Read an exclusive excerpt from Kiki Coto by Edward Avanessy

 

Today you get to take a look inside this suspenseful supernatural thriller with an exclusive excerpt from Kiki Coto by Edward Avanessy. Craving more? Follow the tour for more exclusive excerpts. Be sure to download your own copy and enter the great giveaway!

Richard, (Kiki Coto) is destined to fight corruption, and criminal organizations, whose members include politicians, judges, district attorneys, police, and others, to exonerate an innocent young lady wrongfully accused of murder. He is fighting an impossible battle. The criminals are very organized, interconnected, and conspire with each other methodically. Struggling to defeat the evil, Richard seeks help from all sources, including Ayahuasca and Divine intervention.

Read an exclusive excerpt:

“Can’t you see? This is what I have been waiting for all my life. I cannot quit now, no matter what the consequences are!” said Richard.

“Son, if your mother says to stay away from your uncle, you should listen.”

“Mom, you have to ask Bill to put me on Gloria’s defense team,” said Richard.

“Hallelujah, finally my son asks me to do something for him!” exclaimed Cathy. “But I will not do such a thing. I don’t want to talk to him at all, let alone ask something from him.”

“Even if you don’t ask him to put Richard on Gloria’s defense team, you should still talk to him as before, so he won’t suspect anything. Otherwise, it will be bad for Richard. I still think you should quit, Richard,” said Phil.

Reluctantly, Cathy picked up the phone and dialed Bill’s number.

“You sound different. Are you okay?” Bill said. “Is something bothering you?”

“I’m okay. I might be coming down with a cold,” Cathy answered. Mary picked up a sheet of paper and wrote pretend you are happy, as before. She showed it to her mom as she was talking to her brother. Cathy tried very hard to talk a little more happily and enthusiastically. Finally, she got to the subject of Earl and Gloria.

“Since Richard’s accident put an end to his football career, he needs a push and some encouragement to get into law. Could he be on Gloria’s defense team? Even in the smallest of positions, it would be a big boost to his ego.”

Bill thought for a moment and then said, “I will consider it . . . I’ll try to find a position for a first-year law associate. I think we can get him on the team.”

Cathy thanked him, and after chatting a little more, they said goodbye and hung up. Richard thanked his mom, but neither Phil nor Cathy was sure if this was the right thing to do.

Buy Kiki Coto

AMAZON.COM * PAPERBACK * BN * SMASHWORDS

A note from the author:

"The different episodes of this book were projected to me, like movie clips during meditation sessions. I was compelled to visit a Shaman retreat in Cusco, Peru, and experience Ayahuasca to complete the manuscript. I hope you enjoy the results, the story of Kiki Coto." - Edward Avanessy



Connect with Edward Avanessy

WEBSITE https://edwardavanessy.com/

Edward Avanessy will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Dead End Job by Justin Alcala

 

This one is for fans of urban fantasy, noir, and supernatural thrillers! Check out an excerpt from A Dead End Job by Justin Alcala and then follow the tour for more. Best of luck in the giveaway!

Fans of Terry Pratchett and Shane Kuhn's THE INTERN'S HANDBOOK will love this noir supernatural thriller.

Death needs a vacation. Badly. But there's a catch: There are people who cheat the system, always falling through the cracks and not dying like they're supposed to. Who's going to take care of them while Death's sipping on sangria?

The answer is simple: Death needs an intern, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that one prospect, Buck Palasinski,-a bankrupt hitman with a roleplaying addiction-might have what it takes. While scoping out his next target, Buck gets drilled in the forehead by a bullet and falls right into Death's lap.

If they shove him back into his body, he'll have a few weeks to prove that he has what it takes to be Death's right-hand.

All he has to do is take out Public Enemy No. 1, John Dillinger, and quit smoking.

Read an excerpt:

Chapter 1 Opening


Today was going to be busy. I don’t know how I’d fit a murder into my schedule.

For starters, I was out of coffee. I don’t think anyone can really start the day unless they have a cup of joe. Not me at least. Since I live in a more affordable part of Chicago, there were no corner coffee shops charging mortgages for a fix within walking distance. Which means I had to drive deeper into the city to feed the shaky caffeine monkey beating on my back. I joined a local horde of zombies in a hipster neighborhood called Bucktown as they waited in a Disneyland-worthy line for a chance to be a real boy or girl again. This gave me time to think about my to-do list.

I needed to return my library books. I was finally catching up on my Bukowski novels after years of recommendations from friends. Why is good advice so hard to swallow? Since I paid for everything in singles and change, I couldn’t just buy a book online. I had to check them out whenever a reading itch needed a scratch. Afterwards, I’d need to replace the squeaky brakes on the van, shower, and then pick up a new hammer strut pin from Denny’s Pawn Shop. Denny and I had built a relationship based on trading illegal firearm parts, which was great for a guy that doesn’t like proof of sale when it came to his career tools. Finally, my role-playing group had a six o’clock table reserved for our D&D campaign at the neighborhood gaming store. We were nearing level ten, and as the party’s wizard, they’d need me to survive our latest adventure. Hmm, when could I possibly squeeze in work?

“That’ll be twelve-fifty,” declared the barista with black framed glasses.

“For a cup of plain coffee?” I stared at the register’s cost display. “I mean, seriously?”

The acne covered art history major working the register didn’t flinch. He must have been seasoned.

“Do I get a veteran discount?”

He shook his head. I used my sparse wallet insulation to pay for the mud, but only after my debit card declined. Now I was really running late.

Buy links

Amazon * BN

(affiliate links included throughout)

Justin Alcala is a novelist, nerdologist and Speculative Literature Foundation Award Finalist. He’s author of the novels Consumed, (BLK Dog Publishing) The Devil in the Wide City (Solstice Publishing) and Dim Fairytales (AllThingsThatMatterPress). His dozens of short stories have been featured in magazines and anthologies, including It Dances Now (Crimson Street Magazine),The Offering (Rogue Planet Press) and The Lantern Quietly Screams (Castabout Literature). When he’s not burning out his retinas in front of a computer, Justin is an adventuresome tabletop gamer. He’s also a blogger, folklore enthusiast and time traveler. He is an avid quester of anything righteous, from fighting dragons to acquiring magical breakfast eggs from the impregnable grocery fortress.

Most of Justin’s tales and characters take place in The Plenty Dreadful universe, a deranged supernatural version of the modern world. When writing, Justin immerses himself in whatever subject he’s working on, from research to overseas travel. Much to the dismay of his family, he often locks himself away in his office-dungeon while playing themed videos and music over, and over, and over again. Justin currently resides with his dark queen, Mallory, their malevolent daughter, Lily, and their hellcat, Misery. Where his mind might be though is anyone’s guess.

Website: https://www.justincalcala.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JustinAlcala
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justin.alcala

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7862799.Justin_Alcala

Justin Alcala will be awarding a $50 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

All Is Set Anew by Jim Cheney

 

This is the time of year when I want to read all of the thrillers and supernatural thrillers! So let me bring you All Is set Anew by Jim Cheney. Read an excerpt and then download your own copy. Share your thoughts and ask your questions as you follow the tour. Plus then you get bonus chances to enter the great giveaway!

A fast-paced examination of loss, survival, and ultimately acceptance of those things we do not understand but must contend with as if our lives depend upon it.

From deep in the rural Tennessee woods, two brothers flee their murderous father only to find that a violent, supernatural force has followed their escape and will haunt their family for multiple generations.

All Is Set Anew is the story of abandonment and its subsequent revenge, set against a backdrop of characters imprisoned by poverty and self-doubt and their struggle to outrun the evil and illness that relentlessly pursues them.

Read an excerpt:

Chapter 12:

That afternoon Mary found Edgar at the hog pens and she told him that she wanted to speak with him after supper. She spent the rest of the day packing suitcases for her husband and tidying things around the house. LoLo moved about the rooms silently and Mary worried that her decision was poorly chosen each time the woman’s eyes met hers. It was not a critical exchange of glance, but the way that LoLo diverted her eyes too quickly gave Mary a sinking sensation that made her want to ask her what she would do if the decision was hers. Mary’s upbringing had been as pragmatic as it was cultured, so she looked to facts when challenged. They had let a man like Hicks onto the place. Logic told her that he had raped Katherine, although she could not prove it. Her daughter Renee had left with him, although she could not prove that either. Katherine was alive, and while traumatized, Mary believed that she could guide her back to health. If it got out that Katherine had been raped by a man that Renee had run off with, the impact to the family and its reputation would be devastating. And when she imagined her husband’s reaction to any of this, she felt as helpless as someone looking out over an arid field, begging the merciless, baking sky for relief. Katherine will recover, she told herself. She has enough of me in her that she’ll find her way through.

Buy Links

Amazon * BN

(affiliate link included)

About the author:

Jim Cheney was raised in North Georgia and has written professionally for more than 25 years. He has been published in media outlets throughout the United States. This is his first novel. He lives in Franklin, Tennessee with his wife, two boys and three dogs.

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Jim-Cheney/e/B0984GXJPM

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

Jim Cheney will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Janice Tremayne, author of Haunting in Old Tailem, on her journey to becoming a writer

 

Becoming a writer doesn't happen overnight. Sometimes life just gets in the way before the pieces start to fall into place. Janice Tremayne tells us about her journey and also shares an excerpt from her book Haunting in Old Tailem. Be sure to let her know what you think in the comments and then follow the tour for more! Best of luck entering the giveaway

An Australian Ghost town. A resident demon and a local Shaman. A confrontation with evil awaits.

Clarisse realizes that running from evil is not a bad idea until you figure out you can't hide. When some ghosts get tired of hanging around, they latch onto you. At the centre of the war on evil is a historic Church that carries dark secrets within its walls. After she meets with the local Shaman, Clarisse discovers secrets with evil consequences by digging too deep into the town’s past. When matters become complicated, she visits a circus of young performers on the outskirts of town triggering unexpected paranormal events and unleashing memories of a one-hundred-year curse. After being caught in the crossfire of a battle for evil supremacy, Clarisse confronts Little Charlie as he rallies the town's ghosts into an impeccable evil stronghold.

Can the local Shaman and townsfolk rally in her quest to defeat the evil incarnate or will the town succumb to Little Charlie and his evil crew?

Haunting in Old Tailem is the third book of the Haunting Clarisse Series. If you like spine-tingling, chilling, creepy and spooky supernatural thrillers, then you will love this story by 2020 USA Readers' Favorite International Book Awards Finalist in Supernatural Fiction, Janice Tremayne.

Pick up your copy today and follow Clarisse through her battles with evil!

Read an excerpt:

As he got closer to the shrub, in the direction of the voice, a Raggedy Ann doll ducked its head out of the bush and bounced about, trying to get his attention. It looked like an old-style doll and something his grandparents would have played with as children. It had curly red hair, blue trousers, and a big, greedy smile.

A puppet show, he thought.

Archie wanted to touch the doll. It was so lifelike that it had him mesmerized, like a spell had been cast on him. He walked another foot to get a better look, more curious.

“Psst, psst … Want to play with me?” asked the Raggedy Ann. It was alive! Its mouth moved in a synchronized motion, but there was no ventriloquist behind it.

When Archie was at arm’s length from the doll, something grabbed his ankles and started to drag him. It pierced into his skin like long nails, penetrating and scratching. He screamed and kicked as panic set in, fighting back with all his might.

“Cecilia! Cecelia! Help me! Help me!” Archie yelled toward the other children where his sister looked on in horror. His waved his hands while being dragged facedown, scraping the soil and trying to grab onto anything he could.

With one hand on each ankle, the evil beneath the shrub latched onto him with painted black fingernails on white hands that looked dead as they continued to clutch onto him and pull him.

Archie managed to grab ahold of a log with both arms curled around it, holding as tightly as he could, like his life depended on it, which it did.

Buy the series on Amazon 

Buy Haunting in Old Tailem 

*************************

Your journey to becoming a writer

I have always wanted to be a writer but my professional work and raising a family always got in the way. It’s a similar tale of authors that need to work to pay the bills. When I look back on my life I release I wasn’t disciplined enough to put in place a writing structure and routine for writing—even if it was just an hour every couple of days.

I started by writing a self-help book twenty years ago that did very well and I managed to get a publishing contract. But I felt I had a lot of creative energy and ideas I wanted to express, so I changed to supernatural and horror fiction.

I started writing on a full time professional basis eighteen months ago when my work situation changed and I had free time to explore the craft of writing. I wrote The Girl in the Scarlet Chair as part of Haunting Clarisse Series. It’s a good story, but from a writing perspective it is no where near the skill I have today. I was developing and experimenting with my writing style and finding myself. I think a lot of authors go through this journey.

From a marketing perspective, I didn’t know what I was doing! Launching a book without the follow-up sequel, ready to go to engage my readers was a mistake, and I lost many potential fans that way. I didn’t have a mailing list, and my whole marketing approach was flawed. I was learning as much about the craft of writing as I was about book marketing. The point I am trying to make is the journey of a writer can take years before you in a place where you feel some success. Authors that hit the best seller list on their debut novel is rare, whether they are self-published or with a publishing contract, and most authors have to work extremely hard to establish a presence. I also learned you need a great illustrator that doesn’t cost you a fortune and a relationship with a good copy editor who understands you. You need a good following in your ARC list to get honest reviews and suggestions from your readers before your book is published. This all takes time to achieve.

My next book in the series, Haunting in Hartley, was a game-changer for me. I received good reviews and won a couple of international book awards as a distinguished favourite in the supernatural category. It did not make me rich, but at this point, I am starting to find my voice as an author and establishing my writing style. I know what I want to write about.

I have completed the trilogy of the Haunting Clarisse Series, with Haunting in Old Tailem. It’s a good book, and I like it a lot. Mainly because my writing has improved significantly, and the storyline is unique.

Many famous book marketing experts will tell you that every genre is like a franchise. The readers have become conditioned to expect a particular book cover look, title and theme. What they are inferring is that to appeal to the reader in your genre, you need to conform also. I totally disagree because it’s assuming readers are not looking for something new. They are sheep being herded in a particular way.

I made a decision to write supernatural thrillers and horrors that don’t necessarily conform to these views. I think its important to be different and offer something unique to the reader. It has worked for me—my book covers are different, and the settings and themes are something readers have not experienced before. 

About the author:

Janice Tremayne is an Amazon bestselling and award-winning ghost and supernatural writer. Janice is a finalist in the Readers' Favorite 2020 International Book Awards in Fiction-Supernatural.

She is an emerging Australian author who lives with her family in Melbourne. Her recent publication, Haunting in Hartley, reached number one on the Amazon kindle ranking for Occult, Supernatural, and Ghosts and Haunted Houses categories, for hot new releases and bestsellers.

Janice is well-versed in her cultural superstitions and how they influence daily life and customs. She has developed a passion and style for writing ghost and supernatural novels for new adult readers.

The concept of writing the Haunting Clarisse series was spawned over a cup of coffee many years ago, and she has not looked back since. Her books contain heart-thumping, bone-chilling, and thought-provoking ghost and paranormal experiences that deliver a new twist to every tale.

www.janicetremayne.com.au

author@janicetremayne.com

https://www.facebook.com/hauntingclarisse

The author is giving away a print copy of the book to a randomly drawn winner. Follow the tour for more chances to win! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bolder Blindsided: A Zack Bolder Supernatural Suspense Thriller by Janice Tremayne

 

If you like your suspense thrillers to have some supernatural elements thrown in, then Bolder Blindsided, the first book in the Zack Bolder series by Janice Tremayne, has your name written all over it. Check out this excerpt before you download your own copy. And then be sure to follow the tour for even more! Best of luck entering the giveaway!

An Australian alpine ghost town. A priest turned supernatural detective. A missing persons cold case. Will bolder track down the voracious demon?

When Detective Wellock hushers in Zack Bolder to investigate a missing person case in the Australian ghost town of Walhalla, they form the most formidable tag team of supernatural investigators, working for the police branch for unexplained crimes. Perched amongst the alpine area, this tourist backed ghost town is renowned for its gold mining past and stories of hardship, deprivation, and death. It becomes a perfect setting for an unexplained missing person's cold case.

When Bolder realizes every demon has a weakness—it’s blindside, he confronts the demonic presence, head on for an ultimate encounter to save the town. As this evil entity is sly as a fox with more turns that a two-mile car racetrack, Bolder must be at his best to overcome the devil that has cursed the town since 1876.

Can Bolder uncover the curse that strangleholds the town and thrust out the evil entity before more innocent people go missing and suffer an imminent fate?

Bolder Blindsided is the first book of the Zack Bolder Supernatural Suspense Thriller Series. If you like a fast-moving, energetic, and nail-biting supernatural suspense thriller guaranteed to raise your heartbeat, then you will love this story by 2020 USA Readers' Favorite International Book Awards Finalist in Supernatural Fiction, Janice Tremayne.

Pick up your copy today and meet Zack Bolder!

Read an excerpt:

The screams continued to play out on the phone. Jamie was not holding it during the attack, but it laid on the floor next to him with the video running.

“He wanted us to see it,” said Bolder.

“Who, what do you mean?”

“The demon…he purposely put the phone on an angle so it could capture his possession of Jamie.”

“He wanted us to watch the whole dastardly act?”

“More than that…he wanted to make us sick. Frighten us into submission—give up and walk away.”

Fixated on the five-minute video; images of Jamie handled by the demon played out in the act of evil. The devil tied his feet and hands, and they slowly lifted him from the ceiling upside down—hanging like a bat. Jamie screamed in pain as the demon ripped off the skin from his torso to prepare the marking of the pentagram. Blood oozed from the deep red exposed flesh as agonizing cries of help went unanswered.

It was an evil creature with huffs and a tail…hairy lower body in the shape of a dog. The upper torso of the demon was human, and it still managed to stand on two feet. A face with an elongated nose, pointed ears and sabre like teeth that slithered with an extended tongue. Pale, and it looked like death with bloodshot eyes and deep crease lines along the cheeks. It had no hair on its head other than pultruding blue veins that looked ready to burst.

Buy on Amazon

US / CA

Janice Tremayne is an Amazon bestselling and award-winning ghost and supernatural writer. Janice is a finalist in the Readers' Favorite 2020 International Book Awards in Fiction-Supernatural.

She is an emerging Australian author who lives with her family in Melbourne. Her recent publication, Haunting in Hartley, reached number one on the Amazon kindle ranking for Occult, Supernatural, and Ghosts and Haunted Houses categories, for hot new releases and bestsellers.

Janice is well-versed in her cultural superstitions and how they influence daily life and customs. She has developed a passion and style for writing ghost and supernatural novels for new adult readers.

The concept of writing the Haunting Clarisse series was spawned over a cup of coffee many years ago, and she has not looked back since. Her books contain heart-thumping, bone-chilling, and thought-provoking ghost and paranormal experiences that deliver a new twist to every tale.

www.janicetremayne.com.au

author@janicetremayne.com

https://www.facebook.com/hauntingclarisse

Janice Tremayne will be awarding a paperback copy of the book (USA & UK) to two randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Haunting in Old Tailem by Janice Tremayne

 

The calendar may say that it is December, which elicits thoughts of warm and cozy holiday stories. But this dark and dank weather is keeping me in the mood for something a little more sinister. Check out an excerpt from Haunting in Old Tailem by Janice Tremayne and then follow the tour for even more! Best of luck entering the giveaway!

An Australian Ghost town. A resident demon and a local Shaman. A confrontation with evil awaits.

Clarisse realizes that running from evil is not a bad idea until you figure out you can't hide. When some ghosts get tired of hanging around, they latch onto you. At the centre of the war on evil is a historic Church that carries dark secrets within its walls. After she meets with the local Shaman, Clarisse discovers secrets with evil consequences by digging too deep into the town’s past. When matters become complicated, she visits a circus of young performers on the outskirts of town triggering unexpected paranormal events and unleashing memories of a one-hundred-year curse. After being caught in the crossfire of a battle for evil supremacy, Clarisse confronts Little Charlie as he rallies the town's ghosts into an impeccable evil stronghold.

Can the local Shaman and townsfolk rally in her quest to defeat the evil incarnate or will the town succumb to Little Charlie and his evil crew?

Haunting in Old Tailem is the third book of the Haunting Clarisse Series. If you like spine-tingling, chilling, creepy and spooky supernatural thrillers, then you will love this story by 2020 USA Readers' Favorite International Book Awards Finalist in Supernatural Fiction, Janice Tremayne.

Pick up your copy today and follow Clarisse through her battles with evil!

Read an excerpt:

As he got closer to the shrub, in the direction of the voice, a Raggedy Ann doll ducked its head out of the bush and bounced about, trying to get his attention. It looked like an old-style doll and something his grandparents would have played with as children. It had curly red hair, blue trousers, and a big, greedy smile.

A puppet show, he thought.

Archie wanted to touch the doll. It was so lifelike that it had him mesmerized, like a spell had been cast on him. He walked another foot to get a better look, more curious.

“Psst, psst … Want to play with me?” asked the Raggedy Ann. It was alive! Its mouth moved in a synchronized motion, but there was no ventriloquist behind it.

When Archie was at arm’s length from the doll, something grabbed his ankles and started to drag him. It pierced into his skin like long nails, penetrating and scratching. He screamed and kicked as panic set in, fighting back with all his might.

“Cecilia! Cecelia! Help me! Help me!” Archie yelled toward the other children where his sister looked on in horror. His waved his hands while being dragged facedown, scraping the soil and trying to grab onto anything he could.

With one hand on each ankle, the evil beneath the shrub latched onto him with painted black fingernails on white hands that looked dead as they continued to clutch onto him and pull him.

Archie managed to grab ahold of a log with both arms curled around it, holding as tightly as he could, like his life depended on it, which it did.

Buy the series *  Buy Haunting in Old Tailem 

Janice Tremayne is an Amazon bestselling and award-winning ghost and supernatural writer. Janice is a finalist in the Readers' Favorite 2020 International Book Awards in Fiction-Supernatural.

She is an emerging Australian author who lives with her family in Melbourne. Her recent publication, Haunting in Hartley, reached number one on the Amazon kindle ranking for Occult, Supernatural, and Ghosts and Haunted Houses categories, for hot new releases and bestsellers.

Janice is well-versed in her cultural superstitions and how they influence daily life and customs. She has developed a passion and style for writing ghost and supernatural novels for new adult readers.

The concept of writing the Haunting Clarisse series was spawned over a cup of coffee many years ago, and she has not looked back since. Her books contain heart-thumping, bone-chilling, and thought-provoking ghost and paranormal experiences that deliver a new twist to every tale.

www.janicetremayne.com.au

author@janicetremayne.com

https://www.facebook.com/hauntingclarisse

Book Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCj4DGrx7VA

Janice Tremayne is giving away a print copy of the book to two randomly drawn winners. Follow the tour for more chances to win! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review of All Bags Go to Cleveland by C.S. Hale

 

Welcome to the Name Before the Masses Tour for All Bags to Cleveland, a clever paranormal romantic comedy by C.S. Hale! I'm letting you know what I thought of the book, plus sharing an excerpt. You can also get a sneak peek into the author's life as she talks about balancing life and writing. Lots to enjoy here and then as you follow the tour! Plus there's a great giveaway at the end.

Angela Grimalke appears more blonde bombshell than the gremlin she is. But there is no denying her supernatural truth after her clumsiness gets her fired from her modeling career. Forced to work for her family’s upscale airline, she spends her days slinging luggage and wishing her parents would get off her back about finding a nice gremlin guy to settle down with.

Relationships were the last thing on her mind, not that her family would accept that.

For Dave Ford his frequent business travel made it next to impossible for him to find a woman who could tolerate his chaotic schedule. Which is why he appreciates Angela. Neither of them are looking for love, but Dave feeds Angela's addiction for chocolate while she provides him with the chaos to keep him on his toes.

However, as Angela’s parents bombard her with a parade of "eligible" gremlin men at their weekly family dinners, she finds herself torn between who she longs to be and her family’s expectations. Will she give in and live the life of magic they want for her? Or risk it all by to confessing to Dave that she isn’t human?

Read an excerpt:

“You owe me.”

Angela glanced up from her computer screen. Dave Ford stood in front of her. The blood drained from her face. “Do I?” She raised her “helpful” smile.

“Yes.” Dave handed over his passport and put the Louis Vuitton garment bag on the scale. “Last time, you sent my bag to Cleveland.”

“The system isn’t perfect,” Angela said, punching Dave’s information into the computer. “Things do happen sometimes.”

“You control the system. I think you owe me a glass of wine for having to find a tailor at six a.m. I had a nine o’clock business meeting and just my jeans and sweatshirt.”

“Hmm. By that reckoning, I think I’d owe the tailor for having to get you a functional suit so quickly at that early hour.”

“I tipped him £100. Least you can do is buy me a glass of wine in return.”

Angela lifted her gaze. Dave—all six feet of him with his fabulous hair— had a hopeful expression on his face.

“I’m not in the habit of buying strange men alcohol.”

Dave stuck his hand out. “Hi. Dave Ford. Business traveler.” Angela laughed. “All I’m asking for is a glass of Malbec. Or maybe pinot noir. Small price to pay in comparison to my having to fight off jet lag via acupuncture.”

“Acupuncture?”

Dave shrugged. “It was early for the tailor. His aim wasn’t quite what it could have been.”

Angela dipped into Dave’s mind. The tailor had stabbed him a couple of times. And Dave was playing with her. He wanted to see what she’d do.

Buy on Amazon

(affiliate link)

**My thoughts**

First I have to say that I love the title of this book. That's what first captured my attention, followed by the cover. And then when I read the blurb, I knew I had to read this book. Whoever thought of a paranormal romantic comedy with a gremlin as a lead character? I always think of the little dudes from Gringotts, or even Gizmo and company. Angela shows us that they can have a fun and playful, even though still mischievous, side. I was amused at the little games she would play with people and kind of wish I had that ability.

She meets Dave after she messes with him and his bags during one of his flights. (So now we all know why our bags don't necessarily go where we go!) He is totally on to her and manages to finagle a date. The two of them start hanging out more and more, and I absolutely love their interactions.

Despite Angela and her family being supernatural creatures, I completely felt like so many of their conversations and situations were very true-to-life. I could see just about all of this unfolding in my own life or that of my friends. The realness peppered with the paranormal fun made this a giggle-worthy read that I greatly enjoyed. I got really annoyed when people interrupted me while I was reading it! 

Thank you to the author and to Goddess Fish for a requested review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*******************************

Balancing life and writing;

I am a slow writer. Usually. While I plan out all my plot points via Save the Cat, I pants my way from point to point. I love that gasp out loud I get when something is finally revealed. From start to finish, most of my books take a year to write. I do first drafts longhand in a notebook. I usually require two. And more Pilot G2 pens than I can count. I once had to go hunting for them in London when I ran out, and I was shocked at the £3.50 price for a single pen! Sometimes I make it all the way to “The End” before I do my first edit, typing everything up, and sometimes I make it 4/5 of the way through before I type it all into a Word document.

In my day job, I’m an elementary teacher. I work 12 to 15 hours a day nearly seven days a week. I find it much easier to edit when school is in session than to write new words. The advantage of being a teacher is that I do have several weeks off during the summer. This is when I get the bulk of my new writing done. Though I have found it’s easier to write if I go away somewhere. I love writing in London and have found I can write an average of 34 longhand pages a week if I’m holed up in my favorite studio apartment (a whopping 14 sq meters) not far from Euston Station. I walk to the parks every day and write, as well as write in my room as I watch all of London drive by. My favorite example of life colliding with art came when I had just written that my character needed to “stop viewing everything as a life or death situation” and I looked up to see a ladder fire truck pull up and park outside my second story window.

My critique partner Bethany Adams writes with two young school age children. She’s even managed to get her word counts in while homeschooling during this pandemic. I don’t know how she does it. Balancing life with writing needs to happen. You can’t create beautiful words if your soul is dry. Cleveland took an initial three years to complete, and it would not be the book it is if I had had to finish it under deadline. While I can force myself to put out one a year, I’ve given myself permission to take two years to get out the companion novel to Cleveland - Ghost Chilis Are Real. This new school year is going to be incredibly stressful, and I want to be mindful of that and be kind to myself. But my characters also want me. I’ve got 7 different books that are begging for my attention but only so much time and energy.

So write. Put words on the page. But also give yourself time to breathe. The characters will still be there waiting to welcome you.

About the Author:

Catherine “C.S.” Hale has been writing fantasy since she could hold a pencil. When not holed up in a comfortable corner writing all her books out by longhand, she can be found somewhere by the sea, enjoying tea and pastries.

Website: cshalebooks.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CatSHale

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

A randomly drawn winner will receive a $50 Amazon/BN GC. Follow the tour for more chances to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

There Be Demons (Demon Wars Book 1) by M.K. Theodoratus

Demon Wars, Book 1

Supernatural Fantasy

Britt never dreamed demons existed. Then, the Angeli drafted her to fight them.

When the stone effigy she finds turns into a live gargoyle and tells her she must learn magic in order to fight demons, headstrong Britt Kelly wants to run the other way. She has enough problems fitting into a new high school in the projects and coping with her parents' divorce, thank you very much.

Gillen, the centuries old leader of the Gargoyle Guardians, knows he has a serious problem--teaching Britt and her teen-aged friends to control enough Grace to survive the coming battles against invading demons.

Britt and Gillen soon fight over the best way to cope with the demons. Will anyone survive?

Purchase Links

Amazon * B&N * Kobo * iBooks
(affiliate links included)

Other Books in the Andor Demon Wars Series:

Running from Demons

Andor Demon Wars, Book 2

Pillar Beccon travels across Andor to discover her mother's mysterious past. But danger is never far away as a demon seeks to destroy her.

An orphaned null without a hint of magic, Pillar can't remember ever belonging anywhere, especially not in the Freemage commune where she grew up. After she graduates from high school, she jumps at the chance to learn why her mother ran away from her family.

During an accidental encounter, Grylerrque, a surviving commander from The Demon Wars, recognizes what Pillar is and decides to feed the girl's life force to her clutch. The demon sends her minions to capture the girl. Pillar escapes with a help of an unexpected allay, only to learn she was pulled out of the frying pan and thrown into the fire.

Running from Demons tells the story of Pillar's search to find a place to call her own. The book continues the chronicles of Andor, a land where the mundane world clashes with one of magic and demons from another plane prey. If you love paranormal stories of discovery and mayhem, this is the story for you."

About the Author

Fantasy has always been part of M. K. Theodoratus's life from having an imaginary friend to reading. Now she also writes fantasy.

Contact Links

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Promo

The Invisibles by Rachel Dacus

Welcome to the blurb blitz tour for The Invisibles by Rachel Dacus, an intriguing women's fiction novel with elements of the supernatural. Please enjoy an excerpt and then follow the tour for even more. Let the author know what you think in the comments sections. And of course, there's an awesome giveaway at the end.

The Invisibles

Sisters Saffron and Elinor inherit a cottage on the Italian coast from their father, along with its resident ghost and a secret manuscript. Their rivalry explodes through a struggle for control of the inheritance.

Saffron has a genius for creative living, but ever since her judgmental older sister interfered in her love life, Saffron and Elinor haven’t spoken. When death brings them together at their father’s funeral in Rome, the battle re-ignites. It continues as they travel up the Italian coast to take possession of their cottage. Both secretly wish to mend fences, but they have opposite views about the best way to live.

Saffron has always sensed the “Invisibles”, people lingering after their demise. When the spirit who lives in the house predicts one sister might die, she takes it seriously, but can’t convince her practical-minded sister.

As they prepare the house for sale, Italy infuses its magic in food, festivals, and local love interests -- until a shocking night changes everything for the sisters and their friends.

A tale of sisterhood and the supernatural, perfect for fans of Mary Ellen Taylor and Barbara O'Neal.

PRAISE FOR THE INVISIBLES

Author Dacus does a superb job bringing the village of Lerici to life, from the smells of the sea to the pungency of the local olive oil, and showing how the Italian way of life changes both women. An enjoyable, romantic read. -- Suanne Schafer, author of HUNTING THE DEVIL.

Read an excerpt:

Michael pulled her down the street. They turned right at the bottom of the hill and onto the beach promenade. Walking alongside the water, today full of white curlicues, Saffron looked up at the green hills. In the clear light, they looked fresh-minted.

The pressure of his hand intensified. “The hidden beach is wild and perfect, he said. “Like you.

Dazzled by this compliment, she walked along, more aware of Michael’s hand than of the wide swath of beach, dotted with beach chairs. The benches were nearly empty, the wind driving everyone indoors.

“Just a bit farther,” he said, tugging her along.

Their speed throbbed in Saffron’s pulse. The hidden cove, they both knew, was a pretext and a preamble—a pre-amble. Excitement tightened her throat, making her breath catch as she trotted beside him. He was so tall and his hand never loosened its grip.

She was going to have an adventure in Italy. His hand kept her locked into it, any doubt falling away.

They came to a sign: “Beach Behind Castle.” A few more signs directed them to a marble arch over a tunnel beneath the building. They darted into the darkness holding hands, the path level, though impossible to see under- foot. They came out at a small, brilliantly white beach. The surf seemed higher now, pounding the shore steadily with dark, frilled swells. “Do people swim here? I mean, when it’s not so windy?”

“They do. No one’s here yet, but by afternoon I bet the beach will be full. People who know the secret of this place love it.”

They took off their shoes and walked closer to the surf. Saffron scooped up a shell and put it in her pocket. “A souvenir.” Of more than the beach.

On the way back, Michael stopped at a corner and pointed up a steep cobblestone street. “My little castle’s up there. I bring home all the goddesses I meet. Would you care to visit?”

The rash compliment went to her head like a quickly quaffed glass of champagne. “Sure.” This was it. The real adventure, not the hidden beach.

“Come, my Artemis,” he said.

They climbed a short distance and turned down an even narrower alley. He stopped at a turquoise wooden door with a lintel low enough that he had to duck his head entering.

“The gate to my modest tower.”

Saffron paused long enough to wonder if she was stepping into another mess with someone she hardly knew. But if she stopped now, she’d never find out what it was like to be a goddess.

When they were inside the doorway, he hesitated, but didn’t kiss her. What would his lips feel like? Instead, he led her up narrow stairs that turned on a landing with a small window. She glimpsed the hills, and then they went up the last few steps.

Available on Amazon

(affiliate link)

About Rachel Dacus

Rachel Dacus is the author of The Invisibles, a novel of sisterhood with a touch of the supernatural. “An enjoyable, romantic read.” The Renaissance Club is a time travel love story featuring the great 17th century Italian sculptor Gianlorenzo Bernini, who meets and falls for his superfan from future time. “Enchanting, rich and romantic.” Dacus has written four poetry collections: Arabesque, Gods of Water and Air (poetry, prose, and drama), Earth Lessons and Femme au Chapeau. She lives in Northern California with her husband and Silky Terrier. When not writing, she raises funds for good causes. More at racheldacus.net.

Social Media links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachel.dacus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Rachel_Dacus
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/rdacus
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/987726.Rachel_Dacus

Rachel Dacus will be awarding a $40 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Prophets and the Executioner by Frank Franco with Giveaway

Book One, The Awakening

Supernatural Thriller

Date Published April 2019

Publisher: Page Publishing

With war ravaging their planets and destroying their once-peaceful existence, they fled their homes in search of a new beginning.

Arriving on earth over ten thousand years ago, they brought with them the secret science of immortality, the wisdom of once living in perfect harmony, and the knowledge needed to recreate a utopia like the one they had just destroyed. What they didn’t expect was to arrive on a planet that was far direr than the one they had just left and that it would be thousands of years before earth would be ready for the knowledge they brought with them, if ever at all.

In 2011, Steven Di Carlo, unknowingly living his ninth existence as an executioner, was about to be awakened to his purpose on earth by remembering his many past lives. Along with his prophets Michael and Samuel, they would continue their enormous task of protecting the Book of Wisdom known as the KHoKeM, the very science of an everlasting life. Rumors of its existence had some referring to the KHoKeM as the Holy Grail while others searched in vain for the ever-elusive fountain of youth. December 12, 2012, feared as the day of the apocalypse, was in fact be the date targeted for the retrieval of the KHoKeM. September 9, 2019, would be the day its secrets are to be revealed to the human race. Will the people of earth be ready for this knowledge? Will the prophets and the executioner decide that humanity is still too barbaric and choose to leave the science hidden for another thousand years, or will the path and all its wisdom forever be destroyed by the evil inside us all? The journey begins with book 1 of this new trilogy by Frank Franco.

Purchase Links

Amazon  * B&N  * iBooks  * IndieBound 

Keep an eye for Book Two in December 2019

The Prophets and The Executioner "The Darkness"

About the Author

Frank Franco is a 63-year-old proud father of two wonderful children; the grandfather of five amazing grand children aged 2 to 11 and has been married to his wife Lina, for the past 42 years.

Born in Amato, Italy in 1955, he immigrated to Vancouver Canada at the age of 4 and has lived there ever since.

Although Frank is not an accomplished writer, I would definitely call him an accomplished story teller. He began writing The Prophets and the Executioner in 2008, mostly writing on Saturday mornings and while on vacations. Writing a novel was a bucket list item he always dreamed of completing and after numerous re-writes, and the story taking control of the writer, one novel turned in to three and thus a trilogy was created and the adventures of Steven DiCarlo (The Executioner) and Samuel Stewart (his Prophet) took him on quite an amazing ride.

This trilogy, The Prophets and the Executioner is lightly based on the author’s beliefs and personal experiences of something existing beyond this world. A somewhat mystical connection guiding us through life and then welcoming us home when we die. Although purely fiction, The Prophets and the Executioner explores why we are here, where we came from and what comes next.

With no formal education as a writer, the intention was to complete the novel, print a few copies and hand them out to family and friends and cross that one off the bucket list. But coming from a newspaper background and having writers and editors as friends, he was encouraged by them to pursue publishing his story. Now that book one and two are complete and book three has been started, he thought, why not!

Contact Links

Publishers Page  

Facebook 

Promo Link  

a Rafflecopter giveaway