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Real Life Romance: Of Love and War by Annie R. McEwen

Posted on by Chelsey M. Ortega

May 16, 1938

Dear Albert,

The joke is on you this time. I bet a friend that you would never write to me twice in succession. As it happens, you did!

That was the start of a letter from Jean Morlach to Albert Patrick, my parents. Jean, known then as Gina Morlacci, had emigrated from Italy to the U.S. with her parents in 1921. Albert, whose family was already established in America, helped the Italians as they struggled to set down roots in Pennsylvania. Albert, born in 1915, and Gina/Jean, born in 1912, became best friends before they even had a common language. 

You see, it was my turn but I was so darned busy with my hobby show that I neglected to write. You wrote again, thinking it was your turn. I’m so glad you did. 

When Jean and Albert got engaged in 1939, it surprised absolutely no one except Jean’s parents. Still struggling to make a success of their Italian grocery, they’d expected that Jean, their oldest child, would stay at home to help. Jean and Albert had other ideas. Jean was so worried about her parents’ reaction that she wrote Albert about it. She was considering abandoning her devout Catholicism so her marriage to Albert could take place quietly and fast. 

You know, I’ve been thinking (I do it sometimes) that perhaps we’d better marry in a Protestant church. I don’t mind.

Albert, who’d divided his growing up years between Florida and Pennsylvania, got an apartment in Tampa and set about furnishing it for his bride. Jean industriously, but on the sly, added to her stock of soft goods. Knowing nothing of the Florida climate, she worried about heating. 

Are you getting gas in the house, or are you getting an oil stove? I just was wondering about it. 

Last night, I embroidered for a while and made napkins. I have four sets, now. 

When she wasn’t making linens, working at her new job as a grade school teacher, or slaving at her parents’ grocery, Jean longed for Albert.

It seems ages since I saw you last. You seem so very far away—almost unreal. There are ever so many things I’d like to talk over with you, but I guess they will keep. Only, I do miss you so very, very much. 

In 1940, while World War Two loomed and Albert was sure he’d be drafted, Jean and Albert married, not in a Protestant church but in the vestry of a Catholic one. Jean’s parents were as angry as she’d feared. She fled with Albert to Florida, leaving her trousseau—all those embroidered linens—behind. The newlyweds had just enough time together in Florida to conceive their first child when Albert was drafted. He went off to train with the U.S. Air Force. The young airman was shocked by the unreadiness for War he saw in his first posting to Atlanta. He wrote Jean about it.

I don’t think these people realize a war is going on, so much waste and complaining. Several plants and a dairy are on strike, 325 fellows here just sentenced for draft evasion. There was an air raid drill the other day and officials complaining about poor cooperation from people. 

War and loosening social mores were producing changes in American society, and not everyone was comfortable with them. Albert was appalled by local women. Or maybe his letter was an attempt to reassure his lonely bride back home that his eyes weren’t wandering.

The girls up here are awful. Their skirts are 3 to 4 inches above the knee and they smoke more cigarettes than men. More imitation blondes than I ever saw in my life. I’m not laying it on thick, it is the truth with no exaggeration. 

Jean had her own complaints, mostly about her rowdy students. She’d gotten a job in a rural community outside Tampa, teaching eight grades in a one-room schoolhouse.

I’m just a bunch of nerves. You know it’s difficult to keep smiling all day in front of the students when I feel like throwing some of them out on their heads.

As difficult as those war years were, Jean and Albert were sustained by their love letters. Jean’s always closed like this one. 

All my love to you alone. 

Jean

Jean and Albert were married sixty-two years. After Albert’s death, Jean lived another nine years, but she was never truly happy. Her last utterance before her own passing was Albert’s name.

As Albert’s ended like this, from 1941.

I love you, sweetheart.

Your husband

Annie R McEwen is an award-winning author of historical romance, paranormal romance, and romantic suspense. Her Bound Trilogy from Harbor Lane Books launches on May 7, 2024 with Bound Across Time, a love story that transcends death itself. Annie also has upcoming titles from Bloodhound Books (UK) and The Wild Rose Press. For release dates, giveaways, Annie’s quirky blog, and more, go to www.anniermcewen. Be sure to Subscribe for her fun newsletter and a free Regency Romance story. While you’re at it, visit Annie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anniermcewen/ and Facebook: https://facebook.com/Quillist/ 

New Release: Fireflies at Dusk by Mike Torreano

Posted on by Chelsey M. Ortega

I’ve always been a fan of history, and the Civil War in particular, so when I first decided to write a novel, I picked one of my favorite CW personalities to focus on-George McClellan.

So in thinking about how to showcase McClellan, I decided to create a character to see McClellan through, hence Jonathan Gray, a young lieutenant on McClellan’s staff. To fill Jonathan out, I created his childhood, and that’s where the story really took off in a different direction.

Jonathan was raised in a pacifist family in Ohio, part of the Underground Railroad. When slavers took a runaway family away from the Quaker meeting house, Jonathan was crestfallen that no one tried to stop them. He rejected his father’s pacifism, which started a thread of conflict between them that ran the length of the novel.

Finally away from the family farm at college, Jonathan’s youthful arrogance led him far astray from the solid values he was raised with. He behaved with reckless abandon, further distancing him from his family, his childhood sweetheart, and his faith.

With great disdain, joins the Union Army when the War breaks out. At first an entitled junior officer on McClellan’s staff, he’s later sent west to join General Sherman’s army. His commander’s ‘welcome to the fightin’ side of the Army, son’ sends him on his way.

There, he joins a Company of combat-hardened veterans who’ve gotten wind of Jonathan’s prideful attitude. Forced to lead battle-hardened men who would just as soon see him dead, he must decide whether or not to undertake what promises to be a grueling journey to regain his self-respect amid continual harsh fighting.

Bottom line-While I started out thinking I’d be writing about McClellan, Jonathan pushed him clearly into the background, which was an interesting twist for me as a new writer years ago.

Back in 2014, I shotgunned this manuscript out to agents and editors with no luck. I did get one rejection which gave chapter and verse about what it needed. The editor was right, Fireflies wasn’t ready then. Months later I emailed the same editor and asked if anyone wanted to see the western mystery I was writing at the time. She said, ‘Send it to me when it’s ready.’ I polished and polished The Reckoning, and it became my first contract with The Wild Rose Press.

I now have five books with them, the latest being Fireflies at Dusk, which I decided to finally pivot back to last fall. After much revision and polish, I sent it in to TWRP and got my latest contract. So a rejection led to my first contract, and then years later, to this, my latest one.

As for my writing process, I’m not one other writers should emulate. I’m a total pantser, and I only write when I feel like it, which isn’t daily which also means I don’t have an organized schedule. I oftentimes get stuck in a scene and then take some time to percolate on things. Sometimes days.

While it’s not a method I’d recommend it seems to work for me. What also seems most important is that a writer discover how they best work. There’s no one right way, ultimately just what works.

This latest novel, Fireflies, has taken an unusually lengthy path to publication, but most of my novels take about a year and a half.

Mike Torreano is an award-winning author of traditional western mysteries set in Colorado and New Mexico Territories. In the fifth grade he read his first Zane Grey novel and has been hooked on the Old West ever since.

His debut western mystery, The Reckoning, was released in 2016 by The Wild Rose Press and the sequel, The Renewal, was released in 2018. Both are set in South Park, just west of the Rampart Range. He’s now finishing up the third in the South Park series, The Return.

An interest in the Goodnight-Loving cattle trail inspired his first stand-alone western, A Score To Settle, which was set on that trail and came out in 2020. A friend’s suggestion prompted Mike to write his latest western mystery, White Sands Gold, which was released in September 2022. It has received four literary awards.

His first historical novel, Fireflies at Dusk, is due out this month and is a coming-of age tale about a young man torn between his pacifist family and his urge to fight against slavery with the Union Army as the Civil War breaks out.

Mike also speaks at clubs and organizations about the timeless values of the Old West and The Code of the West, and how those values are still relevant today.

He can be found on Facebook, LinkedIn, Bookbub, and Goodreads, and his website: https://miketorreano.com/

As the Civil War looms, a young Ohio farm boy comes face to face with the injustice of slavery—an evil that tears at his very soul. In his callow youth, he rejects his family’s pacifism after runaways are cruelly seized from his Quaker meeting house. His anger causes him to turn his back on everyone who ever loved him. When the War breaks out, Jonathan joins the Union Army, making this rift complete. Will he ever turn back to his family, his sweetheart and his faith? Or has Jonathan drifted so far away that he can’t find his way back?

Check out the book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKVlj4InOMo&t=7s

Holiday Highlight: Mistletoe in the City by Amber Daulton

Posted on by Chelsey M. Ortega

It’s Christmas and holiday cheer is in the air, but Krista Hartley and Derek Weston from my steamy New Adult romance, Mistletoe in the City, are too stressed to care. She needs a breather from her overbearing parents, so she’s out apartment hunting and spending the weekends at a craft fair to make some extra money. Derek is super busy as the groundskeeper and handyman at his mom’s apartment complex to even worry about decorating his own place. When Krista winds up as his new tenant, he’s determined to right the wrongs from his and Krista’s shared past, but will they find a happily ever after this snowy holiday season?

Hi, everyone. I’m Amber Daulton, the author of Mistletoe in the City. Christmas is my second favorite holiday, right behind Halloween, so I was thrilled to write this hot holiday novella. Actually, I wrote it several years ago as part of a Christmas anthology with my former publisher, but the rights have reverted to me, so I’m re-releasing it with a fresh edit, blurb, and cover. Also, it’s twice as long as it used to be and now clocks in at about 35,000 words with new scenes, subplots, and revised characterizations.

Krista and Derek are your average young twenty-somethings struggling to make their way in an uncertain world. From overprotective parents and peer pressure from some not-so-good friends, they have their work cut out for them in trying to build a real relationship. With Christmas right around the corner, they’re each trying to live up to their family’s expectations and still be true to who they are. That’s not always so easy, and I’m sure readers can relate to feeling stressed and wishing the holiday season would fly by sooner rather than later.

For good or bad, Christmas is here again. Let’s hunker down and brave the wintery chill as best we can, hopefully with a new book to keep us grounded and relaxed in our off-time. Thanks for reading!

Amber Daulton is the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and several standalone novellas. Her books are published through Daulton Publishing, The Wild Rose Press, and Books to Go Now, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and demanding cats. Follow and connect with Amber at her website: https://amberdaulton.com/

Derek’s world is about to change forever—again.
After his father’s stroke, Derek Weston dropped out of college and returned home to help his parents
with the family business, Oak Landing Apartments. Now living on the premises as the groundskeeper
and handyman, he never expected the girl he’d secretly crushed on in high school to move into a unit
right before Christmas or stir up desires he thought long gone.
Krista Hartley needs a fresh start away from her overbearing parents, but falling for the tattooed hottie
who ignored her back in school wasn’t in the plans. Despite old hurts, Derek’s hot kisses and strong
arms offer the shelter she craves.
When another woman sets her sight on Derek and drives a wedge between him and Krista, they’ll have
to decide if their relationship is real, or just a winter fling.

Add to Goodreads – https://bit.ly/MistletoeInTheCityGoodreads
Check it out on BookBub – https://bit.ly/MistletoeInTheCityBookbub

New Release: Cruel Lessons by Randy Overbeck

Posted on by Chelsey M. Ortega

Cruel Lesson is an atmospheric, amateur sleuth mystery, the first in a new series set in schools called “Lessons in Peril.” The story involves a rogue, hallucinogenic drug being pushed in a middle school and, after it results in the death of four students, the rush to stop the drug pusher before more children die. The narrative takes place in a small Midwest town during October, 1995. All of these literary choices—the year at the height of the “Just Say No” Anti- Drug campaign and right in the middle of time for the D.A.R.E. program, the anonymous Midwest setting and the school as the battle ground—are deliberate and carefully chosen.

This novel is a work of honor and recognition as well as a work of art. As a long-time educator, I saw the ravages of student drug abuse and addiction up close. Over more than three decades as a teacher and school leader, I witnessed kids’ lives shattered and ended from their abuse of drugs, both legal and illegal. I crafted this story—while completely fictional and about an imaginary drug—as an homage to those educators who battle this very real problem everyday in our schools. Though set in the recent past, the scourge of student drug abuse today is frighteningly similar to my tale, only with a new generation and new drugs. In addition to being a pulse-pounding thriller, I wanted the narrative to honor the children we’ve lost to drugs in the almost thirty years as well as those educators committed to doing everything they can to rescue kids at risk.

I don’t want to give the wrong impression. This novel is hardly didactic. According to early reviews, Cruel Lessons is “Brilliant from start to finish…Impressive storytelling left me with a racing heart and shivers. One of the best thrillers I’ve ever read.” ★★★★★+++—N.N. Light’s Bookheaven.

ReaderViews called the novel “a thrilling murder mystery…with an immersive plot, steady pace and stellar character development…one of the best mysteries of 2023.” ★★★★★

Literary Titan wrote “Cruel Lessons is “masterfully written…Each new revelation adds to the suspense and keeps the reader on edge, eagerly anticipating what further secrets the story holds…a gripping crime thriller and amateur sleuth mystery.”

Wow! I am thrilled and humbled by these incredible reviews. Still, I hope the message about saving children will come through loud and clear. To help amplify this message, I’ve decided to use the novel to partner with NaturalHigh.org, a national drug prevention program for youth. This non-profit provides evidence-based resources for parents and children to use in talking with students about the dangers of experimenting with drugs and at no cost. I’m so committed to this cause, I’m donating a portion of the profit from the sale of every copy of Cruel Lessons to Natural High.

Check out Cruel Lessons yourself. You’ll not only get a great read. You’ll be helping to provide parents and teachers with resources they need to talk with children about drugs.

Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, author and speaker. As an educator, he served children for more than three decades and has turned that experience into captivating fiction, authoring the bestselling series, the Haunted Shores Mysteries, winner of nine national awards. This fall, the Wild Rose Press will release his newest work, an atmospheric amateur sleuth mystery, CRUEL LESSONS, the first installment in a new series set in schools, “Lessons in Peril.” He is the host of the popular podcast, “Great Stories about Great Storytellers,” which reveals the unusual and sometimes strange backstories of famous authors, directors and poets. He is also a speaker in much demand, sharing his multi-media presentations, “Things Still Go Bump in the Night,” “A Few Favorite Haunts,” and “Everything You Wanted to Know About Publishing” with audiences all over the USA. 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 Sleuthfest, Killer Nashville and the Midwest Writers Workshop. Follow and connect with Randy at his website: https://www.authorrandyoverbeck.com/.

Four kids dead. Can Assistant Superintendent Ken Parks unmask the drug dealer poisoning his students before more kids die?

On a school camping trip, fifth graders experiment with a dangerous new hallucinogen and die in a horrific accident, their deaths shattering the quiet town. Assistant Superintendent Ken Parks, hoping to redeem a fatal mistake from his past, grasps the opportunity to conduct the district investigation of how students are getting the drugs. Almost before he begins, the cops make a stunning arrest. But Parks battles on, convinced the real pusher is still out there, poisoning more kids until he receives an anonymous threat: if he continues, those close to him will pay. Is Parks willing to risk those he loves for a chance at redemption?

Cruel Lessons can be purchased here:

https://www.amazon.com/Cruel-Lessons-Peril-Book-ebook/dp/B0CDJ6GL5W
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1143862801?ean=9781509252138
https://www.bookbub.com/books/cruel-lessons-by-randy-overbeck

New Release: Stonebridge by Linda Griffin

Posted on by Chelsey M. Ortega

Linda Griffin’s latest book, Stonebridge, released November 1st. Get to know Linda and her paranormal romance:

Stonebridge Manor is a Georgian mansion in Virginia, owned for centuries by the somewhat reclusive Demeray family. In 1958 Edwina Demeray lives there with her disabled scholar great-grandson Ted and has commanded her great-granddaughter Rynna to join them. One more resident may be present too—the ghost of Rosalind, the murdered cousin of Rynna’s mother.

I enjoy ghost stories and always wanted to write one. I’m also intrigued with characters who come to live with strangers. When I put the two ideas together, Rynna’s story began to take shape. It changed direction, though, when I fell in love with the man the character of Ted was based on, and he took over the story.

I am very much a pantser. My characters have minds of their own and take me where they will. It took me about a year to write Stonebridge, and then I spent another four months obsessively re-writing the ending. The only way I could get myself to stop revising was to wonder what came next and start writing the sequel, Beyond Stonebridge, which is also under contract with the Wild Rose Press. Ideally, I would prefer to write in the morning, but my characters laugh at schedules. Unfortunately, they prefer to talk to me in the evening, often when I’m trying to sleep, and I have to keep a notebook by my bed so I can take dictation.

An earlier version of Stonebridge was published by Winston-Derek Publishers, Inc. in 1994. It’s been out of print for a long time, but I was only recently able to regain the rights. I’ve learned a lot since then, so I think the new version is better written. The story is the same, but some details have been changed, and while the first version was vaguely set in the post-Vietnam era, the new one starts in 1958, a better fit for Rynna’s somewhat unliberated attitude.

Linda Griffin decided to become a “book maker” as soon as she learned to read and wrote her first story when she was six. She retired as fiction librarian for the San Diego Public Library to spend more time on her writing. Her short stories have been published in numerous journals, and Stonebridge is her eighth book from the Wild Rose Press. Connect with Linda at her website: https://www.lindagriffinauthor.com/index.htm

After the death of her mother, Rynna Dalton comes to live with her imperious great- grandmother and her bookish, disabled cousin Ted at Stonebridge Manor. Almost immediately she is aware of a mysterious presence, which she believes is the spirit of her mother’s murdered cousin, Rosalind. Rynna is charmed by Rosalind’s lawyer son Jason Wyatt, who courts her, and she agrees to marry him. Meanwhile Ted and Rynna become good friends. But Stonebridge holds secrets that will profoundly affect her future. Why is Ted so opposed to the match? Why does Rosalind seem to warn Rynna against it? And how far will Jason go to possess Stonebridge—and the woman he professes to love?

Stonebridge can be purchased here:

https://www.amazon.com/Stonebridge-Linda-Griffin-ebook/dp/B0CGG1TN31
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1000585740
https://books.apple.com/us/book/stonebridge/id6463164419

An Oldie, but a Goodie: From Here to Fourteenth Street by Diana Rubino

Posted on by Chelsey M. Ortega

From Here to Fourteenth Street was re-released in 2015 with The Wild Rose Press, after I revised it and gave it a new title. It was originally titled I love You Because with my first publisher. It’s the first in a trilogy, The New York Saga, featuring 3 generations of the McGlory family. Tom McGlory, an Irish New York cop, and Vita Caputo, an Italian immigrant from the Lower East Side of Manhattan, meet and fall in love despite the overwhelming odds against them in 1894. They overcome economic hardship, prejudice, hatred, and corruption in this tumultuous world.

Book Two, Bootleg Broadway, is set during the Prohibition era and features Tom and Vita’s son Billy, a scatterbrained musical genius. My objective was to get him into one mess after another, and had no trouble doing that, once I got to know Billy.

In Book Three, The End of Camelot, Billy’s daughter Vikki is the heroine. Set around the assassination of President Kennedy in November 1963, Vikki realizes her husband Jack was embroiled in the plot to kill the president, but his mission was to prevent it. Jack was found dead in the bathtub of his hotel in Dallas, the same day of the assassination. When the Dallas police rule his death accidental, Vikki vows to find out who was behind the murders of JFK and her husband. With the help of her father and godfather, she sets out to uncover the truth.

My inspiration for From Here to Fourteenth Street was my great-grandmother; businesswoman, politician, small-time bootlegger, wife and mother. She was way ahead of her time. I modeled Vita after her, and since 19th Century New York City history always fascinated me, it came naturally to weave her story through that world, brining sights, sounds and smells of the streets and tenements to life.

I am a strict plotter – I work out a detailed outline, and for the last few decades, I’ve been using the Donald Maass workbook Writing Your Breakout Novel. It contains questions to ask your characters and explains how to outline your story. I find it invaluable for structuring my stories.

For this and most of my historicals, I usually spend about a year researching and writing. I write 2,500 words every day, and don’t quit until I’ve reached that goal.

Diana writes about folks through history who shook things up. Her passion for history and travel has taken her to every locale of her books: Medieval and Renaissance England, Egypt, the Mediterranean, colonial Virginia, New England, and New York. Her urban fantasy romance Fakin’ It won a Top Pick award from Romantic Times. She is a member of the Richard III Society and the Aaron Burr Association. With her husband Chris, she owns CostPro, Inc., a construction cost consulting business. In her spare time, Diana bicycles, golfs, practices yoga, lifts weights, plays her piano, devours books, and lives the dream on Cape Cod.

Connect with Diana at www.dianarubino.com

It’s 1894 on New York’s Lower East Side. Irish cop Tom McGlory and Italian immigrant Vita Caputo fall in love despite their different upbringings. Vita goes from sweatshop laborer to respected bank clerk to reformer, helping elect a mayor to beat the Tammany machine. While Tom works undercover to help Ted Roosevelt purge police corruption, Vita’s father arranges a marriage between her and a man she despises. The story has a paranormal twist – Vita and Tom work together against time and prejudice to clear her brother and father of a murder they didn’t commit, as Vita’s friend Jadwiga, a medium, helps them find the killer with some help from the otherworld – and some creative thinking.

New Release: Lost in Her Depths by Tabitha Emberose

Posted on by Chelsey M. Ortega

Lost in Her Depths is a Portal Fantasy Romance novel. It’s my debut and introduces readers to the planet of Sundara (although most of the book takes place on Earth 😁). It’s one of six known planets all interconnected by portals. These planets are known as the Torlana Lanak. 

There are four races that call Sundara home, and you will get to meet three of them in Lost. First we have the Takaryns (Ta-Karen-s). They’re a race of people who look like angels to us mere mortals with their white wings. They view Earth and the mortals who reside there as primitive, but this doesn’t prevent the small sect of Takaryns known as Kelaryn’s Guardians from protecting them. 

The next race is my Lamarans (La-mar-ans). They’re my wolf shapeshifters. Imagine a wolf twice its normal size approaching you through an open field. When they’re in their humanoid form, they stand at least seven feet tall and have a ripped body similar to the Rock or Jason Momoa. 

Our next shapeshifters are my Droskels (Dros-Kels). They appear no different than any other fantasy dragon we all know and love. What makes them unique is when in their humanoid form their skin isn’t smooth like ours. From a distance, they look human, but once you get closer you can see the main difference between them and us. Their skin is actually made up of interlocking scales similar to a snake, but these scales are strong enough to protect them from almost anything. 

And finally we have our Mer People. They look no different than any other mermaid with one exception. Unlike the mermaids we all know and love, the Mer People of Sundara have gills hidden on the back of their necks. No one ever sees them, because they’re covered up by the mermaid or merman’s hair. 

Lost came about after I wrote Guardian Against the Darkness. This will be book one of my Guardian Saga coming out sometime in 2024. I wanted to write a small series of novellas as an introduction to my fantasy world. I wrote Lost in a month after plotting it out. It’s gone through several beta reads and three drafts. It has expanded from the first draft, and is no longer a novella. I work a full time job, so I don’t have as much time as I’d like to dedicate to my writing. But I make due with what I have.

That being said, hello my name is Tabitha Emberose, and I live in a small gulf town in the Florida Panhandle. I’m the mom to my 15 year old fur baby Saphira (Yes, I named her after the dragon in Eragon 🤣). I’ve been a writer since a very young age. It didn’t matter how long or short the road trip was, I had to take my notebook and pen with me wherever I went. As I grew up, I turned away from writing original stories full time. Instead, I wrote fan fiction stories for over a decade while sprinkling in original stories that sadly I never finished.

It wasn’t until several years ago I got the writing bug to once again write original stories full time. Lost is the product of that dedication. My publisher is Mystic Phoenix Books which is my LLC business I created specifically for my author career.

Follow Tabitha at her Amazon Author page and pre-order Lost in Her Depths, available November 8, 2023.

He’s a Takaryn trapped in the mortal world. She’s a witch struggling to master her power.

But will their forbidden love survive in the end?

Artur is almost a Guardian who’ll be tasked with the protection of all the worlds of Torlana. When he learns of traitors on Sundara, he takes it upon himself to hunt for the guilty. He’s soon captured, tortured, and banished to the mortal world where he finds himself lost in the sky blue eyes and fiery spirit of a mortal female. But it’s her touch that sets his heart aflame. He knows if she stays with him her life will be in danger…

Twenty-two year old Ella Masterson has a secret. She’s a witch with the power over water, except she has yet to master her ability to its full potential. When she sees what looks like a warrior angel falling from the sky she dives in head first. Pulling the angel onshore, she soon finds herself drowning in his gold flecked eyes and musky scent. No matter how much he tries to push her away she’s determined to help him, knowing he’ll be taking her heart with him when he leaves…

Lost in Her Depths

New Release: Trevor’s Redemption by Amber Daulton

Posted on by Chelsey M. Ortega

Listening to my Characters – The Story Behind the Story: Trevor’s Redemption

Shea O’Bannon and Trevor Madero co-star in Trevor’s Redemption, a steamy romantic suspense novella in Amber Daulton’s Arresting Onyx series. Onyx is an underground crime organization with a foothold in several American cities, and Trevor is a reluctant, guilt-ridden enforcer among their ranks. Shea is a graphics designer with no clue about her new boyfriend’s gang affiliations, but she knows he’s hiding something from her. The return of his manipulative ex puts their relationship—and their lives—in jeopardy. When his secrets come to light, Trevor and Shea will have to find a way to work together, or kiss their love goodbye.

Hi, everyone. I’m Amber Daulton. Of all the books in the Arresting Onyx series, Trevor’s Redemption is one of my favorites, but it almost didn’t happen. As I was revising the final novel in the series, a little voice in the back of my mind kept telling me to go back and write this novella. I’d introduced Shea as a minor character in book one and developed her further as the series went on. Before long, I was having daydreams about Shea and what kind of man she would go for, but my writing schedule was already mapped out for the foreseeable future. I just didn’t have time to write her story. Well, Shea wasn’t having any of that. She kept pestering me, and soon I couldn’t sleep because I needed to write this story. Eventually, I gave up and jotted down the plot, and slept like a baby that night. I had a wonderful time bringing Shea’s romance to life, so I’m grateful I let her have her way.

As for my writing process, I use paper, pens, and colored pencils to outline each chapter, but sometimes I take the easy road and plot in a Word doc. I try to follow my notes exactly, but more often than not, my characters steer the story in another direction (Trevor did this in spades!). I spent about six weeks writing the first draft of Trevor’s Redemption, and after a few months of editing, tearing the story apart, rewriting, and more editing, I finally created a story I could be proud of.

Trevor’s Redemption is now available for preorder and can be read as a standalone, so if you haven’t read the previous books in the series, you can jump right in with this one and follow along without any problems. However, the couples from the other books return as secondary characters, so you might get a few spoilers. For the sake of enjoyment and fully immersing yourself in my fictional world, I do suggest you start at the beginning with Arresting Mason, but it’s not necessary.

Amber Daulton is the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and several standalone novellas. Her books are published through Daulton Publishing, The Wild Rose Press, and Books to Go Now, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and demanding cats. Follow Amber on your preferred social platform here: https://linktr.ee/AmberDaulton

The danger and lies are more than she can handle.

Shea O’Bannon feels like a fifth wheel around her romantically paired-off friends, but there’s too much slime in the dating pool for her to bother with it. Then she sees her two-timing ex, Trevor Madero, serenading the mostly female crowd at a live-music bar. God knows trouble follows him around, but her desire for him rushes back in anyway. After he rescues her from a handsy drunk, temptation takes over.

Determined to prove he never stepped out on Shea, Trevor slides back into her life—and her heart—with forever in mind. Even with the wall he keeps up to protect her, his secret criminal life weighs heavy on his soul and drives a wedge between them.

When the truth comes out and his enemies target them both, they’ll have to fight for their love, or kiss it goodbye.

Trevor’s Redemption releases August 22, 2023 and can be pre-ordered here: https://books.amberdaulton.com/trevorsredemption

New Release: The Vampire’s Retribution by M. Flagg

Posted on by Chelsey M. Ortega

Welcome to my world of mystical warriors, gutsy humans, good witches and empaths. And of course, there has to be at least one creature of the night. But if you think you’ve read everything about vampires, I urge you to think again. In my paranormal world, the themes of love and redemption are full of real human emotion. The paradoxes of love are real as well.  

The Vampire’s Retribution is the story of an anomaly, a mystically enhanced vampire that many consider a champion. Michael reclaimed his soul in 1890 after two-hundred years of the drink and drain. It takes another century for him to fall madly in love with a Guardian of Souls, mystical warriors tasked with ending every demon’s existence. Mysteriously, he was able to father a child with a dark seer. So his world is quite complicated. This first novel chronicles the beginning of his unexpected journey… something even he can’t believe is really happening. It begins in 2005 when the woman he loves is an ocean away and fifteen-year-old Lukas is a truly troubled boy. A cast of characters come to his aid, the kind of people you’d want on your side when fighting evil things. But Michael’s rescue won’t be anything like the dream of survival he creates. For that story, you’ll have to read Book 2, Mystical Consequences, available November 1, 2023.

The inspiration: During a time in my life when nothing felt normal, my son told me to write. On a whim, I decided to redeem a vampire. Don’t ask why. There were too many reasons. But all that chaos cranked up the creativity and Michael’s story turned into a novel. That was 2006. And two other novels continuing Michael’s story were published with TWRP before 2011. But life happens, doesn’t it? My career change in 2010 didn’t jive with vampires, mystical warriors, or witches and empaths. My new position required my full attention. When my rights reverted back to me, I was far removed from my creative side. But I dreamed that someday, somehow, I’d return to Michael’s world.  

In the second year of retirement, I started writing again. The new novel revolved around Martine, a very minor character in the original three books. She was Lukas’s age, which now put them both in their early thirties. Some 40,000 words in, I hit a roadblock. A big one. Martine’s love interest just didn’t work. It was flat. I sat at a red light while driving when those creative wheels started turning in my head. I loved writing Michael’s troubled son. But what type of man had Lukas become? What if… Hmmm…  Oh, I couldn’t wait to get to my laptop! A month later, Book 4 in The Champion Chronicles was complete.

But wait. That meant that parts of the first three books had to be altered some. This new novel expanded my paranormal world. I opened the original manuscripts and as my gifted editor from 2007 read Night of the Crescent Moon, I ‘revamped’ the first three books from years ago and remodeled the trope to align with the new novel. After TWRP contracted Book 4 in 2022, the first three revised novels, were submitted and contracted as well. I am, once again a proud author with The Wild Rose Press working with my fantastic editor from some fifteen years ago. So yes, readers and writers, dreams do become reality.

On writing: I am a true-to-the-word pantser. The main characters show themselves, secondary characters as well. I can see and hear them in my head. The situations they get into develop like a scene out of a movie and I start writing. The major plot drives the story, but I give it a few twists and turns along the way. Research is always a must, and it often leads to sub-plots. I’ve written three more novels in the series this past year because I became, well, a bit driven (okay, obsessed) when my creative muse returned. Now having time in retirement to develop my stories, I’m an eclectic writer. Somedays, it’s morning till night. Somedays, not one word on the page. The edit process is much more intense than the story writing. I’ll edit many times, listen to it out loud, read in different fonts even after querying my editor.

My advice for anyone just starting is to hold on tight and take the ride. Learn the craft. Join writing groups and network at conferences. Believe in yourself, the ability to spin a tale or two. I didn’t expect to circle back to writing about Michael and his world again. It is a blessing that I am humbled by, and grateful to experience after so many years when writing anything creative was just not possible. I’m fortunate to take the steps back to that proverbial fork in the road and start a new journey.   

Always an avid reader, the realm of paranormal fiction is the perfect landing point for Mickey Flagg. After a successful career as a music teacher and an urban school administrator, she continues to spin stories of passion, love and redemption. She’s been a contributor in a book on urban music education and has also authored an article for Still Standing, a web-magazine about loss and healing. Named a Distinguished Music Educator at the 2010 Yale Music Symposium, Mickey is a life-long New Jersey resident, a member of Liberty States Fiction Writers, and a Professor in Residence with a local university. Author Website: http://www.mflagg-author.com

Dreams are often hidden desires… even if they are terrifying. Michael Malone, a mystically enhanced vampire, destroys three immortal sorcerers and takes on their vengeful army of hell-beasts in an unprecedented battle. Poisoned and captured, he’s guided by a heavenly entity  to spin a fantasy full of deep love and devotion to the one woman he treasures and his very troubled human son. Michael’s fading mind creates emotional twists and unexpected turns, passionate highs and very realistic lows. Is there deliverance or is this the end to his immortal existence? Each revelation offers hope. Yet Michael’s last words doggedly remain “Let me die.” His original reasons for the singular battle are noble. One is retribution. The other is love.

The Vampire’s Retribution can be purchased at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

New Release: Grave-Reaping Shrew by Everlyn C. Thompson

Posted on by Chelsey M. Ortega

Grave-Reaping Shrew is the second book in my Grave Reaper Series. I came up with the idea for the series during the summer at my family’s cabin. I’ve run into bears five times, but never anyone from another realm. (I’ve still got my fingers crossed that it will happen one of these days) 

My FMC lives in a rundown cabin in the woods outside Tamarac, a fictional town in northern Saskatchewan. She discovers a portal to Fairie when a dark fae attacks her and she becomes infected with his magic. 

When I wrote the first book, Grave-Reaping Hermit, I had the story laid out so that Theo and her love interest, Farranen, ended up with a nice neat happily ever after – but halfway through the book I realized her cynical nature wouldn’t let her fall in love so easily. I redid the outline and added two more books so that Theo would eventually get her happy ending, but not until she had an adventure or two. And since I’m a really big fan of having multiple love interests… Enter the dark prince of Fairie. The third book won’t be released until later this year, so I’m not saying who’s in it or what Theo’s HEA looks like. I also realized that Theo needed someone to show her that she’s worth loving, so I gave her Dog. I didn’t want her to be completely alone at the end of book one, and her friendship with Dog helped bring out a softer side of Theo that I didn’t even realize was there until he was able to win her affection with his big soulful doggy eyes and never-ending appetite. 

It took me six months of writing at night once everyone else was asleep to complete each book, and even longer to find a publisher that would take them. I also have another book, A Flock of Vampires, that I published through a different publisher. These days I split my time between my latest WIP, and trying to market myself on social media. I can honestly say I prefer the writing to the marketing.

Born and raised on the beautiful Canadian prairies, Everlyn prefers to spend her time outdoors with her family kayaking, skating, fishing, and hunting. She loves reading and writing about vampires, witches, fae and zombies that get to find their own version of happily ever after. Keep up to date with Everlyn at her website: https://everlyncthompson.com/

After surviving a horrific attack by a dark fae, Theodora Edwards is happy to put the magical world of Fairie in the past – until she learns the reason behind the abrupt disappearance of Farranen, the guardian of the gate. Unfortunately, her improvised rescue attempt ends in death – her death.

As if surviving death isn’t weird enough, her magic takes on a life of its own and starts creating flawed ghosts. While struggling to control her magic, she’s forced to deal with a deadly band of pixies, amorous advances from the intimidating dark prince, and political upheaval in Fairie that’s left the entire realm in chaos.