Book Blast - Playing Rough by Beth Pellino-Dudzic

It's a book Blast and this book looks interesting! You should check out the series, especially Playing Rough. There are also prizes to be won. Like? Beth Pellino-Dudzic will be awarding one set of the three books in the series - Playing Hard, Playing High and Playing Rough (international giveaway). How cool is that? Want more chances to win? Then follow the tour. You can do that here: https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2025/09/book-blast-playing-rough-by-beth.html

PLAYING ROUGH

by Beth Pellino-Dudzic

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Love. Lies. And the Road to Redemption.

After five months in rehab, Trevor McNaughton is finally sober—and ready to rebuild his life with Gina, the woman who never stopped believing in him. A road trip is meant to be their fresh start, but their plans are quickly derailed when their former publicist, Paul Ryan, emerges with explosive claims: an affair with Gina, dark secrets about their band Perfection, and vicious speculation about their marriage.

As the couple races to contain the fallout, the pressure mounts. Trevor must protect his fragile sobriety while defending the truth. Gina, fierce and unshakable, refuses to let their love be hijacked by lies. All the while, Gina’s cousin and bandmate Rio begs them to return home and help shape the next album—while wannabe rock star Brian Mayfield looms as another potential threat to the narrow threshold they already straddle.

With careers and reputations on the line, Trevor and Gina must confront the ghosts of their past and the chaos of their present. Can love outlast betrayal, and can anything silence a man set on destruction?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now for an Excerpt: 

They pulled away from their Montecito home when Gina had a realization. “Trev, we know nothing about camping. The closest I can relate is the time my family had to stay at the Hyatt because the Ritz was full. We should stop at one of those huge camping and hunting stores and buy whatever we need.” Trevor agreed. They did some research and then drove to the nearest outdoor supply store.

A salesperson named Jonas recognized them. “What can I assist you with, McNaughtons?”

Gina stared at Jonas, then threw her hands up. “Everything ... We have no idea what is needed for an RV trip.” The knowledgeable employee gave them a checklist of necessities and camping equipment. Trevor and Gina trusted him to compile what was needed.

Jonas asked, “How long of a trip are you planning on taking?”

Trevor simply said, “Probably a month, maybe longer.” Jonas also asked if they had an itinerary and RV locations picked out and reserved. The two rockers looked at each other— who knew they  needed to reserve a spot? He told them there was a book on RV parks  that should help design their plan.

Trevor didn’t vocalize what the exact plan was.

So, Gina suggested hers. “Trevor, I would enjoy driving up the coast California, Oregon, Washington. We can take in beautiful sights on the way and continue to Vancouver. We can explore a bit of British
Columbia and visit your father … and I would like to drive to Boise.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About the Author:

Beth Pellino-Dudzic was born in the Bronx and grew up in Westchester County, New York.
She earned a BA in Business Administration and worked at IBM. She has three adult daughters
and a new Granddaughter. She currently lives in Alabama with her husband and their miniature
dachshund, Truffle. Although The Perfection Saga is fictional, many of the stories hark back to
Beth’s time in the Rock ‘n’ Roll world. Beth’s favorite pastime is football, everything football.
She also is an excellent cook and baker.

Links:

Website: https://perfectionsaga.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558439816678

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

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bethandperfection1




Buy Link:



Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0FP9H6LQQ

Blurb Blitz - A Gilded City Series by Jane Loeb Rubin

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jane Loeb Rubin will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

In the Hands of Women, (June 2023) takes the reader on an electrifying ride through the dawn of the 20th century, delving into the restrictive state of women’s rights, backroom abortions, the plight of immigrants to the Lower East Side of NYC and the prison system at Blackwell’s Island, all through the voice of a young OB/Gyn, Tillie’s younger sister, Hannah.

Threadbare, (June 2024) is a historical novel written as a tribute to Jane Rubin’s great-grandmother, Mathilda (Tillie), who died from a ‘woman’s disease’ in the early years of the twentieth century. It explores the ultra-conservative late Victorian era through a Jewish female character living among the poor, struggling to build a garment company and pushing back against antisemitic and misogynistic values dominating the time. She acquired wealth, only to have life upended by a cruel, unexpected challenge.

Over There (June 2025) brings four family members of Threadbare and In the Hands of Women, all doctors and nurses, into The Great War, each facing down authentic challenges of the period. Meticulously researched and crafted on four stages, the reader experiences the jarring reality of trench warfare, magnificent rise of the American Hospital in Paris, unimagined medical innovations owed to the dedication of healthcare workers, and the universal, frightening impact war has on children.

Read an Excerpt from IN THE HANDS OF WOMEN

I glanced at Nurse Hammond. Her head was bent to the wood floor, hands squeezed so tightly, I could see the white in her knuckles. The navy muslin dress worn beneath her white apron matched the dark circles under her eyes. I held back from the pack of students as they left the ward. Nurse Hammond was at the end of her night shift, little time left to hear the full story.

“Nurse, were you in delivery during the twins’ births?” I whispered.

“I was.” She straightened her back, darting her eyes to the nursery.

I took a step closer to her. “Did anything unusual happen?”

After a lengthy pause, she rubbed her fingers, eyes downcast.

“Nurse Hammond, what happened?” I persisted.

“You know Adams, always impatient.” She turned her eyes from the floor then to mine. “He couldn’t stand the mother’s screaming and knocked her out cold with ether. Then he went in deep with the forceps, taking forever. I think he would have had more luck if he kept her awake and changed her position.” She took in a sharp breath. “But who am I to say? You can’t utter a word. I need my job. I’ve four children at home.”

I nodded, understanding. “You can trust me. Go home and get some rest.” I scurried down the hall to the nursery.

“Where’ve you been, Isaacson?” Dr. Adams barked as I walked through the doorway.

“My apology doctor, lavatory.”

Dr. Adams crossed his arms on his chest, haughtily shaking his head at the ring of men standing around the twins’ bassinettes. “See there, gentlemen? That’s what happens when women are allowed into the profession. Always needing to fix their hair.”

Blood shot to my face. How long would he get away with his negligence? I stifled my annoyance, while studying the infants. The smaller baby’s hand began to tremor.

About the Author: Author, Jane Loeb Rubin has won numerous awards including the Historical Novel Society's First Chapters short list for Over There, released May, 2025 by Level Best Books. She will be speaking at numerous Florida events as listed on her website.

With an extensive healthcare background Ms. Rubin began writing in 2009 after a serious cancer diagnosis. She now has a four-book deal with Level Best Books (Threadbare-2024, In the Hands of Women-2023, Over There-2025, The Hat Trick-2026), following the fictional life of her great-grandmother’s family.

In the Hands of Women, (June 2023) takes the reader on an electrifying ride through the dawn of the 20th century, delving into the restrictive state of women’s rights, backroom abortions, the plight of immigrants to the Lower East Side of NYC and the prison system at Blackwell’s Island, all through the voice of a young OB/Gyn, Tillie’s younger sister, Hannah.

Threadbare, (June 2024) is a historical novel written as a tribute to Jane Rubin’s great-grandmother, Mathilda (Tillie), who died from a ‘woman’s disease’ in the early years of the twentieth century. It explores the ultra-conservative late Victorian era through a Jewish female character living among the poor, struggling to build a garment company and pushing back against antisemitic and misogynistic values dominating the time. She acquired wealth, only to have life upended by a cruel, unexpected challenge.

Over There (June 2025) brings four family members of Threadbare and In the Hands of Women, all doctors and nurses, into The Great War, each facing down authentic challenges of the period. Meticulously researched and crafted on four stages, the reader experiences the jarring reality of trench warfare, magnificent rise of the American Hospital in Paris, unimagined medical innovations owed to the dedication of healthcare workers, and the universal, frightening impact war has on children.

The Hat Trick, Ms. Rubin’s work in process (May 2026) transports her family characters into the mid-1920’s in the years before the Borscht Belt in Sullivan County, NY.

Ms. Rubin, a graduate of the University of Michigan (BS, MS) and Washington University (MBA), retired from a 30-year career as a healthcare executive to begin writing full-time. She lives with her husband, David, an attorney, in Northern New Jersey. Between them, they have five adult children and seven grandchildren. Ms. Rubin’s work is available at all on-line retailers, Indigo Books, select Barnes and Noble Book stores and upon request from Level Best Books.

Readers Favorite Review: http://www.readersfavorite.com/book-review/over-there
Website: http://www.janeloebrubin.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janeloebrubinauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janeloebrubin

Book Blast - My Husband Almost Killed Me by Linda Beason

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Linda Beason will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

"If you ever leave me, I will kill the kids then I will kill you." "I can't help but think of other women who may be facing similar situations, even now in a time and generation when these events can easily be exposed as much as they could be hidden. I wish I could reach each one of them, look into their eyes and tell them: you don't have to live like this. Life can be better; you can choose a different path. It's not easy, trust me, I know that more than most people do, BUT IT'S WORTH IT." This book is an autobiography about a woman raised on a large farm who learned to drive a large tractor at the age of seven, then spent many years plowing, planting and harvesting crops and taking care of the farm animals. After three years in the Marine Corps, she married her college sweetheart who became a drunk and abused her for seven horrible years before he almost killed her then disappeared. After she recovered she and her three kids fled to Florida to hide so he wouldn't find them and finish the job.

Read an Excerpt

The familiar sound of Brooke’s whimpers pulled me back from my reverie.

I had been lost in thought, absorbed by the gentle curves of the crescent moon above me, imagining myself perched on its silvery edge, far removed from my vulnerable and endangered earthly existence. Up there, I thought, the silence must be golden—no echoes of the chaos in the world down below, just the serene sights and sounds of the stars whispering the secrets of the universe amongst themselves. Down here, the silence was fleeting, often shattered by the cries of my youngest, the shouts of her older siblings, the barks of their father, and the relentless dinning of my own tormented thoughts.

Everything I’d done and endured in the past few years had been driven by a need to escape the noise, to find a sanctuary not just for myself but for my three kids: Bailey, Ryan, and Brooke. That was the least I could do for them; after all, I brought them into this tumultuous world. I made them the kids to a father who found joy at the bottom of a bottle and loved to vent his fury with a raised fist and cruel words—a man whose presence filled our home not with love but with dread and anxiety.

This night, like many nights in recent weeks, the cornfield was our little haven. I lay there with my three kids, all wrapped in duvets and blankets and shaded by the towering stalks that swayed gently above us, glancing at my wristwatch and wishing the night would age faster. We were within the hour when Phil typically returned home. His truck’s headlights were usually unmistakable. Had they slipped past while I was lost moon-gazing? If he were back home, I would have seen them piercing through the pitch darkness as he drove along the gravel road leading up to the house. And if I didn’t see them, I would have heard the truck.

Some nights, Phil would leave the truck idling in the driveway before stumbling into the house and carelessly toppling anything in his path until he reached our bedroom upstairs, ready to unleash his drunken fury on me. On some other nights, he would fall asleep at the wheel after parking the truck and leave the headlights blazing until dawn. The latter was usually the best-case scenario for me and the kids, barring the nights when he simply didn’t come home. Each night spent in our household was like a scene out of a suspense thriller; I never knew which version of Phil would come through the door, if at all.

About the Author: Born and raised on an Indiana farm, Linda Beason was steeped in the rhythms of rural life and nurtured by the enduring love of a close-knit family.

From an early age, she embraced responsibility and excelled throughout her school years. As an alumna of Purdue University— where she earned degrees in both agriculture and accounting—Linda distinguished herself academically and professionally, later working for several corporate companies, most notably the Green Giant Company, and serving honorably in the Marine Corps.

Yet despite a childhood filled with warmth and promise, Linda's adult life took a harrowing turn when she entered a marriage that would test the very limits of her strength. For nearly a decade, she endured domestic abuse at the hands of a dangerous man whose fury was fueled by alcohol and an insatiable need for control. That turbulent period sent her racing through a whirlwind of experiences that would forever alter her path. Even in the darkest moments, however, Linda clung to her faith in God and the quiet confidence of a Midwesterner.

Linda passed away in 2024 while writing this book. Through these pages, she hoped to inspire women to overcome the challenges of toxic relationships and the hardships of motherhood, reminding them that even the deepest wounds can heal and that the promise of a brighter tomorrow is always within reach.

Buy Link: https://amazon.com/dp/1779626460
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/56955280.Linda_Beason a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blast - Wedding Planning - Five Easy Steps and the Secret by Kathy Forbes

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Kathy Forbes will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

This book has everything you need to know to plan your perfect unique wedding.

This is not your typical wedding planning book. Chapter titles alone will tell you what needs to be done, and the subtitles break it down further. The book includes tips, advice, stories, templates, and notebook to keep track of everything.

All the other books, magazine articles, Instagram and Pinterest timeline posts state on the "day of" to have a good breakfast. They don't mention the people that take care of all the duties and tasks throughout the day so you can be VIP guests at your own wedding.

The five easy steps and how they relate to each other is the foundation of this book, which will make sure you have an educational, memorable, stressless, wonderful experience throughout the whole process:

1) Timeline
2) Budget
3) "Day of" schedule
4) Duties and tasks
5) Lists and assignments

The secret is having a planned schedule that catches everything, and a specific person in charge on the "day of" that pulls it off while you enjoy with the guests. Let me show you how to perfect your wedding planning experience.

Waiting to your wedding day is just too late to realize the importance of this thought process and having a specific/special go-to-person working the "day of" on your behalf.

You will enjoy the days up to the wedding as much as the day itself, as this book helps make it all come true.

Read an Excerpt

Wedding Planning 101

This book has everything you need to know to plan your perfect unique wedding.

This is not your typical wedding planning book. Chapter titles alone will tell you what needs to be done, and the subtitles break it down further. The book includes tips, advice, stories, templates, and a notebook to keep track of everything.

All the other books, magazine articles, Instagram and Pinterest timeline posts state on the “day of” to have a good breakfast. They don’t mention the people that take care of all the duties and tasks throughout the day so you can be VIP guests at your own wedding.

There is more to planning a perfect “day of” than you think – believe me.

So, you can enjoy the days up to as much as the “day of”, this book will help.

The Reality is: 3 things are kept – your spouse, the ring, and your photographs. All the rest is but a fading memory over time. You most likely have read the saying “don’t sweat the small stuff” or as I suggest, we rewrite it for wedding planning to state “plan for the small stuff details and you won’t sweat”.

I have been married since 1973 – the oops, challenges and happenings - they all happened at our wedding and at least one of them happens at every wedding. Some things never change. This book will help you Plan for them, Minimize them and Smile through them.

This wedding planning book will help you to succeed in putting on a memorable, unique, and stress free wedding. Forge onward through these pages to discover the secret to learning how to pull it all together by just following the easy 5 steps.

Included is the industry insider stuff such as what the vendors and suppliers would like you to do, ask them and the reason why it is important. Through this direction you will acquire the knowledge of what questions to ask your vendors and suppliers. All you must do is fill in the blanks on the easy to complete templates supplied for all the steps.

As I said earlier, this is not your typical wedding planning book filled with wedding dress styles, centerpiece designs and how to walk down the aisle at the ceremony. Everyone has access to that in books, internet, and visuals on Pinterest. This book has the real stuff you need to know. It is a gift you give yourself to be happy and successful in the whole exciting process of your wedding planning.

This book shares real stories (to make a point, relate to real people and tips to make it easy) and of course professional advice.

About the Author: I knew that our youngest daughter was going to be engaged soon, so I enrolled at BCIT and got my wedding and event planning credentials in 2005. I changed careers from corporate sales analyst to something that puts meaning and joy into my life every day. In no time I put it to good use: one daughter married in 2006 and the other in 2007. I retired in 2020 but continued to expand my world. I paint and am a miniature hobbyist—both produce a connection with a memory that I want to preserve and share. I wrote this book as a memory for me, and as an educational reference book to educate you all. My goal is to make planning a wedding a wonderful experience.

My life's motto is: be interested and interesting.

Websites:
http://www.kathyforbesauthor.com
http://www.anewpaigeevent.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/237476373-wedding-planning

Buy Link: https://a.co/d/cnjW6AP

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blurb Blitz - Who Are We Now? by Beth Anderson

Beth Anderson stops by with her new book, Who Are We Now? You'll want to check it out out because it looks cool and there are prizes to be won. Like? Beth Anderson will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

Want more chances to win? Then follow the tour. You can do that here: https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2025/08/blurb-who-are-we-now-by-beth.html

 

WHO ARE WE NOW?

Beth Anderson

As dark secrets unravel around her, Skylar must follow her heart—and maybe find her once-in-a-lifetime love.

Skylar spent years trapped—in a dead-end relationship, in her mother’s cold shadow. But when her mother vanishes without a trace, Skylar is thrust into a mystery that upends everything she thought she knew. With her two best friends, Barrett and Levi, by her side, Skylar hunts for answers—and along the way, finds herself drawn to both men in ways she never expected. As secrets unravel and danger draws near, Skylar must find the courage to reclaim her future... and her heart.

Now for an Excerpt: 

Mr. Whittington nodded. “I understand, but I want to warn you: I’ve seen a lot of complex family situations over the years, and sometimes it’s better to leave well enough alone. I understand your mother is currently—absent, let’s say—and you have questions. As often as people have been relieved to find answers, I find they more often wish they hadn’t poked the bear, if you understand what I’m saying.”

“I do,” Skylar said slowly. “But I think it’s time I stop avoiding the truth.” She looked at Barrett, her pulse beginning to pound. “Whatever that is.”

Barrett reached under the table and gave her hand a squeeze.  “You’re sure?” he asked softly.

Skylar nodded. “I’m sure.”

“Alright,” Whittington, said, signaling for a passing waiter with his menu. “I’ll let Barrett run with this—with my guidance, of course, and as long as his regular workload isn’t affected.”

Barrett looked relieved. He squeezed Skylar’s hand again. “Thanks, Mr. Whittington.”

Whittington looked at the younger man. “Keep track of the hours you spend, too. I have a certain number of pro bono hours put aside every year for tax purposes.” His gaze shifted to Skylar. “I hope you won’t be offended in being my annual charity case.” He showed that tight little smile again. “And I hope you won’t regret this.”

Skylar swallowed. “No, of course not,” she said, but she wasn’t sure which of Mr. Whittington’s points she was answering.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

About the Author:

“Beth Anderson” is the joint penname of a veteran author of numerous novels of several different genres and a new author who loves romance novels.  Who Are We Now?  Is the 2nd romance novel from this team the first being a lower spice Hockey Romance “Pucked Over”  

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/elby1313.bsky.social 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/253551.Beth_Anderson

Book Blog: https://elbyslibrary.blogspot.com/ 

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@elby1313?

Fable:  @elby

Brandon Barrows:

https://www.brandonbarrowscomics.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Only in September by Cynthia Flowers

Join me for this tour for Only in September by Cynthia Flowers. You'll want to stick around. Why? There are prizes to be won and an interview! What's up for grabs? Cynthia Flowers will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. How cool is that? Want more chances to win? Then follow the tour. You can do that here: https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2025/03/nbtm-tour-only-in-september-by-cynthia.html

ONLY IN SEPTEMBER

Cynthia Flowers

When Jacqueline follows her trusty Labrador Bailey down a hidden path to the beach, she's unaware that her vacation plans on a small island off the New England coast has already taken her life in a new direction. Running into an unassuming local beach comber stirs new thoughts, desires, and a self-determination she never knew she possessed. Jacqueline will need to trust her instincts and make the most of what fate has in store if she wants the future that, until now, she has only dared to dream of.

First, an interview, then an Excerpt!

Now for the Interview: 

1. Describe yourself in three words.  

• Personable, Persistent, Positive

2. Cast your book. Tell us who would play the main characters in a movie and why (send pictures!). 

• I see Chloe Sevigny who is probably best known for playing Chelsea O’Bannon in the Netflix series Bloodline and C.Z. Guest on Feud: Capote vs. The Swans. Also would consider Sharon Horgan (without the Irish accent) who is the creator and lead protagonist in Bad Sisters.

3. What’s your favorite love scene from a movie? 

• It’s a tie between the 1942 classic Casablanca, where the two lead characters—Rick Blaine, played by Humphrey Bogart, and Ilsa Lund, played by Ingrid Bergman—serendipitously meet again after falling in love in German-occupied Paris. The other is the 1995 film The Bridges of Madison County, in which Robert Kincaid, played by Clint Eastwood, is unable to locate the covered bridge he’s been assigned to photograph in rural Madison County, Iowa. He pulls into the driveway of a nearby farmhouse to ask for directions from Francesca Johnson—played by Meryl Streep—who would become the love of his life. Both films feature several love scenes, some of a deeply emotional and spiritual nature, and others more passionate. 

4. What’s your wildest fantasy?  That Only In September gets produced as either a Hallmark Channel or streaming type of limited series.

5. If you were to lose one of your senses, which would you rather lose and why? 

• That’s a tough one, but I’d have to give the edge to my sense of smell. If I can still see and hear, I’d feel engaged with the world and able to remain active without assistance—unlike if I lost my sight or hearing. Although my appetite would likely suffer, I’d have to rely on muscle memory of how food used to smell to maintain my appetite and continue enjoying the things I used to love to eat.

6. What is the naughtiest thing you did as a kid?

• I stole a few pieces of 5-cent candy from the local candy and soda fountain shop. I’m dating myself with that price for loose candy—but what the heck. I felt awful afterward and went back to pay for them. I guess parochial grade school did some good after all.

Quickies:

Boxers or Briefs? 

• Neither apply to me but I like briefs on a man, if he can pull it off and for special occasions, a tastefully patterned boxer isn’t bad, either

Top or Bottom?  

• Both

Pajamas or nude? 

• Jammies in the winter and very skimpy in the summer

Hairy chests or smooth?

• Both are sexy but the perfect one for me is just enough hair

Alpha or Beta?

If we’re talking about a romantic partner, I like a little of both which gives me some latitude as well. I don’t do well with alpha-only type people.

Now for that Excerpt: 

With the sun barely over the horizon, Jacqueline awoke to Bailey licking her face and the best morning smell ever. Michael had the coffee pot simmering over the fire pit. 

Jacqueline wasn’t ready to give up the warmth of her sleeping bag, so she managed to sit up while still inside it. 

“Looks like you’re in a cocoon. Did you sleep well?” he asked. 

“Surprisingly, yes. I was snug as a bug,” she said with a yawn. 

“Well, one of the other reasons for camping out is to see the first rays of the sunrise, so let’s get you up so you don’t miss it.” He helped Jacqueline to her feet while she was still inside the sleeping bag. To remain steady, Michael had to hold her. She was all right with that. 

I hope this sunrise viewing lasts a while. 

Consumed by the beauty of the moment, Jacqueline felt a swelling from inside that took her nearly to the brink of tears as she looked out at the bright yellow rays that made the ocean glisten. 

“We have a few clouds, which is a good thing,” he said. “It helps make the sunrise a bit more dramatic.” 

“I bet you’ve seen lots of these,” Jacqueline replied while trying to compose herself. 

“Yes, but I never get tired of it. It’s like seeing it for the first time every time,” he shared. 

They both grew silent and took in the beauty of the early morning sky, and the warm connection of being so physically close to one another.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About the Author:

Cynthia Flowers, a recently retired advertising professional, now grant writer, resides with her husband and four-year old Labrador named Eddie, at their “sanctuary” in Upstate New York, Although previously published, this is Cynthia's first book of fiction. Early on in grade school, Cynthia looked forward to creative writing class and enjoyed reading her stories aloud to her eager classmates. 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Only-September-Cynthia-Flowers-ebook/dp/B0DWT79L6N/ref=sr_1_1

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blast - The Passenger by Joie Lesin

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Joie Lesin will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

She’s a 1940s ghost whisperer.

Burdened with her empathic gift, Elizabeth Reilly wants to be free of it and fit in with normal people. Nevertheless, when the spirit of an old man asks for her help, she travels across the country to help him return home.

He’s the son of a ghost.

Gio Clemente is still angry with his father who abandoned him as a child. To help the father pass on, Elizabeth must persuade Gio to let go of his anger. Though he resents her intrusion, they are both stunned to find themselves fighting a profound attraction.

Elizabeth can accept his headstrong brand of love, but can Gio accept her gift—and believe in her?

The Passenger, a 1940s ghost story set in the California wine country, tells a tale of family connections, life-changing choices, and love—lost and found.

Read an Excerpt

When her husband was on his way to her to say goodbye, she’d sweated through the cries of soldiers falling into the mud around her and the deafening noise of battle.

Don’t go there, Elizabeth. You couldn’t help him.

She’d known the only help she could provide was to help him pass on in peace.

Elizabeth had expected Patrick’s ghost to visit her. For weeks, she braved the early spring chill to await his arrival. Bundled in layers, she waited on the beach for him. Their special place. When he finally came, he met her there. Patrick sat next to her on the blanket he’d given her as a birthday present when they were younger. The one with the purple daffodils. When she thought of his final goodbye, she thought of the daffodils she’d stared down at while he talked—as if the color of the flowers were the most important detail of the day.

Yet the broken dead man who sat beside her was.

Patrick’s once handsome face wore sadness like a caul. He’d wished she would remember him as the whole and healthy man who she clung to and kissed before he shipped off to war. When she pictured the delicate purple flowers imprinted on the fabric, she overlooked the bloodied gash in his side where he’d taken the bullet.

About the Author:

Award-winning, Minnesota-based author, Joie Lesin is a life-long fiction writer and poet. She is most recently the author of The Passenger (The Wild Rose Press, 2024) and her work is also featured in Scribeworth Magazine. She has long been fascinated by anything otherworldly including mermaids and ghosts. Joie writes character-driven, emotional, atmospheric tales about heartache and hope.

Website: https://www.jlesin.com
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/joielesin.bsky.social
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjoielesin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoieLesin
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joie.lesin
Goodreads BookPage: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/214564853-the-passenger

The Wild Rose Press Book Page: https://wildrosepress.com/product/the-passenger/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D6WBVJB9
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-passenger/id6504288982
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-passenger-joie-lesin/1008401528?ean=2940185717905
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-passenger-48

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blast - The Rebellious Countess by Helene Matheson

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Helene Matheson will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Society may be run by the men of the ton, but six scandalous sisters are determined to take it by storm one gentleman at a time.

Máira Blair married for love, her honeymoon trip with the Earl of Dorset is a dream come true—until reality turns it into a nightmare. Máira wakes up to discover her husband isn’t an earl, but the captain of a pirate ship and what was supposed to be her honeymoon, is a voyage bound for war-torn France. If that isn’t enough to disparage her husband’s character, he abandons her in the middle of a French port where she must find a way to survive as she defends her virtue and her life. Just when she’s convinced of what kind of rogue she married, the pirate transforms into a hero on a quest to save her and the missing Earl of Astley.

Sir Elias Drake married for convenience, he needed a Scottish bride to complete his mission. He can resist his desire for his beautiful wife, especially after she discovers his true identity. Except Máira Blair was more than he bargained for. He needs her skills, cherishes her compassion, and is tormented by her passion, which only makes him want her and the life their marriage represents more.

It will require both of their talents to rescue the Earl of Astley, and it will take more than a war to defeat their hard-won love—if they can escape.

Read an Excerpt

He wanted to catalog her injuries and soothe her pain. While Jack wanted to douse the fire in her lovely eyes. For that look alone, Elias put his foot in front of the man and gave Jack a shove.

Máira stepped forward in a futile attempt to catch the bastard, but was too late to stop his fall. Jack twisted his body mid-air, in time to keep his nose from hitting the floor. The muffled grunt he released caused Máira to flinch and a few men in the bar to raise their glasses to toast the nasty bugger’s predicament.

She turned on him, eyes flashing as if she suffered the same brutality. “Do you think treating a member of your crew with violence will earn my trust?”

“You don’t understand what he wanted to do to you.”

“The same thing you wanted to do to me?”

He snorted. “Not even close. I was defending your honor.”

Máira looked down at her torn and soiled dress, then lifted a limp curl from her shoulder. “You do it well.”

His guileless bride didn’t understand Jack’s evil intent, nor did she appreciate Elias’s manner of defending her honor. He ground his teeth. She was sizing him up like she had never done before, and he had to school the anger seeping through the facade of polite concern he’d worn since the moment she’d walked into the bar and he’d seen her battered face. She knew the warm-hearted, polite Ellison Collins, Earl of Dorset, not Sir Elias Drake, ruthless killer, spy, and recovery agent for the Crown.

About the Author:

Helene Matheson writes steamy regency historical romance novels with intelligent, unstoppable heroines who don’t require an alpha male to save them—having one in their bed is another story.

Helene moved south for fun in the sun after she retired from public service and began pursuing her life-long dream of writing. She wrote the Amazon best-selling mystery series The Book Barn Mysteries for Lyrical Press and has written multiple award-winning romantic suspense novels under Kym Roberts.

In her spare time she can be found woodcarving by the pool or blogging for The Cozy Corner on Fresh Fiction. To contact her on social media, you can find her under KymRoberts911 on FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Her books can also be found on her websites.

Helene Matheson: http://www.HeleneMatheson.com
Kym Roberts: http://www.KymRoberts.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DRDM5CSH
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-rebellious-countess-helene-matheson/1147883832
Books a Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Rebellious-Countess/Helene-Matheson/9781648399787

a Rafflecopter giveaway

VBT - Arabesque by MG da Mota

 It's a blog post and there are prizes to be won! Like? One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $25 Amazon/BN.com gift card. How cool is that? Want more chances to win? Then follow the tour. You can do that here: https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2025/05/nbtm-fs-tour-arabesque-by-m-g-da-mota.html

ARABESQUE

M G da Mota

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A woman living alone in a coastal Sussex town in 1998 plants a copper beech sapling at 3 a.m. on a dark, cold night. Why?

A ballet dancer in 1960s East Germany is oppressed, longs for escaping with his little daughter but not his wife. Why? Will he make it?

In 2022 Karsten von Stein, widower and principal of the Royal Ballet, with two young children, meets Ivone Benjamim, a Portuguese, newly-arrived principal dancer. They discover a magical chemistry when dancing and soon it transfers to their private lives.

Against the background of ballet and its dancers, a woman called Grace tells her story from a rehab centre. Obsessive, delusional she begins believing Ivone robbed her of the man of her dreams—Karsten. And then a skeleton is found in a garden...What connects all these people and their stories?

You’ll be the audience facing the stage of this balletic novel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now for an Excerpt:

First Variation – Amadeus 

Berlin, East Germany, July 1965

Amadeus gazes at his wife. Margarete or Grete, as is her preference, sleeps, exhausted from the effort of birth. Her hair appears glued to her forehead, wet from perspiration. Next to her, in a plain white hospital baby cot, their daughter is also asleep. He touches the little girl’s head gently. The baby, a small bundle inside the clothes too large for her, stirs marginally but does not wake. He arranges the cover around her slight body to keep her warm. She was born with hair, if one could call the blonde fluff hair. His chest swells. He already loves that little person with all the force of his being. Swallowing a couple of emotional tears he realises he will do anything, anything, to protect her. He wants her to grow up in peace, in freedom, to be able to make her own choices. With a heavy heart he wonders whether such wishes will ever be possible in this German Democratic Republic where democratic is a word devoid of meaning.

East Germany may be a lot of things but democratic is not one of them. Will he be able to adequately protect this tiny being and give her all she deserves? His chest tightens. He may have to shelter her from her own mother. Feeling shivers down his spine he recalls how his fears, his suspicions were confirmed a few months earlier, just after Grete told him she was pregnant.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About the Author: 

M G da Mota is Margarida Mota-Bull’s pen name for fiction. She is a Portuguese-British novelist with a love for classical music, ballet and opera. Under her real name she also writes reviews of live concerts, CDs, DVDs and books for two classical music magazines on the web: MusicWeb International and Seen and Heard International. She is a member of the UK Society of Authors, speaks four languages and lives in Sussex with her husband. Her website, called flowingprose.com, contains photos and information.

Website: https://www.flowingprose.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/m.g.da.mota

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margarida-mota-bull/

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

Enter to win a $25 Amazon/BN GC - a Rafflecopter giveaway