New Release: The Emerald Fairy and the Dragon Knight by Jennifer Ivy Walker

Posted on June 20, 2023 by Chelsey M. Ortega

Inspiration for The Emerald Fairy and the Dragon Knight

The Emerald Fairy and the Dragon Knight is the conclusion of The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven trilogy, a fated mates paranormal fantasy adaptation of the medieval legend of Tristan et Iseult (Tristan and Isolde), interwoven with Arthurian myth, Avalon, Elves, Druids, forest fairies, and dark magic.

My trilogy was inspired by the medieval legend of Tristan et Iseult, which I discovered while obtaining
my MA degree in French literature. When I became a high school French teacher, I wrote a little play,
Yseult la Belle et Tristan la Bête, which was a blend of the original story and the fairy tale, Beauty and
the Beast (which was originally written in French).

I decided to expand my play into a paranormal fantasy trilogy, incorporating dark tales from the enchanted Forest of Brocéliande, birthplace of Merlin, Lancelot, and Viviane, the Lady of the Lake. Many of the French myths I researched were incorporated into my trilogy!

In this trilogy, the Emerald Fairy Issylte is the Princess of Ireland who has been denied her rightful crown
by her wicked stepmother, the Black Widow Queen. The Dragon Knight Tristan is the heir to the throne
of Cornwall and Lyonesse who leads Issylte’s army as she confronts the wicked queen. Armed with
otherworldly weapons, the fated mates join a cast of characters that include Lancelot, Viviane,
Guinevère, diabolical dwarves, Druids, woodland fairies, Avalonian Elves, and shapeshifting wolves,
bears, and mermaids—the Wild Rose and the Sea Raven trilogy comes to its thrilling conclusion in The
Emerald Fairy and the Dragon Knight.

Anything else to share?
My novel, Winter Solstice in the Crystal Castle, features some of the characters introduced in my trilogy.
It’s a steamy medieval romance between a fiery French princess descended for Viking Valkyrie and the
sullen, solitary knight who suffers an impossible love for her, winning the chance to compete for her
coveted hand in marriage in the perilous Yuletide Joust.

My novella, Flames of Flamenco, is a sizzling romance set in Montmartre, the bohemian heart of Paris,
between a talented artist who melts the frozen heart of the heroine with his passionate flamenco
dance.

Finally, my second novella, Amour in Avignon, is a Cyrano de Bergerac inspired romance which takes
place in the French city of Avignon during the world-famous Festival of Theater.
All of the works will be published by The Wild Rose Press later this year.

Enthralled with legends of medieval knights and ladies, dark fairy tales and fantasies about Druids, wizards and magic, Jennifer Ivy Walker always dreamed of becoming a writer. She fell in love with French in junior high school, continuing her study of the language throughout college, eventually becoming a high school teacher and college professor of French. Explore her realm of Medieval French Fantasy at https://jenniferivywalker.com/. She hopes her novels will enchant you.

Wielding a trio of enchanted Elven weapons to battle a dark wizard and a legion of diabolical dwarves, Tristan is faced with the impossible choice between saving the woman he loves or defending his endangered kingdom. Inexplicably compelled to remain in the sacred forest where he hears the voice of her heart, the heir to the throne of Cornwall incurs the wrath and scorn of his army when he decides to hunt for his captive mate.

Her verdant magic greatly enhanced by the mystical Morgane la Fée, Issylte must summon a
coalition of Naiad nymphs and celestial fairies to destroy a nascent evil as she fights to reclaim her
rightful crown.

When the Black Widow Queen unites with a malignant menace and a ghost from Tristan’s
haunted past, the Emerald Fairy and the Dragon Knight must ally with a triad of shapeshifting warrior
tribes to defeat a Viking Trident and defend their trinity of Celtic kingdoms.
Interwoven fates. Otherworldly mates. Destiny awaits.

New Release: Forward in Time with Jelly Beans by Michelle Godard-Richer

Posted on June 19, 2023 by Chelsey M. Ortega

My sweet romance, Forward in Time with Jelly Beans, is the second story in a time-travel romance duology. It’s set in the small, fictional town of Mayflower, Illinois during the Great Depression where new doctor, Henrietta Hinchcliffe, realizes her dream of becoming a doctor during a time when the profession is still predominately male. But she longs for more—a soul-deep love connection like the one her brother Henry has found. Little does she know, she’s about to embark on the quest of the lifetime in the future to save her unborn nephew where she’ll meet another handsome doctor, Joshua Bingham.

The inspiration for this story came from the first book in the duology, Back in Time with Jelly Beans. I wasn’t ready to leave my characters and the fictional world of Mayflower, Illinois behind. In fact, I still feel the pull to my fictional town, and I may return there again someday.

I would call myself a discovery writer. I have a loose outline and a sense of where my story is going, but mostly I’m pantsing my way along. As I connect with my characters, I just let the story go wherever they take me. This lends to additional suspense and unpredictability, especially when I don’t always know what’s going to happen next.

Michelle Godard-Richer is an award-winning thriller and romance author living in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta. With her degree in Criminology, she writes edge-of-your-seat suspenseful stories with strong protagonists and diabolical villains.

Follow Michelle at her website: https://michellegodardricherauthor.com/

Forward in Time with Jelly Beans can be purchased here: https://books2read.com/ForwardinTimewithJellyBeans

In 1932, Henrietta Hinchcliffe graduates from medical school and jumps on the opportunity to reopen a clinic with Dr. Iain Carter. After realizing her dream, Henrietta should feel fulfilled, but she longs for more–the kind of soul deep love her brother and parents found.

Fate intervenes when a magic box of jelly beans whisks her away to the future. Soon after arriving, she discovers her unborn nephew will die in 1932 if she can’t find a way to save him. To complicate matters, the answers she seeks may lie with a handsome doctor named Joshua Bingham.

New Release: Back in Time with Jelly Beans by Michelle Godard-Richer

Posted on June 12, 2023 by Chelsey M. Ortega

My sweet romance novella is set in the small fictional town of Mayflower, Illinois. The town’s economy is fueled by the Mayflower Jelly Bean Factory founded by Henry Hinchcliffe. Henry doesn’t realize it, but his life and factory are in jeopardy. And the only one that can save him is Bella Thomas, a journalism student from the future. But she’ll have to convince him to believe her wild tale of time-travel while trying not to fall in love with him knowing he’s destined to marry another.

The inspiration for this story came from one of the weekly chats hosted by The Wild Rose Press when the Jelly Beans and Spring Things Collection was announced. As a group, authors and our president Rhonda Penders were floating genres and ideas. Rhonda expressed a desire for more romance and the idea of time-travel came up. Somewhere in my brain, I connected the dots, and the idea of time-travelling jelly beans was born.

Back in Time with Jelly Beans is out today and can be purchased here: https://books2read.com/BackinTime

Fueled by curiosity, and her dream of becoming a big-time journalist, Bella Thomas digs deep into the history of her small town. Mayflower thrived until the local Jelly Bean factory burned to the ground in 1927, killing handsome founder, Henry Hinchcliffe, and devastating the economy.

In a twist of fate, instead of Bella finding the past, she’s snatched out of the present and transported to the factory a year before the fire. There she is rescued by the sweet and swoon-worthy Henry.

Bella can’t stop herself from falling for him even though he’s destined to marry another and suffer a tragic fate. Without any regard for her own happiness, Bella is determined to prevent the fire and save Henry. Even if he can never be hers.

New Release: Outcast Artist in Bretagne by Diane Scott Lewis

Posted on May 18, 2023 by Chelsey M. Ortega

My story is set in Brittany, France, in the small village of Saint Guénolé. It’s 1941, a year after the Germans have invaded France during WWII. A beautiful country backdrop marred by swastika flags, roaring motorcycles, and marching German soldiers. Norah, an Englishwoman, fled to France to hide the shame of her out of wedlock pregnancy the month before the invasion. Trapped, the baby stillborn, she lives with her cousins and draws birds, aching to return home.

August is the battle-worn German Commandant. He loathes Hitler’s policies. A widower, he starts to appreciate France and needs a change in his life. The lively Englishwoman catches his attention. Is she a spy? Or are his interests more visceral?

A TV mini-series, Island at War, inspired my story. The commandant was a complex, often-charming man.

I’m a terrible pantser, throwing ideas around, a vague idea of where to begin and where to end, until my characters show me where they need to go. Then I tighten it all up. The project could take a year and I try to write every morning, from 7 to 12. I fell in love with these characters and hate to say goodbye.

Diane Parkinson (Diane Scott Lewis) grew up near San Francisco, joined the Navy at nineteen, married in Greece and raised two sons in Puerto Rico, California, and Guam. She’s a member of the Historical Novel Society and wrote book reviews for their magazine. She’s always loved travel and history and has had several historical novels published. Diane lives with her husband and one naughty dachshund in western Pennsylvania.

Follow Diane at https://dianescottlewisauthor.blogspot.com/

Unwed and pregnant, Norah Cooper flees England to hide with her cousin in Brittany just before Germany’s 1940 invasion of France. After her baby is stillborn, she’s trapped under the Occupation as war expands across Europe. Norah grieves and consoles herself by sketching wildlife. When she’s caught too near the coast, she comes under scrutiny of the German commandant, Major August von Gottlieb.

August loathes what Hitler is doing to his country and France but is duty-bound to control the people in his jurisdiction. The lively young Englishwoman piques his interest. Is she a spy? He questions her and asks her to sketch his portrait so he might uncover the truth.

Soon, their relationship evolves into a passion neither of them can deny. She endures taunts from the villagers. His superiors warn him of not being harsh enough—he could be transferred or worse. He plans to sabotage a major war machine of the Reich, while she secretly helps the Resistance. Both acts are fraught with danger while kept secret from one another. Will their love ruin her and end in heartbreak? Or will they overcome the odds and survive the surging threats on all sides?

New Release: Death by Surfboard by Susie Black

Posted on May 15, 2023 by Chelsey M. Ortega

Susie Black’s complimentary Swimwear Fit Guide will certainly come in handy with summer just around the corner. Click the link at the bottom to grab your copy!

Death by Surfboard is the third book in The Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series. The submitted manuscript took me about five months to complete. Set in the competitive Los Angeles apparel industry, Death by Surfboard is the story of how one man’s life of lies, delivered by smoke and mirrors, cost him everything. No one is more stunned than Mermaid Swimwear sales exec Holly Schlivnik when a fisherman hooks her unscrupulous colleague’s battered corpse attached to a surfboard and hauls it onto the Washington Street Pier. The ME ruled Jack Tyne drowned, but “had help dying”, and Holly’s boss is wrongly arrested for the crime. To save the big cheese from a life behind bars, the wise-cracking, irreverent amateur detective dons her sleuthing hat to find Jack’s real killer. But the trail has more twists and turns than a pretzel, and nothing turns out the way Holly thinks it will as she tangles with a clever killer hellbent for revenge.

Like the protagonist in my Holly Swimsuit Mystery series, I am a ladies’ swimwear sales exec. From the beginning of my career, I have kept a daily journal that chronicles the quirky, interesting, and often challenging people I’ve encountered as well as the crazy situations I’ve gotten myself into and out of. The journal entries are the foundation of all my writing. The most critically important skill a sales exec must have to succeed is to be a good storyteller. Fortunately, I’ve been telling stories since I learned how to talk. Since I’d never written a novel before, the only thing I knew to do was to apply the same story-telling skills I’d successfully used hawking bikinis to writing a tale. Lucky for me, both types of stories require the same construction: A beginning, a middle, an ending, and most important of all…a point of view. So, it turns out that showing a line of swimsuits is no different than plotting a manuscript. Both need some planning, but there is a need for flexibility. So, I am neither a planner nor a pantser. I am in between. I plan the beginning and the ending, but I allow my characters to take the storyline from the middle to the end. Of course, the characters know they must not monkey with the ending I’ve devised. Generally, they behave…or face being written out of the story or worse…killed off.

One thing I’d been told over and over as a sales exec was to know your product inside and out. I heard the same thing when I started writing cozy mysteries: write what you know. If you don’t know it, either do the research and learn it or don’t dare to write it. Whether you’re an author or a sales exec, you’re selling yourself, and readers, like buyers, can sniff out a phony in a heartbeat, and then you and your story are toast. So, where did my story ideas come from? I paid attention to the mantra. Write what you know. With a dollop of imagination, a pinch of angst, and a decades-long career chocked to the gills with juicy characters, I had more stories in my daily journal than time to write them.

I don’t have a set writing schedule. I write when my creative juices start flowing. I sometimes write for four hours straight and other times only for an hour. Since I am a night owl, I rarely write in the morning. I came to write in the cozy mystery genre because I love solving puzzles. My parents would certainly confirm I have always asked a lot of questions, and I am naturally curious (some narrow-minded people say I am nosy…go figure…LOL). So, writing mysteries was the natural next step for me to take. Who could push a sales exec to dream of murder and mayhem? Who else but a pain in the patootie buyer or an unscrupulous colleague? After concluding a rather challenging conversation with a co-worker whose ill-conceived actions had put both me and our company in a precariously dangerous position with our biggest customer, I silently wished him a slow and painful death as I imagined how good it would feel with my hands around his scrawny neck, squeezing the life out of him. While the notion of knocking off a colleague whose carelessness threatened to destroy the company we worked at was wildly appealing, a horizontally striped prison uniform would make my petite body look like it was the product of a barbershop pole and a fire hydrant having a child. The viable alternative? Writing humorous murder mysteries set in the Los Angeles garment center. Brilliant and cathartic! In one fell swoop, eliminate a pain-in-the-patootie colleague, avoid life in prison, and still get the order. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Named Best US Author of the Year by N. N. Lights Book Heaven, award-winning cozy mystery author Susie Black was born in the Big Apple but now calls sunny Southern California home. Like the protagonist in her Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series, Susie is a successful apparel sales executive. Susie began telling stories as soon as she learned to talk. Now she’s telling all the stories from her garment industry experiences in humorous mysteries.

She reads, writes, and speaks Spanish, albeit with an accent that sounds like Mildred from Michigan went on a Mexican vacation and is trying to fit in with the locals. Since life without pizza and ice cream as her core food groups wouldn’t be worth living, she’s a dedicated walker to keep her girlish figure. A voracious reader, she’s also an avid stamp collector. Susie lives with a highly intelligent man and has one incredibly brainy but smart-aleck adult son who inexplicably blames his sarcasm on an inherited genetic defect.

Looking for more? Contact Susie at:

Website: www.authorsusieblack.com

E-mail: mysteries_@authorsusieblack.com

As a thank you for reading about Susie and her debut series, here is a free swim suit fit guide:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7lerp4cy1al2j0l/CHOOSING%20THE%20RIGHT%20%20SWIMSUIT.pdf?dl=0

A Mother’s Day Highlight in Pick of the Litter by M. Culler

Posted on May 13, 2023 by Chelsey M. Ortega

Thank you for letting me introduce a Mother’s Day rom-cozy (a romance/cozy mystery) to your readers!

Pick of the Litter is in the Holiday Pet Sleuth series, which includes authors from across the globe. Each story centers around a holiday mystery where a pet plays a big role. I’ve actually written three of them, A New Year’s Cat-aclysm (New Year), Pick of the Litter (Mother’s Day), and Framed by the Fireworks (Fourth of July).

Pick of the Litter is about Fiona Milton, a widowed history professor in her thirties. As Mother Day approaches, she learns that her plans to adopt have fallen through. Fiona feels like her life has derailed—until one night when she and her faithful terrier Macbeth discover an abandoned litter of purebred pups in suspicious circumstances.

Hunting down the owner of these puppies gives Fiona a mystery to solve and a much needed distraction—but that’s only the beginning. When Fiona discovers that the puppies were stolen as an act of intimidation against Blake Wells, a reclusive craftsman, she is determined to find out what he has that would invite such an attack.

Blake Wells is hiding something precious. Someone precious—Hannah, a beautiful little girl Blake is fostering and hopes to adopt. She means everything to him, even more than the puppies he breeds. He’s willing to lose everything to keep Hannah safe from a dangerous criminal claiming to be her father. When Fiona and Blake work together, they uncover the secrets of Hannah’s past and help piece together their own furr-ever family.

This story highlights the different ways we can form a family, especially at a time of the year, Mother’s Day, when people struggling with loss or infertility might feel like something is missing in their lives. With a strong message of faith and a Hallmark-worthy happy ending, this story solves a mystery, helps a mother dog reunite with her puppies, and gives Fiona, Blake, Hannah, and even Macbeth the family they were looking for. If you’re a fan of Jan Karon, Debbie Macomber, or the Hallmark channel, this one’s for you.

I personally was inspired to write this particular world and characters after growing up with my mother, a young widow, in a college town. I can relate to Fiona myself as I’m a history-teacher in my thirties who also struggled with infertility and would feel so alone and miserable on Mother’s Day. But, just like Fiona, the heroine of this cozy mystery-romance, I poured my heart into my passions and was eventually blessed with two wonderful children through adoption and medical treatments.

Bestselling author M. Culler can’t stick to just one genre. She writes fantasy, mystery, and all flavors of romance. M.Culler lives in historic Chester County, Pennsylvania, where potentially haunted battlegrounds and 18th century buildings serve as never-ending inspiration. M.Culler lives for her two brilliant children (mini-bookworms), her gorgeous husband, her endlessly entertaining students, and her wonderful community. If she’s not hunched over a laptop, you’ll find her baking up a storm in the kitchen, playing board games, or watching Brit Coms. Soli Deo Gloria.

You can check out M. Culler’s other books and writing journey here: https://ghostsintheink.wixsite.com/mculler

A litter of puppies. A mysterious craftsman with a beautiful secret. A stubborn, spunky terrier. Can Fiona solve a Mother’s Day mystery?

Spring means it’s time to bloom, but Fiona Milton is stuck in “blah.” Her love life has stalled, her dreams are on hold, and even Macbeth, her faithful terrier, can’t tug her out of this rut.

But a litter of puppies left in her yard might just do the trick! The hunt to find their rightful owner soon has Fiona helping a handsome stranger with a precious secret he needs help to protect. Could Fiona’s life be back on track—or will disaster rip it away just as she opens her heart?

Join Fiona and Macbeth as they solve a mystery that will lead to adventure, romance, and a new chance at finding a fur-ever family.

Pick of the Litter by M. Culler is a cozy mystery with a twist of holiday romance that you’re sure to love! Check out the other books in the Holiday Pet Sleuths series!

Pick of the Litter can be purchased here: https://books2read.com/b/bOnKlK

New Release: Something Wiccan This Way Comes by Michalea Moore

Posted on May 5, 2023 by Chelsey M. Ortega

Not Your Grandmother’s Cauldron…

The Tarot has spoken: Love and murder are in the cards.

A Tarot-reading witch and a high-tech billionaire combine their talents to solve crimes, clear their names, and find true love. Something Wiccan This Way Comes from Eloquent Peasant Books combines romance and magick with a witchy flavor and a hint of Tarot wrapped in a mystery. Think J.D. Robb’s Eve Dallas meets Practical Magic.

Something Wiccan is the first book in an eight-book series, The Wheel of the Year Mysteries. Many witches celebrate the eight Sabbats, known as the Wheel of the Year. Each book is centered around a Sabbat.

Something Wiccan takes place in the near future in a world riddled by pandemics. Maren Lilienthal, a rebellious heiress and witch, is cheated out of her fortune and forced to return to her wealthy family and hometown. A town where old secrets, ghosts, lovers, and enemies never die. Maren believes the safest place for her might be the broom closet. Cyrus Harper, a sexy billionaire who made his fortune with virus-scanning technology, charms her into coming out. Not everyone falls under the spell of the town’s newest couple or wishes them well. When Cyrus and Maren are framed for a ritual murder on Imbolc, the Wheel of Fortune Tarot reading holds the answer to what happened. Will white magick, Tarot, and technology save them or make things worse? Something Wiccan is definitely not your grandmother’s cauldron.

Something Wiccan was inspired by a managers’ meeting from hell. Our division VP called someone’s presentation “a mishmash of voodoo ideas” and the presenter “a crazy witch.” Despite a salvo of gasps and disapproving snorts, he persisted, calling her ideas a miscarriage; the woman had returned from leave following a stillbirth.

A coworker whispered, “I wish she was a witch; she could stick some voodoo pins into him and finish him off.” I replied, “Then we’d have the Salem witch trials in our very own conference room.” She said, “You should write a novel about that.” Thus, the seed was planted. It germinated a decade later and flowered into an idea for a series of novels with a modern witch as the protagonist.

While Something Wiccan germinated, I wrote two “training wheels” novels about Ancient Egypt, which may still see the light of day. But, writing a series is a different beast than writing a stand-alone novel.

Confession time: I am not a plotter. Even during my career as a technical writer, I eschewed outlines. I have a sneaky feeling that if I outlined, I’d never write the novel, having gotten the idea out of my system. Nor am I a full-fledged pantser because I know where every novel will end. For me, the joy is in the journey.

Still, a series requires a bit more discipline. I created a character Bible with a cast of characters, their homes, their clothes, their life events, the music they listen to, and so forth. In a series, I also realized that you must plant clues in one book that might not come to fruition until several books later. I have eight journals (one for each novel). I record ideas and scenes for future books, paste photos that inspire me, create Tarot readings, and add articles that are part of my research.

My motto is “Aim low, achieve high.” I try to write every day. I’m mostly successful; I don’t beat myself up if I miss a day. I don’t aim for a specific word count. Some days it’s a paragraph, and sometimes an entire scene. My Egyptian novels took 10 and 2 years to write, respectively. Something Wiccan took a year; the second book, Season of the Witch coming out in May, took 9 months. My critique group jokes that I should get Book 8 out in a week. I begin each writing session by listening to what I wrote the previous day to get back into the flow; I use Word’s Review🡪Read Aloud feature.

I’ve always been a reader and a writer. There’s a well-concealed photo of me on the potty chair “reading” a picture book. I taped stories written in crayon to the bricks of my grandmother’s front porch. In 3^rd grade, I published my first novel using an old typewriter. Back in the days when carbon paper was the only way to make copies, I produced three copies of a story about my grandfather teaching my cat, duck, and chicken to eat together. I received 25 cents from my grandmother, mother, and a neighbor. Magic, right?

As a child, I was the Queen of our Public Library, which looked like a castle; the children’s reading room was a tower. My favorite books were The Girls’ Book of Famous Queens and Cleopatra of Egypt. I checked out those books so often the librarian said I was depriving the other children and limited my check-out privileges.

You don’t get interested in Egypt without stumbling into its magical system. Egyptian magic led me to the world’s first and arguably greatest witch/magician, the goddess Isis. Once you find Isis, you’re on the doorstep of a great love story. Isis is the protagonist in my first Egyptian novel, Queen of Heka. I was hooked on powerful, magical women who love powerfully. . . when they find a worthy man. I wanted to write about them. Magic is the icing on the cake. Find out more about me and my books at https://www.michalea.com/. Something Wiccan and the next book, Season of the Witch, are available at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BXMY157X.

New Release: Island Heat by Debby Grahl

Posted on May 1, 2023 by Chelsey M. Ortega

Welcome to Island Heat where Suzanna Shay and Austen Kincade take you with them on a romantic mystery cruise that goes from Costa Maya to the beaches of Hilton Head Island where adventure, danger, and romance await.

Hi, I’m Suzanna, the manager of Preston Books’ Charlotte store. I still can’t believe I won the company contest for a Who -Done -It? mystery cruise to Costa Maya. Not only have I never been on a cruise before, but I love reading mysteries. Just think, one week where no one knows me, and I don’t have to explain my actions to anyone, including my mother. My friend, Amy, is convinced I’ll meet the man of my dreams on the ship. We’ll see.

Hey, I’m Austen. My dream is to someday be a published author — I know, like a million other writers. I do have two completed manuscripts which I sent off to H&H Publishing. Imagine my surprise, after accepting a ticket for a mystery cruise from a friend, that H&H was one of the sponsors of the cruise. Then to make the trip complete, I find myself paired with sexy Suzanna Shay.

Passion flares when Suzanna and Austen come together, but their newfound romance is threatened by another, who will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

Island Heat is the second in my Carolina series; Mountain Blaze being the first. I love both the mountains and the ocean. In Mountain Blaze, the setting is the mountains outside of Asheville, NC. Island Heat is set on Hilton Head, the place I call home. I had so much fun writing this book that I included the girls from my bunco and happy hour groups.

Writers are sometimes asked if they are a “plotter” or “pantser”. I’m definitely a “pantser” — writing by the seat of my pants. I begin with the location for the story, create my plot and characters, and after that anything goes. Island Heat is a perfect example that what I begin to write isn’t at all how it ends. For example, the first draft of the book didn’t include the cruise. I knew I needed to find a fun way for Suzanna and Austen to meet. So, who wouldn’t like to meet a handsome man while cruising your way through the beautiful waters of the Gulf?

My stories aren’t just romance. Like Suzanna, I love mysteries. So, I combine them and hope to keep you excited and guessing.

Award-winning author Debby Grahl lives on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, with her husband David. Besides writing, she enjoys biking, walking on the beach, and a glass of wine at sunset. Visually impaired since childhood by Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), she uses screen-reading software to research and write her books.

Rue Toulouse, a contemporary romance set in the French Quarter, medalled as second place in the Readers’ Favorite international competition, and was awarded first place in the Top Shelf Fiction for the Romance category. His Magic Touch, a paranormal romance, is also set in New Orleans. Her latest book, Island Heat, will be released May 1, 2023, and will be the second book in her three-part Carolina series. The first, Mountain Blaze, released November 2, 2020, has received a five-star review from Readers’ Favorite.

Follow Debby at https://www.debbygrahl.com/

A chance encounter leads to romance and murder.

When bookstore owner Suzanna Shay and writer Austen Kincade meet on a Who Done It mystery cruise, their instant attraction has them more interested in romance than searching for clues. But when the leading actress in the shipboard murder skit, Austen’s publisher’s wife, throws herself at Austen, she’s furious when he rejects her advances and vows to have Austen no matter what it takes.

After the ship docks, with plans for a future together, Suzanna and Austen part, unaware vindictive lies will soon test their newfound love and entangle them in a real mystery that proves deadly.

New Release: Healing Kiss by Amanda Uhl

Posted on April 24, 2023 by Chelsey M. Ortega

I’d like to introduce Amanda Uhl. Her newest release, Healing Kiss, releases this Thursday April 27th and is the topic of this interview.

What inspired your story?

Once upon a time, I had a healing experience. I held the hands of a stranger–a young woman–I met at a baby shower. My older sister was hosting the shower for someone in her husband’s office, and I was there as a helper and didn’t know any of the guests. The woman and I began discussing the paranormal. I described experiences I had had in the past, including an ability to pull energy from someone’s arm and hand, so it would fall asleep. Curious, the woman asked me to hold her hands. I did as she asked, and when I closed my eyes, immediately saw an orange light surrounding a dark shape. The orange light pulsed and glowed as I inhaled and exhaled.

Figuring I was the only one to experience the orange light, I let go of the woman’s hands and opened my eyes. The woman opened her eyes, giving me dazed look. “Wow. It felt like someone hugged me,” she said.

Two weeks later, I learned the woman had been trying for years to get pregnant without success. After holding my hands, she discovered she was pregnant. She called my sister to tell her the joyous news. “Your sister who held my hands, she caused it to happen,” she insisted

This real-life experience inspired Healing Kiss, my newest paranormal romance. When I describe the heroines’ attempts to heal her sister in the first chapter, I’m drawing on that real-life incident to bring an authentic feel to the scene.

What is your writing process?

I work full-time managing a creative team, so my day job often takes precedence over my writing life. The one rule I follow is to write a little bit every day, no matter how tired I feel. I am a panster, who has discovered the value of plotting, so I do a basic plot outline and write the book description before writing a single word.

How much time did you spend on this project?

I have written a book in as little as two months or, as in the case of Healing Kiss, four years! I am a bit of a perfectionist, which often sends me back to the drawing table as I attempt to make sense of the plot.

What is your writing schedule like?

Terrible. As I mentioned, I write a little every day. Due to my demanding day job, I do most of my writing late at night when the rest of the world is sleeping.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Healing Kiss placed in three romance-writing contests:

1st place The Far Side
1st place The Rudy
2nd place Diamonds in the Desert

Award-winning author Amanda Uhl has always had a fascination with the mystical. Having drawn her first breath in a century home rumored to be haunted, you might say she was “born” into it. After a brief stint in college as a paid psychic, Amanda graduated with a bachelor of fine arts in theatre and a master’s degree in marketing. Over the past twenty years, she has worked as an admissions representative and graphic designer, owned her own freelance writing company, and managed communications for several Fortune 500 companies, most recently specializing in cyber security and data. Amanda is an avid reader and writes fast-paced, paranormal romantic suspense and humorous contemporary romance from her home in Cleveland, Ohio. When she’s not reading or writing, you can find Amanda with her husband and three children, gathering beach glass on the Lake Erie shoreline or biking in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

To preorder Healing Kiss, explore Amanda’s other books, and follow her journey, check out her website: https://amandauhl.com/

To save her dying sister…

Lillian Milano channels energy from the healthy to heal the sick, which makes her an incredible nurse. But her gift puts Lillian and those she loves in danger from an organization that will stop at nothing to exploit her talent. When her sister becomes gravely ill, wealthy computer genius Tristan King is the one man with enough vitality to save her sister’s life. But being near him threatens to expose her secrets and destroy the walls she’s built around her heart.

She bargains with a billionaire.

Tristan doesn’t believe in the supernatural and is wary of emotional entanglements. But his beloved mother is dying, and his lying ex-fiancée won’t leave him alone, so he strikes a deal: In exchange for his help, Lillian must pose as his date for a hospital fundraiser. As the pair work together to save their loved ones, they confront a spiraling web of secrets that threatens their growing feelings for each other. The choices they make will either destroy their lives or heal their hearts.

New Release: The Jelly Bean Jump Project by Terry Segan

Posted on April 17, 2023 by Chelsey M. Ortega

Thank you for hosting me, Chelsey. I am very excited to be here! Today I’m sharing a bit about my latest book, The Jelly Bean Jump Project, which releases today.

My genre of preference is paranormal, which for me is time travel, ghosts, and mysticism. The story begins in the 1950’s and involves a time travel project which recruits brilliant young minds with no family ties. The facility, located in the Pacific Northwest, has only one small town as its nearest neighbor. My main characters, Keira and Grayson, are fresh out of college and very much in love. Since both fit the criteria perfectly, they look forward to leaping through time together. Their happiness is jeopardized when a glitch in the system threatens to separate them. Add to this, Desmond, a fellow recruit who wants Keira for himself.

As someone who’s always loved travel and searches for new experiences, I wanted to insert this sense of adventure into my story. My husband and I travel to the Pacific Northwest four or five times a year, and I wanted to incorporate the beautiful scenery of the area. This was the first book I’ve written where I sketched out the storyline beforehand. I am most definitely a pantser, and while I may know how I want to begin and end a novel, it’s always a surprise to me how I get there. Characters I never thought about, ingratiate themselves into the chapters, and some get more page time than originally planned. Despite having an outline for this book, I deviated and created new plot twists often since it’s my nature to let my fingers fly over the keyboard leading me in unexpected directions.

It took me about three months to write the story and another two for the editing process. Most of my writing time happens during the week, as my husband and I are the king and queen of three-day weekends. We travel a couple weekends every month and bump it up to three weekends during the scorching summer months here in the desert. I get inspiration from our trips, and rarely do you see me without my iPad. My happy place is the beach where we set up what the hubby refers to as the “Princess Canopy.” He does draw the line at my wearing a tiara, however—such a lost opportunity. With shade, cold beverages, and a comfy beach chair, some of my best plot lines get written there. Combining two of my favorite things—beach time and creating stories—is always a winning adventure for me!

Terry Segan, originally from Commack, NY, now resides in the desert where she’ll never require an ice scraper or snow shovel again. The beach is her happy place, but any opportunity to travel soothes her gypsy soul. The stories conjured by her imagination while riding backseat on her husband’s motorcycle can be found throughout the pages of her paranormal mysteries. Growing up immersed in sarcastic humor and science fiction movies, Terry’s goals are to cause her readers to laugh out loud, cry with joy, or cower under the covers wondering if the noise under the bed was real or imagined.

Join Terry on her adventures at her website Terry Segan.

Keira longed to do something amazing with her life. When offered a chance to join a time travel program, she didn’t hesitate. With her soulmate by her side, nothing could be more perfect.

Grayson never believed happiness would find him until he met Keira. Lightning struck twice when both got accepted into The Jelly Bean Jump Project, a time travel experiment. Only a handful of applicants made the cut each year.

One of the requirements—no family ties. Keira and Grayson were alone in the world except for each other. An adventure of a lifetime awaited, until a glitch in the system threatened to tear them apart. Would they walk away from their fantasy or surrender their hearts in exchange?