Fearless or the Courage to Trust by Birdie Song

FEARLESS FRIDAY

I have an absolutely delightful guest post today by Birdie Song. We're happy to have her for Fearless Friday on Discover... And even more special, her latest book released just two days ago. Congratulations, Birdie!

I’ve been lucky, in that most rash or life-changing things I’ve done have come with a measure of safety and protection. I moved to Perth and started high school, but I had my whole family with me. I split up with a serious partner and started my life over, but I was young and energetic and had relatively few responsibilities.

What might be more interesting would be to tell you about the times I did things without fear, only to later learn that I should have been more afraid. Like when I snuck into a crowded roped-off area at a festival that had stopped letting people in (hello, fire hazard), or the time I patted a full-grown Berkshire pig and he bit my hand (could’ve done some real damage), or the time I walked through an alley in a foreign country only to come out the other side and see a guy behind me carrying a machete (yes, he was actually looking for me!).

Often when we think about being brave or fearless, we picture hectic stunts and thrilling once-in-a-lifetime moments, but there’s also a lot to be said for the everyday fearlessness we must summon just to get on with life. One of my favourite examples of this “chronic fearlessness” is how vulnerable we need to let ourselves be in order to truly connect with people.

It’s hard being this vulnerable. When you’re the one speaking, you reveal something about yourself without knowing how another person might take it. Will they react violently, threateningly; will they use your secrets against you later; or will they be careless with your heart, enabling someone else to hurt you? It taps into something primal within us, something that evolved in our social Homo sapien brains to help us survive. We’re wired to fear judgement and ostracisation.

When you’re the one listening, your sense of self is called into question. Are you a traitor to your loved ones if you hear something disagreeable? Do you get to still identify as a certain type of person if you give attention to the unfamiliar, unusual, or unexpected? Will you be exposed as ignorant or incompetent or irrelevant? The way we respond to people, to books, to life, can often reveal our deepest fears and secret shames.

To be a caring person, a thoughtful person, the kind of person who helps where help is needed, knows when to back off, and intuits and respects boundaries is no easy thing. It takes a certain measure of courage, wisdom, and the willingness to trust. Some days my socially anxious side takes over, and I hide from the world because I just can’t be that person – it’s too hard, and I’m too luteal.

But the point, I think, is to try as best we can, whenever we can, to face our everyday fears for the sake of something better. I might not walk that alleyway again, but perhaps I’ll let my guard down next time a new friend invites me round for tea.

The Guy from the Beach Resort by Birdie Song

A guy who keeps his promise could be worth breaking hers.

Reformed party-girl Penny is going to fix her life. No, really, she’s gonna do it this time! Starting with a vow of abstinence, five days in a Bali beach resort, and literally running into a well-timed fake boyfriend she definitely won’t fool around with.

Unfortunately for her, Adam is smart, funny, charming, and starting to look like an all-round decent human being. All green flags and zero risk, he’s the kind of guy who respects her and keeps his promises, leaving Penny desperate to break hers.

The Guy from the Beach Resort is a sweet, fake dating, slow-burn romance, set in the world of Somerville Downs.

AMAZON BUY LINK

About Birdie Song

Birdie Song was born in Southeast Asia and now writes from Perth, Western Australia on Whadjuk-Noongar country. She believes love is more important than labels, integrity is a person’s most attractive quality, and that no one should be judged for putting pineapple on a pizza. When not writing, she tends to a veggie garden and reads a variety of books, hoping to one day understand the meaning of life.

Website: https://birdiesongauthor.com
Newsletter: https://birdiesongauthor.com/newsletter
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20263281.Birdie_Song
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/birdie-song

New Release by Tina Donahue

MUSE MONDAY

 Tina Donahue has a brand new release!

AMAZON

Unearthly Desire

Book Five Outlawed Realm

Erotic Urban Fantasy

Enemies to Lovers - Non-Stop Danger

Terrifying Monsters

A Shocking Secret

They’re fighting for their lives, freedom, and love…in the realm of the dead.

Eeete, a pleasure slave, thought she’d found freedom in an underwater colony until a hated Palace guard abducted her for his carnal pleasure. Swept with him through a portal into E3, she faces danger from the deceased, grotesque monsters, and a dimension where few things are as they seem and nothing can be trusted…including her own desire.

Running from sure death, she comes upon Makam, another guard, sentenced to E3 for treason against their dimension’s depraved ruler. She’s determined to hate him—as she does all men who imprisoned her in the Palace—but survival depends on them fighting together.

Curious about Makam’s seeming honor and tempted by his untamed allure, she soon falls under his sensual spell, their nights filled with unrestrained passion, their days spent trying to stay alive…an increasingly impossible struggle.

When all appears lost, an unexpected chance allows hope for them to flee together toward a promising future.

Until a shocking secret threatens to tear them apart forever.

TEASERS

Excerpt:

Her breath spilled out. She trembled, her teeth chattering.

The pods halted then turned to the sound.

With her hand pressed against her mouth, she warned herself not to panic or give up. She never had in the Palace no matter what she’d faced. She’d survived.

If she expected to do so here and return to Zekin and Paige, she’d have to figure this realm out on her own.

First, though, she needed to eat. Dizzy from hunger, her mouth cottony and needing water, she struggled to her knees in the narrow hiding place but didn’t leave.

The pods drifted into and out of her sight, their numbers reduced over time. Whether minutes or hours had passed she didn’t know.

Once alone and unable to wait any longer, she crept from the crevice then searched the surroundings, hoping to find a drop of water, a plant, or whatever would make her throat and stomach stop hurting.

Red globes speckled a grayish mound. They reminded her of berries she’d eaten in the Palace.

Her mouth watered, wanting their succulent sweetness.

She plucked several free and crammed them between her lips.

A grainy texture greeted her, the globes hard.

Rocks, not berries.

She spit them out and swiped tears off her cheeks. Crying wouldn’t help her find a portal to get out of here. Caution and a thorough search would.

After edging around the rocks, she stopped at a tiny pool resembling water. How to tell for certain though without tasting it.

Hunkered next to the puddle, she sniffed. There wasn’t an odor, the same as water. Still…

Not yet convinced she could drink it, she used a longish rock to stir the liquid, hoping insects wouldn’t rise to the surface.

They didn’t.

Hissing and spitting, the liquid ate away the end of the rock.

She dropped the stone and scooted back on her ass.

“Hungry?”

The thin voice resembled whistling wind.

On her feet, she gaped at the pods that followed her here.

The male, who led the rest, released his arm and hand from the pod. “Hungry?”

Her stomach rumbled in answer.

“Try this.” Blinking slowly, like the rest, he peeled off his bottom lip.

She shuddered, bile rising to her throat.

The male smiled, the area where his lower lip had been leaving a gaping, bloodless hole. “It’s good. The best bread there is.”

“That’s your lip, not bread!”

Shocked at her outburst, she covered her mouth, wanting to run.

The swaying pods mesmerized her, keeping her in place.

“No, this is bread.” He offered the pale flesh to her. “Soft, warm, and sweet. Try it, please. No need to go hungry.”

Her stomach cramped worse than earlier. She licked her parched lips.

“Eat this and I’ll give you more…however much you want.” He peeled off his top lip.

No, not his lip, a piece of bread. She recognized it now. The same as the rich, chewy kind rulers and elites ate in the Palace.

Starving, she accepted both pieces and lifted them to her mouth.

“No!”

The tall guard from earlier slapped the food from her hand. “Don’t ever touch that.”

The bread landed in a dank puddle.

Eeete growled. “What have you done!?” Her throaty voice—unused to speaking that hadn’t been allowed in the Palace—was clear and hard now. “Stay away. That’s mine.”

She scrambled after the food.

He tugged her back. “Don’t you understand? The dead will lie to you.”

“But you won’t? Bastard.” A word Paige used for men she loathed. “You’re lying to take my food. Find your own.”

Eeete rammed her shoulder against his chest.

He lost his balance and windmilled his arms to right himself.

She dove for the bread.

He was on her in a second, shouting, “Eating any of the dead will doom you to an eternity here. A place a thousand times worse than what you knew in the Pleasure Palace.”

Check out Tina's September newsletter to learn more about her books:

CLICK HERE TO READ

TRAILER

 

Chocolate Martinis and Murder

Lost puppies, endangered birds… The sisters are birddogs on a murder most fowl.

Only ten days until the release of the fourth book in The Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery Books. Birds, Puppies, and Murder is our most complicated plot yet in the series. We're so excited to get it out worldwide September 23. The sisters are up to their usual antics and all while getting their new businesses off the ground. 

The sisters are thriving like mountain sage in an Arizona autumn. Nicole’s yoga business is gaining a foothold in Wyatt. Emma’s first mystery novel is scheduled for release. But a proposed, expansive building project in the pristine area of the bird sanctuary has the community in an uproar. It’s Environmentalists versus Big Business, and the sisters are caught in the cross-fire. 

When one of Nic’s yoga students is found dead near the planned resort, the amateur sleuths are back on the trail of a killer. Who has the most to gain from her death—the morally challenged developer, the money-grubbing boyfriend, her jealous brother, a nasty neighbor, or a co-worker with dark secrets? And where has Skittles, the dog, gone? 

While the Chocolate Martini Sisters sort through the litany of villains, they’re leaving no mystery unsolved. The stakes are escalating, throwing the sisters on divergent paths that all come together at a dangerous intersection. As they unsnarl the tangled mysteries, will they expose the murderer before the killer finds a way to silence them?

If you preorder now, the eBook is only $2.99! 

Click Here: AMAZON

EXCERPT:

“We don’t even know if they’ve ruled it a homicide yet.”

“Do you hold sway with Detective Hakata like you do Rodney?” Lydia’s mischievous smile matched her teasing tone. “Friend to friend?”

Nic gazed on the colorful paintings of peacocks and Indian dancers on the far wall while seeming to consider how much influence she had over either man. “Yes and no. Ken was a wealth of information on our first venture into sleuthing. He became more tight-lipped on the following two cases. Because of Dawg.”

Her aunt blinked several times, not understanding. “A dog was involved?”

Nic joined Emma in laughter. “Guthrie’s nickname around the station is Bulldog. He’s a ferocious detective, although I’m doubtful he knows he has a nickname. Not the sort of thing he’d appreciate. Em and I shortened it to D-A-W-G. Dawg.”

Lydia clapped her hands. “Love it!” She chuckled. “So, he’s the dog, but he’s got his sidekick on a short leash.”

“Ha. Good one, Auntie.” Emma dabbed her lips with a napkin. “Guthrie didn’t like our interference on the first case. We were instrumental in leading him to the killer and, most likely, poked his ego.”

You can find all of the Chocolate Martini Sisters Mysteries here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BQ9T7ZBX

Life's Adventures...Recycled

I couldn't sleep. I found myself browsing old posts from Discover... When I ran across one that mentioned sweaty butt cheeks, I stopped. We're still battling summer in the Basin. I'm grumpier than ever because of the heat. But eight years ago, I still found the life on the RV Ranch highly amusing. Recycling this August post from 2017...

We're living life on the RV Ranch these days. If you're from the western United States, you might have a feel for a little town, that's not a town, like Tonto Basin. There are two gas stations, (update...we're down to one) an IGA Market, a Dollar Store, and numerous RV parks. 

And don't forget the local hardware store with local color. One day, I complained to the counter guy that it was really hot. He said, "my granny used to say if you wake up and there ain't sweat tricklin' between your butt cheeks, then you're dead."

Up the road is Punkin' Center with a post office, school, and library. Down the road is Roosevelt Lake.

I dislike the desert...well, most deserts. This part of Arizona is what I call pretty desert because we have mountains and trees. It's also only a thirty minute drive to pine country. There's an owl who lives in the tree outside our door. Javelinas (nasty wild pig like animals that aren't pigs at all) stroll through the park early mornings, and bunny rabbits are everywhere. At night, the coyotes howl.

There's an owl who lives in the tree outside our door. Javelinas (nasty wild pigs) stroll through the park early mornings, and bunny rabbits are everywhere. At night, the coyotes howl.

Most everyone owns a dog. We don't. (update we do now...Amigo) Can't seem to replace Rusty. AND a dog does limit mobility. One man has a nice tribute to his deceased doggie.

The people here are from everywhere. Some are year round, others are weekenders, and still others come for the winter months.

These in-between years mean our household goods are in storage. I want to sell it all and if or when we get another real house, buy more. FDW isn't entirely on the same page. This month we compromised and we're selling some. The antique German clock sold last week. There is some interest in two of FDW's cameras. I really want to sell our hand carved, teak tables from Taiwan. No bites yet.

How will it all shake out? Not sure, but I'll let you know. For now...I'll go with the flow.

(Update...we're going to become winter Ranch dwellers soon!)

Book Catalogs! Book Catalogs!

September! Fall is coming! Good time to stock up on books. These catalogs have some of my books in them and a whole lot more you should check out.

Get your cozy fill here (even you pumpkin haters will find some great reads):

https://books.bookfunnel.com/pumpkinspicecozies/j95dqj0pld

Here's another catalog that is sure to complete your September reading

(western or thriller or mystery with the right touch of romance): https://books.bookfunnel.com/romancebeginnings/lf60q6crz2

Who doesn't love a mystery packed thriller or twisty who dunnit for FREE?

This catalog for September fits the bill.

https://books.bookfunnel.com/thrillingfreebies-sep/msdzkcog7z

Reading and Reviews (Finn and Grafton)

I'm an author, but I'm also a reader. From time to time, I'll share my reviews of present and past reads. My available time to read is limited because I write, but I love to curl up with a paperback or an eBook at night for the last hour of my day. 

Here are some of the books I've read recently. Maybe you'll discover a new book or author. 

The Secret in the Stacks (The Bookshop Detective) by Kat Finn 

A mysterious letter hidden in a valuable book leads a novice bookshop owner to uncover a decades-old disappearance in a quaint coastal town. 

A former librarian turned bookshop owner uses her literary expertise and newfound amateur sleuthing skills to solve a decades-old missing person case in a small coastal town, uncovering long-held secrets and finding her place in a close-knit community. 

When Olivia Paige inherits her aunt's bookshop in charming Millbrook Cove, she expects a quiet life surrounded by books. But a cryptic letter discovered in a rare edition of "The Hound of the Baskervilles" plunges her into a 30-year-old cold case. As Olivia investigates, she clashes with skeptical locals and forms unlikely alliances, including a gruff fisherman with surprising literary knowledge. With her keen analytical mind and vast knowledge of mystery novels, Olivia must piece together clues from dusty records and town gossip to solve a long-buried secret—and possibly put herself in the crosshairs of a killer who thought their crime was long forgotten.

This is the PREQUEL to The Bookshop Detective series.

My Review 

I haven’t read any of the other novels in this series. I was given this prequel free, and I’m glad I read it. I’m a fan of cozies, but I don’t like the cutesy kind which seem to be in abundance right now. I started two others and quit a chapter in. Ms. Fin has woven a twisty cozy with smart characters and just enough of the “cozy” feel to make it a good Cozy Mystery. I’ll be sure to check out the other books in this series. 

https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Stacks-Bookshop-Detective-ebook/dp/B0DJPR518R/

 

 

S is for Silence: A Kinsey Millhone Novel by Sue Grafton 

Cases don't get much colder than that of Violet Sullivan, who disappeared from her rural California town in 1953, leaving behind an abusive husband and a seven-year-old named Daisy. But PI Kinsey Millhone has promised the now adult Daisy she'll try her best to locate Violet, dead or alive. All signs point to a runaway wife—the clothes that disappeared; the secret stash of money Violet bragged about; the brazen flirtations she indulged in with local men, including some married ones.

Kinsey tries to pick up a trail by speaking to those who remember Violet—and perhaps were more involved in her life than they let on. But the trail could lead her somewhere very dangerous. Because the case may have gone cold, but some people's feelings about Violet Sullivan still run as hot as ever... 

My Review 

To date, I’ve enjoyed the PI Kinsey books, but this one wasn’t one of the best. It started off keeping me turning pages so I got deep enough into it, I had to follow it to the end. There is a lot of jumping around in past and present. I didn’t much care for some of the supporting characters that I thought I was supposed to like. Or maybe I wasn’t supposed to like any of them. Hard to tell. Where they find Violet was a stretch for me. That’s all I’ll say so I won’t spoil it. Eh, somewhat entertaining. 

https://www.amazon.com/S-Silence-Kinsey-Millhone-Novel-ebook/dp/B000O76NCS/

 

Truly Wicked with Randy Overbeck

WICKED WEDNESDAY

Join me in welcoming Randy Overbeck back to Wicked Wednesday on Discover... Always a great guest post.

Sadly, there is no shortage of wicked in our world. All you have to do is look around. The news with the latest homicide or the newest political scandal. And what’s with everyone’s fascination with true crime…and serial killers. Not to mention, mysteries and thrillers are the second most popular genre for readers—behind romance, who doesn’t love a romance? We are fascinated by wicked, though we prefer it tugged safely in the pages of our latest read or captured on the screens of our phones or 58’ television.

Wicked is okay as long as it is…out there.

With my newest title, Red Shadows at Saugatuck, I have tried to give readers what they want—some wicked inside the pages of the novel—and, at the same time, cross the line into the reality of truly wicked. This new novel is the fourth entry in my Haunted Shores Mysteries, the bestselling series which has captured twelve national awards, including BEST BOOK AWARD (Chanticleer) GOLD AWARD (Literary Titan) and MYSTERY OF THE YEAR (ReaderViews). Each tale is mystery and a ghost story and each revolves around a murder connected to some larger wicked. Earlier entries have tackled such wickedness as racial injustice (Blood on the Chesapeake)  and human trafficking (Crimson at Cape May).

Red Shadows at Saugatuck (2025) follows in these well-trod footsteps. This time the narrative is set on the west shore of Lake Michigan, on what’s known as the Art Coast. Like Cape May and Crystal River, Saugatuck is a quaint, charming resort town in Michigan visitors flock to in the summer. And for this entry, I chose to entangle the murder mystery in a wicked beyond belief, a wicked  that would come to be known as MMIW, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women—though that label did not yet exist at the time the story is set in (2007).

Through my research for the novel, I learned some shattering truths about this wicked—

·       Ten times as many Native women and girls disappear as white females each year (and Natives make up 1.1% of the US population compared to 60.6% for whites)

·       In 2023 (the latest year with stats) more than 16,000 Native women and girls are reported missing

·       Because of lack of coordination between local, state and federal authorities, the numbers of kidnapped, abused and murdered indigenous women and girls are most certainly higher than even these numbers

·       And these atrocities have been going on for decades (at least) because until recently there was little effort to collect this data and follow up on reports

·       Also, the US is not alone. Canada is confronted with the same wicked, as their numbers of MMIW are just as staggering.

Talk about sobering statistics of a real life wicked.

When readers dive into the pages of Red Shadows at Saugatuck, they will not only discover another beautiful resort town nestled against the fresh waters of Lake Michigan, they’ll get a tale about family and love and relationships sparked by a spunky five-year-old named Leo. And they’ll encounter another satisfying ghostly whodunit like the earlier entries, which won Mystery of the Year honors. But, perhaps most important, they will be confronted with the reality of a truly horrendous wicked, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. 

I think Red Shadows at Saugatuck is my best work yet and early critics agree.

“Thoughtful, deeply human and low-key terrifying.”—Literary Tita

“Mesmerized from the very first page right up to the last.”—ReaderViews

“A paranormal mystery while stole my heart and took my breath away. Truly, one of the finest books ever written.”—N N Light Bookheaven

Here’s a bit about Red Shadows at Saugatuck.

Darrell Henshaw hoped he was past it all. After all, no ghosts had visited him for years. Instead, he learns his five-year-old-son, Leo has inherited his “gift.”

Now, they both can see ghosts.

This time, Darrell drives his young family 800 miles to celebrate his Aunt Gertrude’s 80^th birthday. But, once in the resort  town of Saugatuck, Michigan, their participation gets derailed by the spirit of a Native teen who went missing weeks earlier. When he and Leo inquire about the girl, the locals dismiss their concerns—"Those girls run away all the time.”  Still, as questions pile up and threats grow, Darrell senses they may have stumbled onto something far worse and even more evil than one missing teen.

Can Darrell continue to pursue justice for the girl if it places his wife and five-year-old son in danger?

You can check out more information on Red Shadows at Saugatuck and all my works at my webpage—http://authorrandyoverbeck.com

Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, author, speaker and podcaster. As an educator, he served children for more than three decades and has mined that experience to create captivating fiction, authoring two series, the bestselling series, “The Haunted Shores Mysteries,” and the award-winning series, “Lessons in Peril.” His novels have won critical acclaim and garnered national awards including Mystery of the Year (ReaderViews) Best Book Award (Chanticleer Books and Reviews) and the Gold Award (Literary Titan) and amassed hundreds of 5-star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. Dr. Overbeck also hosts the popular podcast, “Great Stories about Great Storytellers,” which reveals the unusual and sometimes strange backstories of famous authors, directors and poets and can be heard wherever listeners get their podcasts. He is a speaker in considerable demand, sharing his popular presentations about ghosts and the world of book publishing with hundreds of audiences all over the U.S.

As a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Dr. Overbeck is an active member of the literary community, contributing to a writers’ critique group, serving as a mentor to emerging writers and participating in writing conferences such as Killer Nashville and the Midwest Writers Workshop.

When he’s not researching, writing, speaking or podcasting, Randy enjoys traveling with his wife Cathy and visiting both his far-flung family and the scenic locations around this country, often in search of inspiration for his next great story. 

More info about his novels, programs and podcast can be found at his website www.authorrandyoverbeck.com

randyoverbeck@authorrandyoverbeck.com 

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACTS

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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4825632.Randy_Overbeck