VBT - Stone of Destiny by Margaret Izard

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Margaret Izard will be awarding a Stone of Destiny Swag Box to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Bound by destiny, torn by fate—their love stood unbroken, victorious over all.

Kat MacArthur still feels the loss of her brother to another time. Seeking solace, she stumbles upon Ceallach, a Fae warrior, she’s had feelings for ever since she met him. The emotion grows stronger whenever they are together. Yet he warns her to stay away from the upcoming gathering for the Iona Stones. Kat refuses—she needs to be there to help her family and Ceallach.

Ceallach is torn between duty, magic, and the ache for mortal love. His Fae soul is sworn to protect the Iona Stones during the Gathering, but his heart is lost to Kat. With the prophecy looming, he cannot promise her forever—no matter how much he longs to. The maiden of the Iona Stones now faces sacrifice, and he fears if his beloved gets too close, he cannot save her.

When dark forces rise to take the Iona Stones along with their powers, Ceallach is forced into an impossible decision—to defy destiny or surrender to love?

Read an Excerpt

Still wearing a grin, he strode forward with confidence, and a sensuality Kat had not forgotten. The man still took her breath away with one look. Ceallach arrived before her, a smile playing on his lips. As his eyes swept across her face, the expression faltered. His brows knitted together in a frown, shadowing the sudden tension in his gaze. Reaching with his finger, he lifted a tear from her cheek, gripped his fist hard, and when opened, a small, clear teardrop-shaped gemstone sat in his palm.

“Dry yer tears, sweet Kat. Yer face is much prettier without them.” He took her hand and, with his other placed the gemstone in her palm. “When ye hold the gem, yer tears will fade, and happy thoughts shall fill yer heart.” When the stone touched her skin, her mind cleared, and a sense of ease washed over her.

Ceallach released her hand and strode past her to the doors.

Kat turned, calling after him. “Wait, why are ye here?”

The attractive Fae stopped and turned. “Dagda sent me. I’ve come to meet with the guardian of the stones. All the stones have returned. The gathering and battle of good vs evil is upon us. The gods have called, and we must answer.”

He opened the heavy oak doors without effort and strode through. The doors weight closed them, leaving Kat in the shadows again. She blinked, almost not believing her eyes and the truth before her. Her secret love had just casually strolled back into her life. Gripping the gem, he’d shaped from her tears, warmth washed over her. Ceallach was here. A smile crossed her face.

Ceallach was here.

How about an Interview?

1. Describe yourself in three words.

Fearless — I write straight into emotional and mythic fire, willing to face grief, sacrifice, desire, and power head-on without sanding down the edges for comfort.

Imaginative — my mind builds living worlds where history, folklore, Fae, and love braid together into something immersive, emotional, and purposeful.

Relentless — I finish what I start, I show up even when it’s hard, and I keep going until life gives everything promised.

2. Cast your book. Tell us who would play the main characters in a movie and why.

Theo James for Ceallach and Emilia Clarke for Kat MacArthur 

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

I’m going to have to go with Romeo and Juliet. In High School English class we had to watch the movie and the same day we saw the window scene my boyfriend broke up with me right before that class. I cried the whole class, and was never the same. No one does drama better than Shakespeare. 

Fun Fact: I have his gravestone rubbing framed and hung in my bedroom. As a child it hung in the wet bar area of our home and from a young age I could read it.

Good friend, for Jesus’ sake forbear
To dig the dust enclosed here.
Blest be the man that spares these stones,
And curst be he that moves my bones.. 

4. What’s your wildest fantasy?

I always wanted to be the girl on Whitesnake’s Jaguar XJS convertible in Here I go Again on my Own.

Or the bride in Guns and Roses November Rain – but when I mentioned it to my husband he reminded me, she dies in the video. And in real life, she married Axel Rose only to divorce him later. 

But deep down inside, I just want someone to deep clean my house so I don’t have to!

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

Smell, while it’s part of taste, I’d still keep taste and that would be fine with me. Something’s I’ve smelled in my life, I could have done without smelling 😊 

6. What is the naughtiest thing you did as a kid?
As a teenager, before I even had a driver’s license at fifteen, I used to sneak out the go-cart. A boyfriend showed me how to rig a string to the governor switch so I could get full power, and every time I brought it back, I lined it up in the garage just right so my father would never notice.

One afternoon I burned my arm on the muffler. When my father asked what happened, I panicked and blamed the toaster. He didn’t question it for a second—he called the toaster company, chewed them out, and promptly bought a new one.

I let that lie stand for years. It wasn’t until I was in my thirties, sitting at Easter dinner with my husband and kids, that I finally confessed. Until that moment, my father genuinely believed the toaster had burned me. The confession did not go quietly. There’s nothing quite like getting chewed out by your father at Easter supper—especially in front of your spouse and children.

Quickies: These are hysterical!

Boxers or Briefs?

My man wears boxers, I wear woman’s briefs
Top or Bottom?

Both!
Pajamas or nude?

Sleeping = Tshirt but I love laying naked with my man.
Hairy chests or smooth?

My husband may kill me for this, but for a long time he had little chest hair. It didn’t come in till later. So, I like both. FYI, we’ve been married for 33 years.
Alpha or Beta?

If you ask my husband, I’m the alpha but really deep down, beta.

About the Author

Margaret Izard is an award-winning author of historical fantasy and paranormal romance novels. Her latest awards are 2024 Reader’s Favorite Honorable Mention for Stone of Love and 2024 Spring BookFest Silver Award for the same title. She spent her early years through college to adulthood dedicated to dance, theater, and performing. Over the years, she developed a love for great storytelling in different mediums. She does not waste a good story, be it movement, the spoken, or the written word. She discovered historical romance novels in middle school, which combined her desire for romance, drama, and fantasy. She writes exciting plot lines, steamy love scenes and always falls for a strong male with a soft heart. She lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and adult triplets.

Website: http://www.margaretizardauthor.com
Buy Links: https://linktr.ee/mizardauthor
Readers Group: https://www.facebook.com/mizardauthor

VBT - For You I'd Break by Hannah Jordan

 It's a book tour and there is a lot to unpack here! This book, For You I'd Break, looks to be great. Check it out, along with the interview. You'll also want to stay tuned for the prizes. Like? The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. How cool is that? Want more chances to win? Then comment and follow the tour. You can follow it here: https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2024/08/nbtm-virtual-book-tour-for-you-id-break.html

For You I'd Break
by 
Hannah Jordan

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

When Rowan’s two-year marriage ends with a crash, she returns home to Peace Falls, VA, riding shotgun in her sister’s 1990 Cadillac hearse. Everything about her is damaged: her heart, her pride, her bank account, and her spine—thanks to a tourist, a Segway, and finding her husband getting busy with her boss. But Rowan is determined to reclaim her career and city life as soon as she recuperates and lands a new job.

Caleb “Cal” Cardoso didn’t notice wallflower Rowan in high school, but the former football star, and Peace Falls’s newest physical therapist, can’t take his eyes off the stunning redhead now. Too bad he’s sworn off relationships. After his last hookup purposely tanked his online reputation, Cal stands to lose his job if a single patient leaves his care. Which is why he can’t let Rowan switch to another practitioner, despite the friction between them, and why he definitely can’t act on his growing attraction.

Rowan agrees to remain Cal’s patient if he helps her younger brother train for football tryouts. Though Cal hasn’t touched a football since the accident that killed his best friend, he agrees, and as Cal helps heal Rowan’s body, she begins to heal his heart.

For You I’d Break is a small town romance with a hefty dash of spice, a HEA ending, and a cast of memorable characters, including a goth sculptor who secretly loves to decorate cakes, a fearsome-looking felon with a heart of gold, a hothead with a sweet side, a karma-devoted barista who collects damaged pets and first dates, and a lovable dog with more emotional sense than everyone put together.

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

Now for the Interview:

1. Describe yourself in three words.

Quirky, gritty, and kind.

2. Cast your book. Tell us who would play the main characters in a movie and why.

I have no idea! I’d love to hear who your readers would cast.

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

I loved The Notebook reunion scene. Though, let’s be real, the Bridgerton spicy scenes top any I’ve seen in a movie.

4. What’s your wildest fantasy?

To make enough writing to support my family, so we can travel the world together. I love the idea of living and working without boundaries. My husband is a great provider, but we’re firmly planted.

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

Definitely smell. I imagine it would be the easiest to live without since I lose it whenever I have a cold. It wouldn’t really affect how I interact with people and the world.

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

I once wrote my brother’s name on the wall in red crayon to get back at him for breaking my toy. He has dyslexia, so I even reversed the “e” in his name. He tried to tell our mom that I’d done it, but she didn’t believe him because:

1). It was his name.
2). I didn’t reverse my letters.

We were laughing about it recently in front of her, and she scolded me (35 years later). To be fair, he’s two years older than me and was twice as big as me when it happened, so I had to get revenge the sneaky way.

Quickies:
Boxers or Briefs?
Boxer Briefs

Top or Bottom?
Both

Pajamas or nude?
Pajamas. I’m always freezing.

Hairy chests or smooth?
Smooth

Alpha or Beta?
Alpha

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

And an Excerpt:

Being a wallflower makes you thirsty, so parched for attention your heart feels brittle. Then after years—or in my case a lifetime—someone finally sees you. The exquisite feeling seeps deep, the attention saturating your life. So, you jump, headfirst. The red flags go unnoticed. Declarations of love tossed as lightly as petals. Maybe you marry him, like I did. Maybe you bloom in domestic bliss with a house in the suburbs and two adorable kids. Maybe a dog. Bare minimum a pet turtle. 

I wasn’t so lucky.

After two years of marriage, instead of house hunting in the outskirts of DC, I was riding shotgun in my sister’s 1990 Cadillac hearse, headed back to Peace Falls, VA, with everything I owned stuffed where a coffin ought to be. 

I’d cried so much in the past three hours, I could barely make out the foothills rising in the distance. My throat was raw. Crumpled tissues littered the floorboard, and lint covered my leggings. 

The tears surprised me. Apart from a couple of late-night phone calls to my mother after I left the hospital, I’d held it together pretty well. I was too busy tying up the loose ends of my life in DC to feel anything but stressed. The moment Poppy arrived to drive me home, the tears started and built with every box, bag, and lamp we slid into the hearse.

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

About the Author:

Hannah Jordan grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia but wound up in South Jersey after falling in love with her complete opposite. She's got all the degrees of a "serious" fiction writer but only smiles when she's writing romance.

She lives with her husband and two daughters in a picturesque town outside of Philadelphia where she enjoys reading in all genres, especially the spicy ones, and confusing people with her half-Southern, half-Northern accent.

The first book in her Peace Falls Small Town Romance Series, For You I’d Break, launched July 17, 2024.

Website: https://hannahjordanauthor.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hannahjordanbooks

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hannahjordanbooks

Amazon Buy Link:   https://www.amazon.com/You-Id-Break-Second-Romance-ebook/dp/B0D5VNSHF3/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top

Free to read on Kindle Unlimited.

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

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Cover Reveal - Stellar Heir by Scott Killian

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Jael Ked’Korhva hadn’t anticipated becoming the galaxy’s most wanted.

He hadn’t planned on picking up a strange alien artifact, either, but once it was clasped around his wrist, Jael was granted extraordinary abilities. His senses were heightened, his reflexes faster, and he could now regenerate from damage that would spell the end for others, which was a boon, considering he was just a derelict scavenger.

That was until forces from every corner of the stars wanted Jael’s artifact for themselves, and they’ll stop at nothing to take it back. What initially appears as a boon swiftly transforms into a weighty charge. Yet, it's a charge Jael accepts without hesitation, understanding the catastrophic potential should the relic fall into the wrong hands.

Prodded onward by visions of an ancient ally and a mysterious enemy, Jael becomes a pivotal piece in a vast interstellar play of power and dominion.

An action-packed space opera, perfect for science fiction fans of Sun Eater by Christopher Ruocchio or The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey.

About the Author: Scott Killian grew up in California where he consumed every bit of sci-fi and horror media he could find. Delving deep into the works of Thomas Harris, Stephen King and H. P. Lovecraft to name a few, those dark portals in his mind were opened and his obsession with the macabre began. Story telling, in any form, is his greatest passion.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Scott.E.killian
Twitter: https://x.com/authorsekillian
Email: saltnsulfurpublishing@gmail.com
Newsletter signup: https://mailchi.mp/9f595cbdc394/author-scott-killians-newsletter
Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DF1RLYLB

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Exiles by LJ Ambrosio

 It's a blog tour and there's an exclusive excerpt ahead! For what book? Exiles by LJ Ambrosio. Plus, there are prizes. Like? L.J. Ambrosio will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card, a dragonfly necklace, or a second dragonfly necklace to three randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. How cool is that? Want more chances to win? Then follow the tour. You can do that here: https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2024/04/excerpt-tour-exiles-by-lj-ambrosio.html

EXILES

L.J. Ambrosio

 In this final chapter, Ron's story concludes from Reflections on the Boulevard (2023). Michael's wish was for Ron to exile himself in the heart of Paris with its beautiful culture and citizens as they protest and fight for the soul of the city. Ron's journey is met with life-affirming friendships and lessons along the way. The final book in the Reflections of Michael Trilogy, which started with A Reservoir Man (2022).

 

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT

 Ron told her that Michael knew he would choose to go to Paris as a way of furthering his freedom. Ron had become attached to his life with Michael, and after

 Michael’s death he decided to self-exile, the way James Joyce left Dublin.

 It was Ron's way of starting another life. To embrace the past, he needed to break from it and choose another path for his future, in another place. He wanted to get away from some of the elements of the United States that bothered him, to see if he could fit in somewhere else. It was an experiment to further his own freedom from people, society, and learned dictates that never mattered in the world around us.

 Michael urged him not to stay in “exile” as he called it, more than 30 years. The specific nature of that time, 30 years, was never made clear. However, Michael was right about so many things in the journey to find his truth and freedom, his most personal self, Ron never questioned the potential absurdity in his guidelines.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

About the Author:

 Louis J. Ambrosio ran one of the most nurturing bi-coastal talent agencies in Los Angeles and New York. He started his career as a theatrical producer, running two major regional theaters for eight seasons. Ambrosio taught at 7 Universities. Ambrosio also distinguished himself as an award-winning film producer and novelist over the course of his impressive career.

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorlambrosio

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/louis.ambrosio

Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/ljambrosio

Blog: https://ljambrosio.blogspot.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI2XkCETDOj_VUtCFcB74ig

 

Palace Marketplace: https://market.thepalaceproject.org/item/5900746

Hoopla: https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/16927020

Barnes and Noble; https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/exiles-lj-ambrosio/1145295484;jsessionid=6BEBDF0D8FDBD00DC37A1EAACF96C083.prodny_store01-atgap12

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/exiles/id6482298566

Everand: https://www.everand.com/book/720323806/Exiles-Reflections-of-Michael-Trilogy

Thalia: https://www.thalia.de/shop/home/artikeldetails/A1071509419

Vivlio: https://shop.vivlio.com/product/9798990212138_9798990212138_10020/exiles

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1546995

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/exiles-65

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Exiles-Reflections-Michael-Trilogy-Ambrosio/dp/B0CZHY93GQ/ref=sr_1_1

 

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

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Book Blast - My Second Life by Simon Yeats

 

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Simon Yeats is 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.

We all have two lives. We only get to experience living in the second after we realize we only have just one.

I have my first real scare in life when I get attacked by a kangaroo when I am seven. My first brush with the cliff-face edge of death comes when I am 12. My dad drives the family down the dangerous Skipper’s Canyon dirt road in New Zealand in a rented minivan.

Including the occasion I am almost involved in two different plane flight crashes, in the same night, there have been at least a half dozen more occasions when I have been within a moment’s inattention of being killed.

However, none of those frightening incidents compare to what I experience after my son is abducted.

This memoir is the story of how I used the traumatic experiences of my life to give me strength to forge on during a 13 year fight to be a father to my son.

What did it take for me to get to my second life?
It took me to truly understand what fear is.

Read an Excerpt

As I cross the hotel lobby floor towards the elevator, a man approaches me and addresses me by name.

Oh god, not again. I know what this is. Another process server who is going to hand me court documents to tell me I am now being sued for refusing to follow my ex-wife’s demands to buy my son another cell phone.

That would have been far more preferable.

The man leads me over to the couches in the hotel lobby, and we sit. He speaks only Portuguese so that I can only understand some of what he says. So, I use Google translate so I can fully understand what is going on.

His name is Michael.

The man is not from the court.

He is on the direct opposite side of the law, as it turns out.

He is a killer for hire.

My ex-wife has hired his services.

What? Right now, I know I am sitting in bizarro world.

About the Author:

Simon Yeats has lived nine lives, and by all estimations, is fast running out of the number he has left. His life of globetrotting the globe was not the one he expected to lead. He grew up a quiet, shy boy teased by other kids on the playgrounds for his red hair. But he developed a keen wit and sense of humor to always see the funnier side of life.

With an overwhelming love of travel, a propensity to find trouble where there was none, and being a passionate advocate of mental health, Simon’s stories will leave a reader either rolling on the floor in tears of laughter, or breathing deeply that the adventures he has led were survived.

No author has laughed longer or cried with less restraint at the travails of life.


Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CBNQLSPW/about
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authoryeats
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authoryeats

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/My-SECOND-Life-Simon-Yeats-ebook/dp/B0CB4LCCPN/ref=sr_1_1

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NBTM Homecoming Chaos by DW Brooks

 It's a tour and there's an interview so you'll want to check out this post! Plus, there are prizes. Like? D.W. Brooks will award a randomly drawn winner a $15 Amazon/BN GC. How cool is that? Want more chances to win? Then follow the tour. You can do that here: https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2023/12/name-before-masses-homecoming-chaos-by.html

HOMECOMING CHAOS

by D.W. Brooks

 A dead body in the parking lot of her family’s business, a killer on the loose, and a handsome detective asking a lot of questions…

 Jamie Scott’s life fell apart four years ago when she broke off her engagement, turned down a dream job, and went overseas to run away from her life. Now she’s back, but the reunion is not without problems. She arrives home just in time to attend the soiree her mother planned, but she’s not prepared for what she finds—a dead employee in the parking lot.

 Detective Nick Marshall is assigned to the murder case at the forensics lab owned by Jamie’s family. He meets the headstrong Jamie, but he has a job to do. And his attraction to her… well, he’s a professional.

 Jamie knows the stakes are high. She has to face the past and save her parents’ business while dealing with her family drama and an uncertain future. She also has to deal with Nick, who wants her out of the way of his investigation. But fate keeps throwing them in one another’s paths… and into chaos that they both want to avoid, but neither can seem to escape.

 

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

 

Now for An Interview: 

1. Describe yourself in three words.

Tall. Nice. Optimistic.

2. Cast your book. Tell us who would play the main characters in a movie and why.

 Jamison Jones Scott – To Be Played By: Amber Stevens West

 Jamison Scott is a tall woman, so that was one of the first characteristics that would be necessary to play this role. She is also very smart and has a traumatic history. *Amber Stevens West is reported to be 5'9" or 5'10" which is probably sufficient in the world of acting today. She is a beautiful woman, and I have seen her play aggressive but sensitive characters before. She's also around the appropriate age and could play a mid-thirties character.

 *I considered Zendaya as she is tall and can play the range that would be needed for the character. HOWEVER, she is too young.

 Nick Marshall – To Be Played By: Daniel Di Tomasso

 Nick Marshall is a tough detective with a soft spot for tall women. Daniel Di Tomasso is not quite the height of the character in the book, but I think his other attributes make up for that. He is very good-looking and has blue eyes (as noted in the novel). He played a detective on the TV show "Major Crimes" so I know that Is something that is in his wheelhouse. He also had a long career as a model, so he can definitely smolder!

 Margaret Scott – To Be Played By: Vanessa Williams

 I didn't picture Vanessa Williams in my mind when I imagined Margaret. However, now that I think about it, she could really do this role justice. Margaret has a slight snobby attitude and can be hypercritical. She does love her children and her husband though.  I have seen Vanessa do a wonderful job with that type of role in the past. She is a beautiful woman, and she and Laurence Fishburne (my choice for Gregory) played opposite each other in the 1997 movie Hoodlum.

 Gregory Scott – To Be Played By: Laurence Fishburne

 It is difficult to see Laurence Fishburne as anyone other than Morpheus from The Matrix. I understand he played the grandfather in Blackish; I should be able to imagine him in other roles. It's hard. But even with that challenge, I know he's a wonderful actor and can embody the stately Gregory with the necessary gravitas that is required. Also, as noted above, he and Vanessa have played opposite each other and did a good job.

 Jon Scott – To Be Played By: 

De Vaughn Nixon

I have only seen DeVaughn Nixon in one TV show called Winning Time which was a series about the Lakers of the early 1980s. It aired on HBO/Max. He played his father Norm Nixon on the show. I think he did a nice job. I am sure there was a lot of pressure involved with playing his dad. My character Jon is a great guy – smart, caring, friendly – with the flaw of falling in and out of love too quickly. Reading DeVaughn's acting credits, I think he could play that role well.

Jillian Scott – To Be Played By: Javicia Leslie

 Jillian is the youngest of the Scott siblings, but she has the most children. She has some insecurities because of her glamorous and smart older sister, who used to be a model. She is accomplished and beautiful in her own right, but she felt like she was often ignored in the family. I haven't seen this actor much, but I think she is more than capable of playing the complex character (based on her credits).

 

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

 If you had asked about television shows, this would have been an easier answer. On television, the on-scene chemistry between Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn in the television show "Scandal" was off the charts. I am very selective about what movies I watch; I read reviews and tend to eliminate films that I feel like I wouldn't enjoy. I am also a mood film watcher; there are many films that I might want to see but I must be in the mood to watch. I have a long "to be watched" list. To find a movie to answer this question, I might have to go deep into the past.

 Going back into my movie memory vault, I think my favorite love scene is the one between Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney in Out of Sight. Plenty of sexy banter beforehand and a sexy striptease in the hotel room. Again, there is off-the-charts chemistry between them, then fade to black. I don't have to see everything for a love scene to resonate with me.

 4. What’s your wildest fantasy?

 Probably taking a vacation where my husband and I visit several islands and christen beaches on each one. It is hot and sexy to think about, but the thing that keeps it strictly in fantasy land is that I don't like sand. I love the beach, but not the sand if that makes sense.  Maybe I need to adjust the fantasy a bit and add several towels to make it work.

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

As an ophthalmologist by training, I can say with certainty that sight would be the last sense that I would want to lose. If I had to lose a sense, I think it would be my sense of smell. In all honesty, my current sense of smell is not the best, so I am not sure how much different my life would be. I recognize that my sense of taste would be adversely affected by the loss of smell but for me, that would be the smallest price to pay.

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

It is ironic that you asked me this question because I have been called "Saint Nikki" at different points in my life. I was not a very disobedient kid – for the most part, my biggest sin was talking back to my parents. And there were no hidden forbidden sex stories in my teen years.  

The worst things I did as a kid happened during my senior year in high school and were associated with me skipping class. Our school had said that the seniors could skip on the official senior skip day BUT the catch was that we could not come on campus at all that day. If we were caught on campus, we could be suspended and possibly risk not graduating. Most teachers were cool with this situation. However, one teacher was not: our 12^th grade AP English teacher. The seniors in her class had to come to her class (which was during 4^th period), which meant we had to miss skip day altogether or sneak on campus during her class. Unsurprisingly, the 30 students in her class snuck on campus for the one class. It looked like we were a military unit advancing on the enemy, an army crawling by windows and inching along walls. Fortunately, we all made it in and out with getting caught.

 

This particular teacher also caused the other "naughty" thing that happened in my childhood. One day, we had a substitute in 12^th grade English teacher's class, and after taking roll in the classroom, the substitute took the class to the library. Of course, most of the class disappeared on the way to the library, but this time, the sub was smart and passed out a roll call sheet for the class once they arrived at the secondary location. Most of the remaining students were quick enough to sign in their missing friends but NOT my friends. I had gone to pick up lunch with two other students, so I missed the second sign-in sheet. The next day, the regular teacher reported our absence to the assistant principal with the intent of getting the two people with me in trouble. She wasn't after me—like I said, I was considered a saint. We all got called into the office and created a spun-out tale about why we left (one of the friends needed sanitary products and her mother was sick when got there. By the time we got everything settled, it was time to come back to school so we grabbed a quick lunch and returned to school). It was fantasy, but it depended on me to sell it, so I did. I think our teacher was sorely disappointed that she couldn't suspend them without dragging me into it.

Quickies:

Boxers or Briefs?

Boxer Briefs -- there is something about the combination of boxers and briefs that is so sexy!

Top or Bottom?

Mostly bottom – I like him to be in control.

Pajamas or nude?

 Neither. I sleep in t-shirts. I don’t have a problem with how my body looks, but I am generally cold at night. A t-shirt and an extra blanket were a compromise, so I wouldn't sleep in a full body snow suit.

Hairy chests or smooth?

Smooth. It emphasizes chest definition.

Alpha or Beta?

You would think that a woman who became a physician would attract only beta males, but that's not the case for me. Alpha please.

Now for An Excerpt:  

Revel in the chaos.

Revel in the chaos.

Revel in the chaos.

 Jamie tried to live by this motto for most of her life because her life seemed to invite chaos. She learned to expect—and sometimes encourage—complications. As the plane taxied to a halt, she repeated her motto to herself. This phrase, tattooed on her right hip, particularly applied now.

 The international terminal of Hartsfield-Jackson Airport had changed since she was last there. Her brother, Jonathan, would pick her up at the baggage claim—alone, she hoped, and not sporting a clingy girlfriend. Time to re- acclimate and re-establish family bonds. Dealing with an unknown woman in her face when she wanted to spend time quietly with her brother wasn’t at the top of her to-do list.

 As she waited in line to get through passport control, she thought about how she got to this point—back in Atlanta after several years abroad. She had spent two of those years working with the non-profit organization Doctors Overseas. Jamie worked in several locations, including the Central African Republic. She had her reasons for joining the charitable organization; not all were altruistic, and she kept those to herself during her entrance interview. The horrors she witnessed overseas helped her put her personal chaos into perspective. She realized her issues were nothing compared to what people endured in other parts of the world. This realization allowed her to embrace her job and enjoy what she was doing, despite the frequent threats of bodily harm. To help maintain her sanity while overseas, she traveled a lot and spent six months in Italy working with a designer friend.

 The agent summoning her snapped her out of her reverie. Handing over her passport, she said, “Nothing to declare. Coming back home for my mother’s birthday and Christmas.”

 At the check-in counter, the inspector carefully examined her and her passport photo. Jamison understood the scrutiny. At the time of that picture, she had been at the height of her glamor phase with a history of modeling and a resulting, above-average concern about how she looked. In medical school, she often showed up at rounds with perfectly coiffed hair and more than a swipe of mascara and lip gloss. But in Africa, those concerns fell away. Right now,

 Jamie was makeup-free, and a baseball cap covered her hair. She was still beautiful, but now it was a girl-next-door beauty. Jamie had high cheekbones, almond-shaped dark brown eyes, a straight nose, a square jawline, and her golden-brown skin was still smooth. She wasn’t stomping down runways anymore, as in her past life, because she had shifted her priorities.

 Her mother would hate it.

 “Welcome to Atlanta,” the inspector said as she stamped her passport. “Have a pleasant stay.”

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

About the Author: The author is a doctor and editor who lives in Texas with her husband and children. She enjoys trying to stay in shape, sporadically cooking, reading (still), writing, and working on her blog. She is eternally grateful to the woman who donated a kidney to her over 5 years ago and continues to advocate for organ donation as much as she can.

To learn more about D. W. Brooks and future publications and events, visit https://authordwbrooks.com.

 

Website: https://authordwbrooks.com

Facebook: https://facebook.com/authordwbrooks

Instagram: https://instagram.com/authordwbrooks.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lifethereboot

 

Where to Buy!

https://authordwbrooks.com for an autographed copy

or https://www.amazon.com/Homecoming-Chaos-D-W-Brooks-ebook/dp/B0CKS9P7PF

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/book/1144277742?ean=9798218150501

https://books.apple.com/us/book/homecoming-chaos/id6469733473

https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=eincEAAAQBAJ&rdid=book-eincEAAAQBAJ

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/homecoming-chaos

 

 

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