A Brothel and the Wicked Owner by Vali Benson #WickedWednesday #Western #Tombstone

 WICKED WEDNESDAY

You've probably heard of "the town too tough to die." Tombstone, Arizona has been romanticized, written about, and immortalized in numerous movies. My guest today, Vali Benson, has a new book about that wicked town and a very wicked woman. Makes for some wickedly fun reading. Take it away, Vali...

            Miss Lucille was a tough, callous, and calculating businesswoman. She controlled and operated one of the busiest brothels in the hottest boomtown on the western frontier. In 1880 the place was famously referred to as “The Town Too Tough to Die”, Tombstone, AZ. Miss Lucille was a woman of her times but even for the Wild West, she was more merciless, conniving and ruthless than most. Many characterize her as wicked.

            Lucille Dobbs was born on her grandparent’s farm in southern Illinois in 1850 to a drunken father and a pretty teenage mother.  As soon as Lucy could travel, her mother robbed the old folks of every valuable they had and took a stage to St. Louis with the baby.

            Lucy’s mother was popular on the seedy waterfront. But she developed a severe opium habit, thanks to the man she worked for.  And little Lucy caused major mischief along the docks.  So the man decided to move on, with Lucy, her mother and two other girls, as well as a big, runaway slave named Jonah.  

            At age twelve, Lucille was a survivor. Random   events always seemed to favor Lucille. Her useless mother was inflaming her temper, which had become a very dangerous thing to do.  She resented the extra mouth to feed, and especially the cost of the drugs. So when her mother took a nasty spill from a wagon and broke her neck, Lucy swore she didn’t know what happened.  She told her companions, “Oh well, it’s for the best”. 

            Times were tough and it was apparent to the strong girl that if she didn’t look out for herself, no one else would.  With very little trouble, she took over the man’s business.

             After the Civil War, her greedy nature led her west. Having rid herself of the man and the two girls, (after reliving them of their money at knifepoint), she and her servant Jonah took off for San Francisco. The gold rush was over, but the city was still flush with money.

            It was not long before Lucille found a protector, a man with money, but weak enough for her to manipulate. Frank Morrow owned a nice dance hall on the Barbary Coast. She informed Frank that she was turning the dance hall into a brothel. Frank objected; he was found dead in the alley the next morning and Miss Lucille, as she was now known, took over. She informed the singers, dancers, and hostesses that their duties would be expanded.

            The “accident” that befell Frank became a recurring theme in Miss Lucille’s life. Maybe it was just coincidental; perhaps wickedly coincidental?  If one of Lucille’s girls worked up the courage to leave her employ, they would always seem to wake up dead the next morning. When what little law there was on Barbary Coast began to connect the murders, Miss Lucille realized it was time to move on.

            An old acquaintance wrote Miss Lucille and told her to join her in the boomtown of Tombstone with her best girls.  The lure of new money was more than she could resist. And she needed to disappear.

            This is where the book Blood and Silver finds Miss Lucille. She is viewed through the eyes of twelve-year-old Carissa, the daughter of Miss Lucille’s most beautiful working girl, Lisette. Not only does Miss Lucille rule by fear, she keeps Lisette under her control by plying her with laudanum. Carissa knows that it is only a matter of time before she will be forced into the trade by Miss Lucille or that her mother dies, or both. Will Carissa figure out a way to save herself and her sick mother from Miss Lucille, or will Miss Lucille brandish her trusty stiletto again?

               Miss Lucille IS wicked, very wicked indeed!

After graduating from the University of Illinois, Vali started and sold two successful businesses before she decided to pursue her real passion of writing. She published several articles in a variety of periodicals, including History Magazine before she decided to try her hand at fiction.

In April of 2020, Vali published her first novel, “Blood and Silver”. That same month, she was also made a member of the Western Writers of America.

 

Website:

http://valibenson.com/

 

Amazon BUY LINK:

https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Silver-Vali-Benson-ebook/dp/B086R4RBF3

 

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53167218-blood-and-silver

 

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/RealValiBenson/?modal=admin_todo_tour 

 

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/BensonVali

@BensonVali

New Release...New Cozy by Kate Fellowes #NewRelease #CozyMystery

MUSE MONDAY

Cozy mysteries are all the rage now. And I can see why. What a fun way to spend a few hours reading. Welcome my guest, Kate Fellowes with a great post about her latest. 

Many thanks to Brenda for allowing me to drop by her blog today. While I’ve been a writer as long as I can remember, it isn’t often I have a chance to talk about a new novel.

A Menacing Brew, (Fire Star Press, 2020), is my sixth book, and my first cozy mystery.  My earlier titles were romantic mysteries, where one of the questions in the plot was always “Is he going to kiss her or is he going to kill her?” 

That’s not an issue with A Menacing Brew, where Barbara York and her adult daughter Amy become the most amateur of sleuths when Barbara is named a suspect in the death of her old friend from college.  These two women are very different people and have never seen eye-to-eye on much.  But Amy is a Designated Daughter—the one who can be relied upon to help out when needed and do what needs to be done.  In this case, she is also the only daughter, so she always feels the pressure to be useful to her mother.

And so, they end up far from home, in a strange house, with a dead man in the basement.

Frankly, I’m surprised it took me this long to write a cozy mystery, because cozies are my current favorite reading material.  I love the sense of community I feel as a reader, when book follows book in a series.  I enjoy getting to know the citizens of the town and see how the author showcases individual characters from one story to the next, so everyone gets some time in the limelight of crime, if you will.  If there are libraries or bookstores and cats or dogs included, so much the better. 

I’ve heard it said readers like mysteries because the plots create order out of chaos, something I’ll bet we all wish we could do in real life, especially this year.  I like that philosophy, but it ignores the mental challenge of trying to solve the puzzle myself.  There’s no better feeling than my gasp of surprise when the perpetrator is revealed at the end of a book and it’s a character I hadn’t even considered.  Looking back, their guilt is obvious, but authors hide the clues so well I am frequently stumped.  Thank goodness.  If I could guess the ending, I know I’d feel disappointed.

The first time I sat down to write a novel, I crafted an outline to guide me through the plot.  Holding the outline in my hand later, I was disappointed because I knew how the story would end.  Where was the fun in that?  Of course, over the time it took to actually craft the book, I veered from that outline a hundred times at least, and was frequently surprised by changes the characters themselves seemed to insist upon.  Whodunnit stayed the same, but the how and why and all those other questions changed—and made for a better book, I think.

Now, working on the second Kirkwood Clues mystery, I’m eager to see where Barbara and Amy go on their next adventure, and which citizens of Kirkwood will take them there.  It’s all a mystery, and that’s the best part!

***

Blurb from A Menacing Brew

With the summer off, Amy is at loose ends. Since her husband is busy with work and her son is at college, she reluctantly agrees to accompany her mom, Barbara, on a trip to visit an old college chum, Carl, who became a journalist. Amy knows their long drive will be filled with too many of her mom’s stories about her personal Summer of Love, but she never expects they’ll find Carl dead in his basement practically the minute they arrive. Things go from bad to worse when Barbara becomes the prime suspect in the crime, since she’ll inherit the dead man’s estate.

To clear Barbara’s name, she and Amy delve into Carl’s most recent assignment and discover a link to Kirkwood’s biggest employer, family-owned Stutger Brewery. More than one skeleton lurks in the Stutger closet. But are these old secrets still worth killing over? Or was Carl’s death motivated by an incident with more recent roots?

One thing’s for sure—Barbara and Amy are making few friends among locals with all their questions. As the brewery’s centennial celebration fast approaches, it’s time for Barbara and Amy to bring things to a head and unmask killers, past and present.

***

EXCERPT from A Menacing Brew

As I headed toward the basement steps, I said, "I hope I don’t fall."

"You’ve got your flashlight." Mom clumped up behind me. "I’ll wait up here."

I put my hand on the splintery old door at the top of the staircase and headed down. The first few steps were fine, if a little creepy in my special-effects lighting. Then, the stairs took a sharp turn and, on the narrowest part of the step, I wobbled, grasping for the handrail. The flashlight went out when it slipped from my hand, clattering away, leaving me in the dark again.

"That’s just great!"

"You okay?"

"Dropped the flashlight." I descended one step at a time, feeling around with my pointed toe before trusting my weight. How many more steps could there be?

It was cooler here, beneath the house. Cool and damp and musty smelling. Eventually, my toe touched concrete, hard and smooth, and I relaxed my hold on the railing.

Squatting, I felt around, cursing modern technology. If I’d carried a big, old-fashioned flashlight, it might have stayed on, revealing itself.

On all fours, I reached a little further around me. More grit, more dead bugs. Aha! In triumph, I closed my hand around the thin plastic case and gave a mighty squeeze.

The beam of light poured forth, shining right into the eyes of the dead man on the floor.

***

Buy Links

https://www.amazon.com/Menacing-Brew-Kate-Fellowes-ebook/dp/B0864THDXQ/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=menacing+brew&qid=1591125765&sr=8-1

http://prairierosepublications.com/books-view/a-menacing-brew/

***

Bio: Kate Fellowes has published six mysteries, most recently A Menacing Brew.  Her short stories have appeared in many publications, from Woman's World to Crimestalker Casebook.  Working in a public library, every day is a busman's holiday for her.  She blogs at https://katefellowes.wordpress.com/

***

Blog: http://katefellowes.wordpress.com/

Twitter: @katefellowes

Facebook: Kate Fellowes, Author

Reading and #Reviews (Hoonstra, Proell, Patterson)

I'm a writer, but I'm also a reader. Each month, I'll share with you 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.

I tend to read what I write, but not exclusively. Besides Romantic Suspense, I read crime and law novels, WWII historicals, mysteries, and some main stream character driven books.

Here are some of the books I've read recently or in the not too distant past. Maybe you'll discover a new book or author! 

On the Make (Brothers in Blue, book three) by Margo Hoonstra

Romantic Suspense

If you love books about cops, and you love romance, this book is for you. Madison Clark is twice widowed and her first love was a policeman. The hunky policeman, Adam Pride, who walks into her life this time is also a movie star. Whoa! Quite a combination. And when she becomes an intended victim, who better to have on your side. A fun read for sure.

BUY LINK

Amaryllis by Joyce Proell

Historical Romance with Suspense

I had such fun reading this book. Spy vs spy and boy do the sparks fly. Lily Fitzhugh will do almost anything to get to America to save her father. It's a time period in which she's acting rashly for a woman. She sneaks aboard a ship bound for America and doesn't expect to fall for the man who she's supposed to be spying on...who is a spy. Ms Proell mixes history with fiction and that equals a very enticing read.

BUY LINK

Cat and Mouse by James Patterson

Crime Novel

Gary Soneji, a dying prison escapee, is looking for revenge on Cross, while another insane killer is pursued by Thomas Augustine Pierce-a brilliant and relentless detective who may even be better than Cross. As the bodies pile up, and Cross is nearly murdered in his own home, the game of cat and mouse leads to one final trap. . . As always, I enjoyed this Patterson novel. Alex Cross is one of my favorite recurring characters.

BUY LINK

Wicked Talk for #WickedWednesday with Dee. S. Knight

WICKED WEDNESDAY

Dee is back and as always, not only entertains but makes us think. Wicked is as wicked does. Now, is that good or bad or just plain fun? Let's ask Dee.

The way we talk? It’s totally wicked. 

As a writer I have to admit that keeping up with contemporary language is really hard. I’m not in my 20s anymore. I don’t have children, young or old, so I don’t have young grandkids hanging around to help me out. For that reason, sometimes when I hear slang I do a double take. 

The first time I heard wicked being used as an adverb, I had to stop and think about it. Was the reference good or bad? After all, wicked meant that something was morally bad, right? Or malicious or dreadful. But no, in this case wicked just meant the object was a lot of whatever came next. Wickedly good, wickedly hard, wickedly wicked. Okay, easy enough. But I’d just got wicked down when I heard someone say that what they were looking at was sick. And in saying sick, they meant good. What?? Good Lord, what’s a girl to do?? 

Finding a slang dictionary was a start. I found Green’s Dictionary of Slang accidentally, and in a sense of desperation. But much of what’s in Green’s is old style slang. For something newer, I just had to look up sites that had current slang. I’m writing a character who would know a lot of street slang because the streets are where she does her work and she has a younger sister. Why or why would I conceive of such a woman when I myself know no slang? I’m a masochist! 

The Good Man Series...so far

Marin is a woman who has done whatever it takes to keep herself out of jail and to watch over and raise her sister. She’s extra—barely—until her sister gets herself mixed up with a badster. Yes, even in college the kid doesn’t know that FOMO can lead to a lot of trouble. In this case, trouble for Marin. Marin has never let her sister see the badness she sometimes has to go through to keep them safe. Now, Marin has to lie like truth to the hero, Mark, in order to keep her sister from the POS who has her in thrall. It won’t be easy. Or maybe it will. Mark is the furthest from a man she would describe as highkey. Will she slay the job of ripping off Mark in order to safe her sister? 

Good golly, after reading that last paragraph I hardly know what I mean. Integrating slang into my story at the right points is going to take some work. But I know I’ll slay it and make a wicked good story. Or else, I’ll be shook. 

How do you keep your dialogue fresh and current? 

Only with the Heart is book 3 of the Good Man series. 

Meet Dee/Anne/Jenna:

A few years ago, Dee S. Knight began writing, making getting up in the morning fun. During the day, her characters killed people, fell in love, became drunk with power, or sober with responsibility. And they had sex, lots of sex. 

After a while, Dee split her personality into thirds. She writes as Anne Krist for sweeter romances, and Jenna Stewart for ménage and shifter stories. All three of her personas are found on the Nomad Authors website. And all three offer some of the best romance you can find! Also, once a month, look for Dee’s Charity Sunday blog posts, where your comment can support a selected charity. 

Where to find her (them):

Website: https://nomadauthors.com

Blog: http://nomadauthors.com/blog

Twitter: http://twitter.com/DeeSKnight

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeeSKnight2018

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/265222.Dee_S_Knight

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B079BGZNDN

Newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/h8t2y6

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/dee-s-knight-0500749

Sweet ‘n Sassy Divas: http://bit.ly/1ChWN3K

 

Ghosts and Love by Anna M. Taylor

MUSE MONDAY

I'm a believer. Are you? In ghosts and the unexplained, that is. Anna M. Taylor is back with some fascinating facts. I've seen one of the types she tells us about when I stayed in a haunted hotel in Flagstaff. She's done her research and written a fascinating romance. Enjoy the read today!

In A Little In Love With Death my hero, Mitchell Emerson, has lost the love of his life because she believes in ghosts and he does not. He believes he can win her back by discovering what is really haunting her childhood home. Instead what he learns is there are definitely more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in his philosophies. I had fun doing research on spirits for A Little In Love With Death. Here are five that I learned of: 

Interactive Personality – This is the traditional manifestation of a spirit, usually recognizable as person 

Ectoplasm – This is a misty presence rather than a spirit with recognizable as once having been human 

Poltergeist – This is an animated spirit that makes noise by moving or knocking things over. It’s often explained as energy being controlled by someone alive and unaware of what they’re doing. 

Orbs – These are balls of light that hover and can be human or animal that take on this shape to make it easy to travel. 

Funnel ghosts – These are swirling spirits usually associated with cold spots. 

Louisville Historic tours has some cool photos of each if you’d care to check them out: https://louisvillehistorictours.com/the-5-different-types-of-ghosts-with-photos. They’ve even got a video purporting to capture an orb: https://louisvillehistorictours.com/ghost–orbs.

Blurb:

Ten years ago no one -- not even the man who said he loved her -- believed Sankofa Lawford's story of being attacked by a ghost. Mitchell Emerson believes science and reason can account for the ghostly happenings at Umoja House. He seeks a rational explanation that will prove him right and hopefully regain Sankofa’s trust and love. Instead what he learns leaves his own beliefs shattered. Now reluctant allies, Mitchell and Sankofa uncover years of lies that threaten to pull them apart until help comes from an unexpected ally: the ghost itself. 

 Excerpt:

“‘Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities, against spiritual wickedness in high places.’” 

Mitchell leaned forward in the chair across from Professor John Mortimer. The neat and tidy mid-Century chrome, light wood and primary color surfaces defied the stereotyped clutter attributed to eccentric college professors. 

“That’s your realm more than mine, John. You’re the philosophy and religion professor.” 

Mortimer leaned back, his fingertips steepled. “But it’s why you sought me out, why you’re talking to me about this.” 

“Granted, but as I’m not in the camp of Biblical literalists, I don’t know how to interpret that verse.” 

Mortimer smiled. “Perhaps you’re more comfortable with Shakespeare? ‘There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophies, Horatio.’” 

Mitchell shook his head. “Nope. That’s equally unhelpful.” 

Professor Mortimer laughed. “Too metaphysical for your scientific tastes, Mr. Soon-to-be Commissioned Lay Pastor?” 

Mitchell shrugged. “Too metaphysical for someone who recently just put religion back in their portfolio.” 

Mortimer leaned a forearm across his desk’s glass surface. “So why don’t we start with the answer you want and work our way back to the truth?”

BUY ANNA'S BOOK ON AMAZON: https://amzn.to/3mGvWci

Find Anna and her other book here: https://www.amazon.com/Anna-M-Taylor/e/B0894LFCTV

The Wicked Town and the Wicked Madam by Vali Benson #wickedWednesday #western

WICKED WEDNESDAY

You've probably heard of "the town too tough to die." Tombstone, Arizona has been romanticized, written about, and immortalized in numerous movies. My guest today, Vali Benson, has a new book about that wicked town and a very wicked woman. Makes for some wickedly fun reading. Take it away, Vali...

            Miss Lucille was a tough, callous, and calculating businesswoman. She controlled and operated one of the busiest brothels in the hottest boomtown on the western frontier. In 1880 the place was famously referred to as “The Town Too Tough to Die”, Tombstone, AZ. Miss Lucille was a woman of her times but even for the Wild West, she was more merciless, conniving and ruthless than most. Many characterize her as wicked.

            Lucille Dobbs was born on her grandparent’s farm in southern Illinois in 1850 to a drunken father and a pretty teenage mother.  As soon as Lucy could travel, her mother robbed the old folks of every valuable they had and took a stage to St. Louis with the baby.

            Lucy’s mother was popular on the seedy waterfront. But she developed a severe opium habit, thanks to the man she worked for.  And little Lucy caused major mischief along the docks.  So the man decided to move on, with Lucy, her mother and two other girls, as well as a big, runaway slave named Jonah.  

            At age twelve, Lucille was a survivor. Random   events always seemed to favor Lucille. Her useless mother was inflaming her temper, which had become a very dangerous thing to do.  She resented the extra mouth to feed, and especially the cost of the drugs. So when her mother took a nasty spill from a wagon and broke her neck, Lucy swore she didn’t know what happened.  She told her companions, “Oh well, it’s for the best”. 

            Times were tough and it was apparent to the strong girl that if she didn’t look out for herself, no one else would.  With very little trouble, she took over the man’s business.

             After the Civil War, her greedy nature led her west. Having rid herself of the man and the two girls, (after reliving them of their money at knifepoint), she and her servant Jonah took off for San Francisco. The gold rush was over, but the city was still flush with money.

            It was not long before Lucille found a protector, a man with money, but weak enough for her to manipulate. Frank Morrow owned a nice dance hall on the Barbary Coast. She informed Frank that she was turning the dance hall into a brothel. Frank objected; he was found dead in the alley the next morning and Miss Lucille, as she was now known, took over. She informed the singers, dancers, and hostesses that their duties would be expanded.

            The “accident” that befell Frank became a recurring theme in Miss Lucille’s life. Maybe it was just coincidental; perhaps wickedly coincidental?  If one of Lucille’s girls worked up the courage to leave her employ, they would always seem to wake up dead the next morning. When what little law there was on Barbary Coast began to connect the murders, Miss Lucille realized it was time to move on.

            An old acquaintance wrote Miss Lucille and told her to join her in the boomtown of Tombstone with her best girls.  The lure of new money was more than she could resist. And she needed to disappear.

            This is where the book Blood and Silver finds Miss Lucille. She is viewed through the eyes of twelve-year-old Carissa, the daughter of Miss Lucille’s most beautiful working girl, Lisette. Not only does Miss Lucille rule by fear, she keeps Lisette under her control by plying her with laudanum. Carissa knows that it is only a matter of time before she will be forced into the trade by Miss Lucille or that her mother dies, or both. Will Carissa figure out a way to save herself and her sick mother from Miss Lucille, or will Miss Lucille brandish her trusty stiletto again?

               Miss Lucille IS wicked, very wicked indeed!

After graduating from the University of Illinois, Vali started and sold two successful businesses before she decided to pursue her real passion of writing. She published several articles in a variety of periodicals, including History Magazine before she decided to try her hand at fiction.

In April of 2020, Vali published her first novel, “Blood and Silver”. That same month, she was also made a member of the Western Writers of America.

 

Website:

http://valibenson.com/

 

Amazon BUY LINK:

https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Silver-Vali-Benson-ebook/dp/B086R4RBF3

 

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53167218-blood-and-silver

 

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/RealValiBenson/?modal=admin_todo_tour 

 

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/BensonVali

@BensonVali

Mermaids Marry in Green and Other Aquatic Creatures by Alice Renaud #fantasy #romance

 MUSE MONDAY

Please welcome Alice Renaud back to Discover... I love her fantasy stories so grab a cup and sit back and enjoy!

I grew up in Brittany, western France, my father was Breton and my mother is Welsh, so you could say I received a double dose of Celtic heritage. Welsh myths and legends are a big source of inspiration for me. Especially the monsters. Welsh monsters like water, and water features heavily in all my stories. The first two books in my Sea of Love series are set in, near, or under the sea; the third, Mermaids Marry in Green, on pre order now, is set in London, but a lot of the action takes place near or in the river Thames. 

Here are a few of my favourite aquatic creatures! 

The Water Horse (Ceffyl Y Dwr)

The Water Horse is a spirit who takes the shape of a horse and offers unwary travellers a ride on his back, only to throw them off and try to drown them in the marshes. In some stories he can also take human form. He can live in any body of water: the sea, rivers, ponds, even baptismal fonts in churches. The Water Horse features in the second book of my series, Music for a Merman. 

Mermaids and Mermen 

The whole Sea of Love series revolves around mermaids and mermen. My merfolk are shape shifters who can take human shape, but also have an aquatic form. In their aquatic form, they have webbed hands and feet and a tail, but not a fish tail. They are one hundred per cent hot-blooded mammals. 

Afanc 

The afanc lives in lakes or pools. He is part crocodile, part beaver. Folk think he’s a terrifying monster, but in my third book, Mermaids Marry in Green, he is an intelligent, magical, lost creature. The mermaid heroine Caltha teams up with the hero, Jonty the warlock, to find the afanc. Once she has found him however she has to rescue him, which brings her in conflict with the warlocks who want to capture and study him. 

Torrent spectre 

This malevolent spirit haunts mountain torrents and streams high up in the hills, and often takes the shape of a terrifying, evil old man. He can cause flooding and chaos and revels in it. He is related to the mist hag, a fearsome old woman who hides in thick fog and shrieks the names of those who are about to die. I think both would make great villains in my next book! 

The Giant Cat of Anglesey 

This needs no description! I just love the idea of a giant cat roaming an island, chasing horses as if they were mice. King Arthur captures him in one of the legends. 

Blurb: Mermaids Marry in Green 

Caltha Dooran is the toughest, fiercest shape-shifting mermaid in the western seas. She has three Clans to rule, and no time for romance. But when a warlock, Jonty, turns up and asks her to come with him to London to capture a water monster, she can't say no. In London, away from her duties, her attraction for Jonty grows... and they soon fall under each other's spell. But will his past and her responsibilities pull them apart, or can they find the only true magic, the one that binds two souls together? 

Buy Links

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FCQQ75P

https://books2read.com/u/3LglAN 

Excerpt 

A pile of twigs shuddered and slid to the side. Two yellow eyes peered at her out of the tangle of wood and litter. Excitement exploded in Caltha’s chest, rocking her whole body. She’d found him! But she strove to keep her voice low and soft.

“Afanc?”

A reptilian head that looked like a crocodile’s, but smaller, pushed through a plastic bag. The mouth opened, revealing a row of sharp teeth. “Morwenna?” the creature hissed, in Caltha’s language.

She tried to repress the trembling in her body and appear calm so the creature wouldn’t take fright. “Yes, I am a mermaid.” She lifted her webbed hands to show him. The afanc extended a furry paw, tipped with powerful claws. Caltha brushed the damp fur with her fingers. “I’m Caltha.”

The afanc let out a sigh. “Morwenna Caltha,” he said. He stared at her with shining eyes full of hope. “I am lost. Can you help?”

Caltha’s mind went blank with surprise. She’d expected a powerful water monster with awesome magical powers, not this vulnerable animal pleading for assistance.

The afanc stretched its neck towards her. “Please?”

Compassion engulfed Caltha. “Of course I’ll help you.” 

Bio

Alice lives in London, UK, with her husband and son. By day she's a compliance manager for a pharmaceutical company. By night she writes fantasy romance about shape shifting mermen, water monsters and time-travelling witches. Her first book, “A Merman’s Choice,” was published in January 2019 by Black Velvet Seductions. It is the first book in a fantasy romance trilogy inspired by the landscapes and legends of Brittany and Wales. The second book, “Music for a Merman,” is out now and the third, “Mermaids Marry in Green,” will be released on 1 November. Alice has also written two short stories for BVS anthologies, “The Sweetest Magic of All,” in “Mystic Desire,” out now, and “The Holiday Mermaid” in “Desire Me Again,” out in October. Alice loves reading and writing stories, and sharing them with anyone who’s interested! 

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AliceRenaudAuthorRomance/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/alicerauthor

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-renaud-author-4219b6166/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alicerenaudauthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18670218.Alice_Renaud

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/alice-renaud

Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/Alice-Renaud/e/B07L52P17B

 

Reading and #Reviews (McLean, Knight, Vitek)

I'm a writer, but I'm also a reader. Each month, I'll share with you 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.

I tend to read what I write, but not exclusively. Besides Romantic Suspense, I read crime and law novels, WWII historicals, mysteries, and some main stream character driven books.

Here are some of the books I've read recently or in the not too distant past. Maybe you'll discover a new book or author! 

A Switch in Time by Cassie McLean

Time Travel

I was intrigued by not only the subject matter of this story, but how the novel came to be and had to get it. I've read other books by Ms. McLean and wasn't disappointed. The fact that this story was originally written in the 1960s and considering the state of the U.S. today, the twist Ms. McLean added to her mother’s original manuscript was pure genius. Some readers might find their comfort level tested, but stick with the story, learn right along with the characters and you’ll be rewarded with a great read. In addition to the grit of racial clashes are some well described scene settings—one of my favorite parts of a well-written book.

BUY LINK

 

Passionate Destiny by Dee S. Knight

Erotic Romance

I've been wanting to read a book by Ms. Knight ever since I encountered her post on a blog. I chose Passionate Destiny because I'm a believer in ghosts and the blurb hooked me with a brief description of the characters. I'm not normally a reader of erotica, but I have to say, this book is erotic romance. I think there is a distinction. The romance is sweet, the sex is hot, and the story is intriguing. The main characters are educated and well-read. I love that the hero is mistaken as simply a construction guy by the heroine who is rather snooty with her evaluation. There is humor with the ghost episodes but also passion you will find intriguing if you like ghost stories. After reading Passionate Destiny, I will most definitely be ready to read other books by Ms. Knight.

BUY LINK

 

Rescue Me by Jody Vitek

Romance

Can Catherine accept the consequences of a great-aunt's dying wish without losing her heart or independence? Josef wants to own the land his great-grandfather lost in a poker game to Catherine's great-grandfather. When they come together, he sees a way, but his heart is part of the bargain.

Animals, Minnesota and love - Rescue Me had it and combined for a sweet, romantic read. I believe this was Ms. Vitek's first novel and kicked off a great romance writer career.

BUY LINK

Westward Ho! by Dee S. Knight #western #FearlessFriday

FEARLESS FRIDAY

One of my favorite guests is back today with a fun post about those fearless old west pioneers for Fearless Friday. 

Westward ho!

When Jack and I were driving truck across the country, I thought a lot about the westward movement in the U.S. and what it took to make such a move, especially for the women. We see movies and TV shows about people heading west and they always show wagons and guys on horses and piles of stuff people took with them. The truth was much different. Women and men walked most of the way west, since the wagons, oxen, and horses were needed to haul the loads of foodstuffs and household goods needed at their destination. Even then, very bulky or heavy equipment, like stoves and such were dumped along the way as the terrain got steeper and the animals grew more worn.

So many people hit the westward trail that wagon wheel tracks can still be seen in Nebraska. We once went down a mountain in Oregon covered in ice where I was certain we would jackknife and crash. I was scared to death. Jack’s hands were white-knuckled on the steering wheel as he continually turned the wheel just enough to catch the trailer tires on the gravel the states throw down out here instead of salt. We would drift a little…catch!...get back in line. Wash, rinse, repeat, until we reached the bottom of the grade. I wish I could say I was fearless during that trip, but…not really. Yet at the rest area at the bottom, we read a historical plaque that told of pioneers who winched their wagons down the steep hillside that backed the area because the grade was too steep to drive down. That was fearless.

I’ve often thought that I did some pretty fearless things while we drove truck. Just giving up everything was fearless to take off for a very uncertain job showed some fearlessness on y part. But thinking of the pioneer stock who took off for the west with no guarantees, no knowledge of what they would find or what it would take, no inkling of the deaths that would happen, the worldly goods lost, the joy—or disappointment—on the other end, I realize that I haven’t been fearless at all. Had I lived during those times, I’d have stayed in Boston, shaking in my boots!

To get a really good idea of the westward movement, you might want to read Women’s Diaries of the Westward Movement (Lillian Schlissel). I used it as reference when teaching sociology.

About Dee:

A few years ago, Dee S. Knight began writing, making getting up in the morning fun. During the day, her characters killed people, fell in love, became drunk with power, or sober with responsibility. And they had sex, lots of sex.

After a while, Dee split her personality into thirds. She writes as Anne Krist for sweeter romances, and Jenna Stewart for ménage and shifter stories. All three of her personas are found on the Nomad Authors website. And all three offer some of the best romance you can find! Also, once a month, look for Dee’s Charity Sunday blog posts, where your comment can support a selected charity.

Where to find her (them):

Website: https://nomadauthors.com

Blog: http://nomadauthors.com/blog

Twitter: http://twitter.com/DeeSKnight

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeeSKnight2018

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/265222.Dee_S_Knight

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B079BGZNDN

Newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/h8t2y6

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/dee-s-knight-0500749

Sweet ‘n Sassy Divas: http://bit.ly/1ChWN3K