A Look At Becky Wicks & 'The Day of the Wave' @bex_wicks @GoddessFish #historical #RomanticSuspense

Today we have author Becky Wicks visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?

* Becky Wicks is mostly powered by coffee. She had three travel memoirs published by HarperCollins before going the indie route. Her first book in the Starstruck Series, 'Before He Was Famous' recently reached #1 in Amazon's Coming of Age and New Adult & College categories. The second in the series, 'Before He Was Gone', and the third, 'Before He Was A Secret' are both out now along with 'The Day Of The Wave' - a romance based around the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.
* Becky blogs most days at beckywicks.com and always welcomes distractions on Twitter: @bex_wicks (especially if you have cat photos)

Today Becky Wicks will be talking about what authors do when they're not writing.
* We drink coffee, and maybe gin. OK, both.
* Sometimes all I do, all day, is drink coffee and stare at my laptop. It’s not exactly the healthiest of lifestyles is it? I’m well aware I’m 35 and should possibly be out there maybe babies but seriously, I’m BUSY. (Oh, but this is set to change now that I'm in Vancouver and using the Tinder app, right? Dear future husband, I'm here!)
* We dream
* The world in my head often demands far more of my time than the one outside of it and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in that respect.
* We read, read, and read some more!
* When I do shut that laptop, I read. I read everything, from other books in the new adult genre, to the classics, to articles on self-publishing and books on reincarnation – I've always been really into that!) I think I want to write a book, a romance, based on reincarnation somehow. I'm fascinated by the thought that we've lived before and that we're here to learn lessons of some kind.
* We hang out with other writers!
* I have a friend I met in Bali who’s an author too. Her name is Sarah Alderson and she wrote the YA books Hunting Lila, The Sound, Fated - also the new adult Come Back To Me, which is a tear-jerking journey of awesomeness that you NEED to read. When we get together we tend to do things like this to lighten the mood:
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSnbVBSitYI
* We’re probably bigger Disney fans than Sarah’s 8 year old daughter and the Frozen movie always cheers us up, especially when someone writes a bad review of one of our books (boo!).
* We listen to Taylor Swift a lot, too.
* I think Taylor gives out a very powerful message to young women, and us writers, too. You have to believe in your own worth. And never give up on your dreams. Whenever you’re having a bad day, just Shake it Off!
* So yes, we sing, we talk, we read, we act like idiots and we keep on searching for inspiration.
* Sometimes we come up with some great ideas when we’re out there not even expecting them to strike! Here in Vancouver I find that talking a long hike or a walk around a city park or lake really clears the cobwebs from around my brain and helps the ideas start flowing again! A look into the story

~ Blurb ~ * Torn apart by the tragedy. Thrown back together ten years later by destiny... Isla and Ben were just sixteen when the Boxing Day tsunami ripped through their beach resort in Thailand. Just days after forming a life-changing bond, both were missing and presumed dead.
* Based on real life events, The Day of the Wave is a story of healing, learning to let go, and figuring out when to hold on with everything you have left.

~ Excerpt ~ * It's a clear night by the time we get back to Shady Palms. Izzy promised to go see Lawan again soon and after seeing the way they hugged when we left, I know she sees her as some kind mother figure now. My heart bleeds for what she lost, what happened to her, going through hell in all those hospitals. She didn't want to live for a while. She said it. She actually said it. I felt the same way after losing Toby.
* 'I can't stop thinking about how your real name is Isla,' I tell her as we walk onto the beach in front of our huts, drop to the sand and gaze out at the glistening ocean. Her head rests on my shoulder and the hair that's come loose from her braids tickles my face.
* 'You're an island, Izzy,' I say. I say it out loud because I was thinking it, just now at Lawan's when I was watching her mouth move, the scars glistening on her arms in the lamplight. 'You rose above the waves to survive.'
* 'I never thought about that before.' She drags a finger through the sand. 'Everyone always says I'm one of the lucky ones, but I always wondered why I was left out. Why did I survive when so many other people died?'
* 'Tell me about it.' I rest my head on hers. 'We both kind of died in it and lived at the same time, I think.'
* 'You've lived more than me,' she snaps back, almost angrily. 'Being alive is everything, Ben. It's all that matters - the now. I feel like I've been wasting my life so far! I don't want to go back that job, or London.'
* 'Then don't.'
* Her head springs up and her eyes shoot up to mine. Something in her gaze draws me in again, right down those damn corridors into a place I always get lost. I know what she's thinking though, and my stomach knots till my breath shortens and I have to tear my eyes away. She's thinking this is the start of something and it's my fault. The thought is like a fork in a toaster, shooting out warning sparks now, not the good kind. What am I doing, with Izzy of all people?
* Don't think about it.
* She puts her hand to my cheek, turning me back to her. 'You OK?'
* 'I'm OK,' I tell her quickly, 'just having a hard time believing this is all happening.'
* 'Maybe it was supposed to,' she says, shuffling around to sit in front of me, cross-legged, covered in sand. 'Isn't that what you said, at the waterfall?'
* 'I don't know, Izzy.' I say it under my breath. Her eyebrows knit together but in a second I'm kissing the doubt away, willing the thoughts to stop colliding in my brain; the ones that scream how right she is, and this is, and the ones that scream this has to stop. I pull her back with me. She's in my head and my heart and my soul but I'll hurt her, like I hurt everyone. How could I not, in the end?
* Don't think about it.
* I kiss her harder and her arms wrap around me till she's on top of me on the sand and I'm swimming in the ocean of her, and not the thoughts that try to drown me every time I get my head above the water
* She's good for you.
* But Ben. She doesn't know the half of what you know.

Buy The Day of the Wave here... Amazon The Day of the Wave is free for three days on Kindle on July 17, 18 and 19 only! Find Becky Wicks here... Blog/Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | YouTube Thank you for joining us here today, Becky Wicks! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

ANNOUNCEMENT! Becky Wicks will be awarding a $50 Amazon or B/N 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!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Look At 'Forgotten No More: A Lady Forsaken, Book Two' @CMcKnightWriter @GoddessFish #Regency #Romance

Today we have author Christina McKnight visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?

* Christina McKnight is a book lover turned writer. From a young age, her mother encouraged her to tell her own stories. She’s been writing ever since. Currently, she focuses on Historical Romance, Urban Fantasy, and Paranormal Romance.
* Christina enjoys a quiet life in Northern California with her family, her wine, and lots of coffee. Oh, and her books…don’t forget her books! Most days she can be found writing, reading, or traveling the great state of California.

What are you going to tell us about today?
* My regency romanceForgotten No More: A Lady Forsaken, Book Two.

A look into the story ~ Blurb ~

* A lady forgotten by all...
* Ruby St. Augustin must find the truth of her past to determine what her future holds. She only has a short time in London to uncover the identity of her real father and the secrets behind her birth. If anyone learns of her mission, she will disgrace everyone she holds dear. What she doesn’t expect is to draw the attention of a man who doesn’t care about his reputation or her past.
* A man mesmerized by one...
* Harold Jakeston is a man without wealth or title. Resigned to a life he loathes, Harold has the chance at a few weeks of freedom before being trapped in a future he wants no part of. When he’s drawn into the mysterious quest of a woman from his past, he embraces the opportunity to forget the life that awaits him. What he never anticipated is falling in love with a woman who ignites his desire to create a new future for himself and for her.
* A love neither can abandon... ~ Excerpt ~ London, England
January 1816
* Ruby took a deep breath before trying the final drawer that could hold all the answers to her past, her true heritage. Her lungs expanded; she held the air inside. She didn’t exhale until it burned. With trembling fingers, she reached for the last drawer and pulled.
* Her nicely trimmed nails nearly snapped when her grasp on the handle slipped from the force of her tug. The drawer hadn’t budged.
* Locked!
* “Oh, poppy cocks!” she hissed. Moving her hands to the folds of her evening gown, Ruby procured a small pouch tucked neatly into a hidden pocket. Setting it on the desk, she pulled out her array of lock-picking devices, really only hairpins and small wires she’d collected since her first night—and her first failed attempt at breaking into a desk—to help her disengage the drawer.
* She had to know what secrets this lord held. Would she find an envelope inside labelled ‘Abandoned Daughter,’ or a report from the Bow Street Runners with details about herself—her hair color, the particular green shade of her eyes, places she’d been, perhaps the details of her activities over the course of her life?
* Nothing worth finding was that simply ascertained.
* No man, married or not, would leave record of their nefarious past. It was more likely her father had not spared her, or her mother, a second thought after throwing his pregnant mistress from his townhouse in the middle of the night with no coat and no means to get home.
* Ruby was anything but a fool, but she found herself continuing to search regardless. She didn’t need a signed confession—she just needed that letter opener.
* Picks in hand, she knelt before the locked drawer and eyed the keyhole, blowing a wayward strand of hair that had fallen across her face. She’d been unsuccessful more often than not when attempting to open locked drawers. But luck may have been on her side this evening. She’d entered the ball with little fuss, shortly after the host and hostess had quit the receiving line. It was surprising how similar the layout of most London townhouses were. Ruby had navigated the halls of the second floor and found the room she sought fairly quickly, encountering not a soul.
* The pins slipped into the lock and her tongue darted out of her mouth to lick her lips as she concentrated on moving them exactly right to click the lock over. She fought to keep her hands steady when sweat broke out across her forehead. She was running out of time.
* Ruby applied a bit too much pressure and the pin snapped, falling uselessly into the locked drawer. “Damn you to hell, mother!” she cursed and sat back, wiping her slick brow.
* She’d always viewed herself as a sensible girl, a dutiful daughter, and an honest friend. She could only imagine the horror on Vi’s face if she saw her now. A common thief. A midnight prowler. A defiler of privacy.
* Although, it could not be helped.
* She sought answers and at the moment all she had was an endless list of questions.
* Gaining her feet once more, she bundled her kit and slipped it back into her pocket. She turned her attention to the long table against the wall behind the desk. Leaning over, she ran her hand along the underside of the ornately carved piece, feeling for hidden compartments or—if her luck returned—a forgotten folder of papers.
* “Sherry, Miss Ruby?” an oddly familiar voice asked behind her.

Buy Forgotten No More: A Lady Forsaken, Book Two here...
Amazon US | Amazon Print | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | B&N | Kobo | Apple | Smashwords | Createspace

Find Christina McKnight here...
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Add Forgotten No More to your Goodreads List

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

ANNOUNCEMENT! Christina will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner, and a $15 Amazon GC to another winner, both via rafflecopter during the tour! So be to use the Rafflecopter below and visit the other tour stops (find them here: goddessfishpromotions-blurb-blitz-forgotten-no-more) for a greater chance of winning!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Look At Mari Mancusi & 'A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur’s Court' @marimancusi @GoddessFish #romcom #historical

Today we have author Mari Mancusi visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?

* Mari Mancusi is a two-time Emmy award-winning television producer and author of novels for adults and teens. A graduate of Boston University, she now lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and young daughter. When not writing or producing she enjoys traveling, snowboarding, reading fantasy novels, and her favorite guilty pleasure: video games.

What are you going to tell us about today?
* My historical, romantic comedy story, A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur’s Court.

A look into the story

~ Blurb ~ "Sparkling debut...a nice twist on the modern girl's search for prince charming." -- Publisher's Weekly
* Once upon a time there lived an outspoken fashion editor named Kat, who certainly was not your typical damsel in distress. But when a gypsy curse sent her back in time to the days of King Arthur, she found she'd need every ounce of her 21st century wits (and pop culture references) to navigate the legend. After all, surviving a magical plot, an evil prince, and a case of mistaken identity--all without changing history or scuffing your Manolos--takes some doing!
* Luckily, she's got her very own knight in shining armor, Lancelot du Lac, on her side. The honorable-to-a-fault and devastatingly handsome champion insists on helping her out, even though she's not quite sure she wants him to. After all, shouldn't he be off romancing Queen Guenevere or something? Will Kat manage to stay out of trouble long enough to get back to her beloved lattes, cosmopolitans and cashmere? And what will Lancelot's forbidden love mean for the kingdom of Camelot? ~ Excerpt ~ * "Tell me, lady, what is the future like?" Guenevere begs, eagerness dancing in her blue eyes. "I must know! Is it too wonderful for words?"
* Hm, What part of the future does she want to know about? I mean, should I inform her that she and Lancelot are destined to get caught in a compromising position? That their betrayal leads to the downfall of Camelot? Or should I gush on about the modern wonders of indoor plumbing, stretch fabric, and vodka-and-Red Bulls?
* No, I'd better keep on track—warn her about Lancelot. Seems more important than, say, an in-depth discussion of the miraculous invention of deep-dish pizza, no matter how good it tastes—compared to, let's say, pigeon.
* "You want to know the future? I gotta tell you, Guen, it's not looking so good for you and Lance. In fact, you might want to stay away from the guy. From the movies I've seen, King Arthur's knights, who are, like, totally jealous 'cause Lance is such a good knight, persuade Arthur to pretend to go hunting so you think you're alone in the palace. You go to get some action—I mean, you go make love to Lance— then they charge in on you and catch you together in his bedroom. They"—I clear my throat, not wanting to bear the bad news—"sentence you to burn at the stake."
* Guenevere laughs—not a chuckle either, but a full-on, bellyaching laugh. She falls back onto the bed to continue her unabashed snickering, not taking me a bit seriously, obviously, and I feel a bit offended. Maybe I should have introduced her to the concept of microfiber purses and air-conditioning instead.

Buy A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur’s Court here...
Amazon

Find Mari Mancusi here...
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

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

ANNOUNCEMENT! Mari will award a $25 Amazon GC to one randomly selected winner via Rafflecopter during the tour! So be sure to leave your name and email with your comment AND use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Also, visit the other tour stops (find them here: goddessfishpromotions-book-blast-connecticut-fashionista) for a greater chance of winning!

a Rafflecopter giveaway