyford’s book… ***

~ Blurb ~ * When the richly bred, poorly raised daughter of a notorious Napa Valley winemaker competes with Hollywood’s hottest man in an unlikely race to see who can do the most good, who will win? ~ Excerpt ~ * A single black-and-white car, lights flashing, passed them going in the opposite direction.
* “Thanks,” she said in a subdued voice.
* “You can’t afford any more notoriety.”
* Char lowered the ice pack and turned to him. “How do you know?”
* Here it came. She braced herself for his accusations.
* When he didn’t respond, she asked more sharply, “What about my notoriety?”
* It was making her crazy, not knowing what he knew.
* In the dark, he sighed audibly.
* “My mom told me some stuff. She’s lived in Napa city all her life. She knows everyone. Hears everything.”
* “Like what, exactly?” Char braced herself for the worst, taking scant comfort in the idea that he couldn’t be that outraged, or he wouldn’t be here, driving her home. Or—to wherever they were headed.
* “It’s not important.” Whatever dreck he’d heard, he was downplaying it. That much was for sure.
* “How’s your cheek? Keep that ice on it.”
* “Just tell me what you’ve heard. I’ll tell you which parts are true or not.”
* He slid down the windows, letting in the night air—unusually balmy for early June—and combed his fingers through his hair.
* Char sat stiffly, waiting. But after a few minutes, the steady whoosh of tires on pavement helped normalize her heart rate, and her spine relaxed a bit. There, in the shadowy cab of his truck, his striking good looks were obscured. And he couldn’t see her, either…or her top-of-the-line running shoes…her one-of-a-kind silver jewelry. For the moment, he wasn’t an egotistical movie star, and she wasn’t an empty-headed heiress. For just this moment, she could almost pretend they were ordinary people with ordinary lives.
* And ordinary, if powerful, feelings.

***Buy Heather Heyford's book here***
Kindle | Nook | Kensington Publishing | Print: Available Oct. 13, 2014 from Amazon

***Find Heather Heyford here***
Website | Facebook | Twitter

Thank you for joining us here today, Heather Heyford! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your work.

ANNOUNCEMENT! Heather will be awarding a digital copy of A TASTE OF CHARDONNAY to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour! So be sure to leave your name and email with your comment AND use the Rafflecopter below. Also, visit the other tour stops (find them here: goddessfishpromotions-vbt-taste-of-chardonnay) for a greater chance of winning!

a Rafflecopter giveaway