Thursday, October 31, 2019

North Shore Stories by Bernadette Walsh

WRITING WHAT YOU KNOW
BERNADETTE WALSH 
Like many of my books, JOHNNY BE GOOD is set on the North Shore of Long Island where I currently live. And like my other books, it also examines the delicate balance of mother-daughter relationships in a middle-class Irish-American family. As you may have guessed from my name, I’m writing what I know.
One of the benefits of  “writing what you know” is that you don’t need to do a lot of research and you don’t have to conjure a scene based on second hand resources. An intimate knowledge of a locale and a social strata allows the writer to delve deep and provides the reader not only a window into a particular setting but a window into the writer’s actual experience of a setting. When I write about the pebbled beaches of the North Shore I infuse those descriptions with recollections from my own life: my daughter's first sandcastle, a stolen beer after the homecoming dance, a clandestine kiss beneath a striped umbrella.
But there’s a downside to basing the setting of your angst filled novel with scenes from your own life. The Centerport church I visit on Sunday is no longer only a place where I find solace, it is also where my character Ellen from my second novel, THE GIRLS ON ROSE HILL, sang at her mother’s funeral. And the beach where my husband and I stroll together on lazy afternoons is not only where we reconnect after a hectic week but now is also where my teenaged character Maura in COLD SPRING was seduced by a much older man. 
Because as writers we spend so much time creating and nurturing our characters, they are in many ways real to us, and to an extent we feel what they feel. Thus there is a danger that my character’s experiences of the settings of my own rather undramatic life may in some ways taint those settings for me. For now I’m willing to pay the price of my fictional and real worlds colliding if it allows me to connect more with my characters and create a richer more nuanced book for my readers.

Bernadette Walsh has been writing contemporary and paranormal romance for over ten years. She has published seven novels to date. While Bernadette has hopped around genres, all of her books to date have a common theme: strong women handling what life throws at them the best way they can. www.bernadettewalsh.com



Johnny Be Good
North Shore Stories Book 3
by Bernadette Walsh
Genre: Women's Fiction, Light Romance 

SOMETIMES A WOMAN DOES WHAT SHE HAS TO DO TO PROTECT HER FAMILY.



Peggy Lynch has too many children and too much to do. Unlike the pampered wives in her affluent Long Island suburb, Peggy’s not married to a doctor or a lawyer. She’s married to an uneducated Irish immigrant twelve years her junior, and has to work two jobs to help make ends meet. In between the carpools, the laundry, and the food shopping, she also has to make sure her youngest son takes his ADHD medicine so he doesn’t flunk out of high school. Maybe if her lazy husband would get off his ass and help around the house, she’d have time to connect with her children and be the type of mother they deserve. But Peggy lacks that luxury because if it wasn’t for her, the whole family would fall to pieces.

Years have passed since Peggy ruled the house and Veronica is no longer her mother’s obedient little girl. Moving into her childhood home with her husband and infant twins, she’s starting a new life and should finally be happy. Right? Wrong.

While cleaning out her old bedroom, Veronica finds a letter from her deceased mother. If Veronica were smart she’d burn it and leave her family secrets buried with the dead. But as her mother so often said, Veronica’s never been that smart.

She rips open the envelope and proves her mother right...





The Girls on Rose Hill
North Shore Stories Book 2 

THREE GENERATIONS OF WOMEN; THREE GENERATIONS OF SECRETS



Ellen Murphy spent her childhood in an idyllic house by the sea. A house surrounded by flower filled gardens and a white picket fence. A house she fled at eighteen. A house full of secrets.

When Ellen’s mother Rose, an ex-nun, is diagnosed with terminal cancer, Ellen reluctantly returns home to care for her and uncovers a clue to the one secret that has haunted Ellen all her life: the identity of her father. But that is just one of the many secrets hidden behind the beautiful facade of the house on Rose Hill.

"The Girls on Rose Hill is a beautifully written story about the complicated relationship between three generations of women. It will touch you, make you laugh, and make you cry. Bernadette Walsh's subtle use of language, traditions, and manners painted an authentic portrait of an Irish Catholic family. I loved it."





Cold Spring
North Shore Stories Book 1 

AN INNOCENT GIRL IS A DANGEROUS THING



Twenty years ago Maura Lenihan was the curvaceous red-haired teenager at the center of a political sex scandal. Today, Maura is a thirty-five year old hospice nurse who spends her days caring for the cancer-ridden and comatose and her nights reading romance novels. Her life is boring and safe and just the way she likes it.

However, Maura’s safe cocoon is now threatened both by the press’ renewed interest in the twenty year old scandal and the attentions of her most recent patient -- a thirty year old Wall Street investment banker whose black hair and blue eyes are oddly familiar.





I have always been a bookworm and had always meant to write a novel “someday.” You know, when I won the lottery and could live in beach house and feel inspired. Twelve years ago I decided to stop waiting for my winning lottery ticket and sat down and started writing. In between work and family obligations, I piled the words on top of each other until they formed sentences, paragraphs, chapters and eventually a book. While I’ve hopped around genres, all of my books to date have a common theme: strong women handling what life throws at them the best way they can.
My titles include: Gold Coast Wives, The Girls on Rose Hill, The Devlin Witch (Books 1-4 of the Devlin Legacy Series), Cold Spring, Johnny Be Good, See Me and Friends Forever.
Covers and other information about my books and my writing can be found on my website www.bernadettewalsh.com.



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Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Let's Be Buddies A Jefferson Ball Adventure by David Perlmutter



Let's Be Buddies
A Jefferson Ball Adventure Book 2
by David Perlmutter

Genre: YA SciFi Fantasy

Major Hamilton Pomeranian, once a highly decorated Star Soldier, has been discharged for a recently gained injury. Now forced into a non-military life, she is uncertain about what to do until reconnecting with Jefferson Ball, an old army buddy, and agreeing to assist her at her "job"- not realizing exactly what that will involve until it is too late...
An exciting story from the author of "Nothing About Us Without Us".






The Singular Adventures of Jefferson Ball
A Jefferson Ball Adventure Book 1 

There never was a heroine like Jefferson Ball. And, thankfully, there may never be.She is, simply, the most powerful humanized female dog in a universe full of them. Faster, stronger, more attractive to boys. Unbeatable as a lover. Unfortunately, her brains are not up to this quality, but don’t tell her that.About the only one who can is Major Hamilton Pomeranian, the diminutive ex-soldier who is Jeff’s best friend and conscience. When she gets too big for her limited clothing, Hamilton tells her what for. And it’s usually only after that point that they are able to escape from whatever convoluted situation they find themselves in.
This potential collection will have readers both laughing and awestruck at the events that happen. And, hopefully, you will be one of them.






David Perlmutter is a freelance writer based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is the author of America Toons In: A History of Television Animation (McFarland and Co.), The Singular Adventures Of Jefferson Ball (Amazon Kindle), The Pups (Booklocker.com), Certain Private Conversations and Other Stories (Aurora Publishing), Honey and Salt (Scarlet Leaf Publishing), The Encyclopedia of American Animated Cartoon Series (Rowman and Littlefield, forthcoming) and Orthicon; or, the History of a Bad Idea (Linkville Press, forthcoming).





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Tuesday, October 29, 2019

P.I. I Love You Miss Demeanor P.I. by Joanne Jaytanie Genre: Romantic Suspense, Mystery, Adventure


P.I. I Love You
Miss Demeanor P.I. Book 1
by Joanne Jaytanie
Genre: Romantic Suspense, Mystery, Adventure 

Rivers don’t let rocks hold them back. River Nightingale has decided to blow past the rocky men in her life.


She’s played by the rules for too long—especially when it came to her career as a cop. She was the top closer of cases for years, but promotions in her small town cop shop went to her less productive male counterparts. River decides it’s time to change careers. She leaves her small town to purchase a Seattle private detective agency and become her own boss.

Homicide Detective Gage Hamlin takes pride in his job; he closes cases and fosters justice. All that changed the day River Nightingale sauntered into his office. River has him questioning his pride, his cases, and his aversion to private detectives, especially beautiful private detectives.

River’s client thinks Gage got it wrong, and River is forced to prove Gage missed a murder. Will River and Gage find a way to play nice, or will River be forced to leave Gage behind?









Twice As Bad
Miss Demeanor, P.I. Book 2

For private investigator River Nightingale, the stakes are high, and her losses are twice as bad.


River has already lost a partner to a better job, and now a truck has mowed down another partner and a key informant. Her surviving crew is reeling and dead set on finding the killer. Working with them is a Seattle PD homicide detective, Gage Hamlin. Gage and River have been a volatile combination since day one, but now it’s twice as tense, as they both seek the killer and Gage struggles to keep River alive.

On the waterfront, Seattle is known for slinging fish, but River’s stakeout of a seafood plant reveals that fish aren’t the only thing being sold on the docks. And if River isn’t careful, fish aren’t the only thing that will end up dead on the docks.

Looming dangers lurk closer with every clue River uncovers. River’s business, her relationship, her friends, and her life are all in jeopardy. And the cost of solving the case is at least twice as bad as usual.







Joanne was born and raised in Sherburne, New York, a quaint village surrounded by dairy farms and rolling hills. From the moment she could read she wanted to explore the world. During her college years, she slowly crept across the country, stopping along the way in Oklahoma, California, and finally Washington State, which she now proudly calls home. She lives with her husband and Dobermans, in their home located on the Olympic Peninsula with a panoramic view of the Olympic Mountains.
Joanne writes romantic suspense, paranormal, mystery-thriller, supernatural suspense, and contemporary romance. She loves to submerge herself in the world of her characters, to live and breathe their lives and marvel at their decisions and predicaments. She enjoys a wide variety of books including paranormal, suspense, thriller, and of course romance.
Joanne is a PAN member of Romance Writers of America, (RWA), Kiss of Death, (KOD), Greater Seattle Romance Writers Chapter, (GSRWA), Sisters In Crime (SIC), and Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal, (FFPRWA). She served as President of Peninsula Romance Writers, which was Debbie Macomber’s home chapter.





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Monday, October 28, 2019

Music Boxes by Tonja Drecker Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Villains © Tonja Drecker

A good villain is someone we love to hate. The best villains, though, make us sympathize with them and see a bit of ourselves mirrored in their decisions and actions. They disturb with their dark desires and make us think. Especially for children, villains leave their mark. They cause chills, make us cower under the blankets, and force night lights to burn long after midnight.
I’ve always been a chicken. The most evil and sinister villains had me checking closets and peering under my bed for months. The villain I feared most was the child-catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I referred to him as ‘Big Nose’ and was convinced he lived in our basement—it was a spooky basement! He had me hesitating to go down those stairs for more years than I’ll ever admit. I always wondered why he hated children so much and shuddered whenever I pictured his huge net or the carriage with the bars.
In Music Boxes, forming Madame Destinee was a real treat. She needed to be elegant, eccentric and have the right pinch of sinister. Unlike Big Nose, I didn’t want her outright evil, but rather one which entices and lures in with sweet promises. For me, she’s a mixture of Cruella de Vil and the witch from Hansel and Gretel. My sweet-tooth would still have me biting into that tasty gingerbread house. For all her horribleness, Madame Destinee holds a special place in my heart.
When the audio book was created, Madame Destinee was, for me, the most important part. When I heard the narrator’s, Nance Weber, voice transform and give Madame Destinee new life, it was… well…a Wow-moment. I can’t wait for everyone to experience her lure them in with rolling ‘darlings’, sweet cakes and promises of dreams come true.


I only desire your talent...”



Twelve-year-old Lindsey McKay's biggest dream is to be a famous ballerina. But after moving to New York, she ends up at the Community Center with a teacher who’s a burly bear in tights.

When she meets Madame Destinée, the teacher of a top dance school who offers her classes for free, Lindsey can't believe her luck. In exchange, she must perform in the school’s exclusive midnight shows, ones sure to make her a star. But something’s not right...

One by one, the other dancers disappear. Each time they do, a music box with a figurine just like the missing ballerina joins Madame Destinée’s growing collection. If Lindsey doesn’t discover the truth about the dance school, she might end up a tiny figurine herself.


**Music Boxes was recommended by The Barnes & Noble Kids Blog as one of the 5 Spooky New Middle Grade Books for Campfire Chills!!**
**Now available in audiobook!!**




After finishing her BA in International Studies at the University of Denver, Tonja Drecker spent many years in Europe devouring chocolate, cheese and wine while investigating the birth places of myths, legends and mysterious tales.


Currently residing somewhere in the back woods of the Ozarks, she writes away while tending to chickens, cows and her family of six. Her stories have been published in several collections and magazines including In the Shadow of the Eagle's Eye in REAL GIRLS DON'T RUST (Spencer Hill Press, 2013), A GLOWWORM (Black and White Publishing Company, 2017) and Meringue, Murder and Marzipan in FULL DARK (Obsidian Books, 2017) . She's an avid book reader, professional children's book reviewer, outdoor addict and always in search of a new adventure (based in reality, the imagination, or otherwise).





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Sunday, October 27, 2019

Bond of a Dragon by A J Walker

What inspired me to write this series was reading the end of the Inheritance Cycle, by Christopher Paolini. When I first heard about Eragon I was in middle school and heard that a sixteen-year-old kid from Livingston, Montana had written a story about a young man whose fate is altered when he finds a dragon’s egg in the woods. I grew up in Bozeman, the neighboring town just twenty miles from Livingston. When I would go hiking or kayaking in the Paradise Valley outside Livingston, I would imagine myself in Paolini’s books, acting out scenes in my head in the very place where he created the story.When the books ended, I needed more. Not knowing much about publishing at the time, I decided to create my own story about a dragon rider. Being in high school and struggling with my level of comprehension in the written word, I gave up after writing six chapters. I decided to pursue other goals and didn’t revisit the idea of finishing the story until I had graduated from college. Once I researched more about publishing and the options available to independent authors, I decided to go for it. My thoughts were if I can do this, even if nobody reads it but me, I will have accomplished something great given my mental obstacle for reading and writing. After finding the inspirational podcast by Joanna Penn and listening to the hundreds of guest speakers on her show, I followed their advice and just kept working at it. Since I started writing consistently, I haven’t stopped. I finished book one in about six months and since book one has come out, I’ve published two more novels and one novella. With the advice of Joanna Penn and the teachings of Mark Dawson’s courses, I have turned writing into a career.Readers can expect a fourth and final book in the Bond of a Dragon series to come in 2020 as well as two new fantasy series. I’m excited to complete the first novel in my Bonnie Glock series, featuring a private detective who solves crimes committed by wizarding criminals in their adjacent non-wizarding world. I’ll also be working on my new epic fantasy series that will be centered around humans living in a world created by and for dragons. Over the next year, I hope to publish at least one book every three to five months depending on how long the book will be. Each of my new series will feature a free short story or two to give people a sneak peek into the worlds I’m creating. As ever, I’ll continue to focus on mastering the art of storytelling while publishing as many high-quality works as I’m able.If you would like to know more about me or want to connect you can keep tabs on social media or connect with an email. I love hearing from readers whether it just be to say hello or a critique of my writing. 




Zahara's Gift
Bond of a Dragon Book 1
by A J Walker
Genre: YA Fantasy Adventure 



A young man forced into action. A juvenile dragon alone in a new world. Whispers of a terrible evil returning to power.


Nineteen-year-old Anders lived a fairly normal life until the only family he had was taken away from him. When he finds himself forced to embark on an action packed adventure, he discovers there is more to the world than he was told. The magical force that flows within everything around him becomes revealed. Dragons, elves, orcs, and goblins lurk around nearly every turn along the path as he pursues his two kidnapped cousins.

As Anders discovers more about his family’s past, he learns of their involvement in The War of The Magicians and the circumstances leading up to the attack of his hometown. When Anders is told about his potential involvement in a prophecy involving dragons and their powerful magic, he will need to make a difficult decision. Will he continue to follow the path that is laid out for him or can he make his own destiny? Will he ever be reunited with his family again? And if he succeeds, will he ever be able to return to the life he once knew?

Bond of a Dragon: Zahara’s Gift is the first book in an adventure fantasy series.

If you like fast-paced adventure novels, fierce dragons, powerful magic, and a hero fighting for justice, then you’ll love the fantastic starter in A. J. Walker’s new page turning series.

Unlock Bond of a Dragon: Zahara’s Gift to embark on this great adventure today!




Secrets of the Sapphire Soul
Bond of a Dragon Book 2


A dragon and her rider put to the test. Betrayal among allies. With Kartania’s fate in the balance, who will take control?


Anders knows the war to stop Merglan from reclaiming his grip on the world is just beginning. With no certainty about where or when Merglan will attack next, Anders and his companions must take action to stay one step ahead of the cruel sorcerer and his evil dragon.

As he searches for ways to stop Merglan’s domination of their world, Anders discovers more than he expected. With several nations of Kartania on the brink of collapse, he must make a difficult decision. Is the young rider ready to deal with the consequences he’s facing? Can Anders overcome the odds and unravel the secrets of the sapphire soul?

Bond of a Dragon: Secrets of the Sapphire Soul is the second novel in an adventure fantasy series.

If you like gripping suspense, bold dragonriders, and page-turning action, then you’ll love A J Walker’s latest installment in the Bond of a Dragon series. 

Discover Secrets of the Sapphire Soul by picking up a copy today!



Fall of the Kings
Bond of a Dragon Book 3


Lost and without guidance. Merglan’s imperial grip tightens on the free nations. Venomous magic penetrating the resistant. In the end, all kings must fall.

With Anders displaced from the campaign in Southland, he must navigate through more than just the foreign land he awakes in. The sapphire’s intoxicating grip has given him more than just a craving for power. Its tainted magic pushes him closer to the precipice of becoming more like the evil that he is foretold to destroy. As he attempts to resist the darkness, Anders must work through his pain and return to the fight he abandoned so suddenly.

After the allied armies are forced to disband, the five nations begin to feel the effects of the dark sorcerer’s imperial rule. With Westland occupied by foreign invaders and Southland flooded with orcs, the humans must band together in resistance. Unlike the elves, who can hide behind their magically protected walls, the other races in Kartania’s kingdoms are drastically affected by the absence of an allied dragonrider. Without a united army to combat Merglan’s expansion, the fate of Kartania hangs in the balance. Can Anders resist the urges he feels to allow the evil inside? Can he work with his dragon to gain back what advantage they once had? Will Kirsten survive long enough to see Westland’s revolt? What will become of Ivan and those left behind in Southland?

Bond of a Dragon: Fall of the Kings is the third installment in the Bond of a Dragon series. This highly suspenseful and emotional tale comes to a crescendo in the final chapters; don’t miss out on this epic by A J Walker.

Get your copy of Fall of the Kings to continue the dragonrider’s experience!





AJ Walker is a fantasy author whose first works is the Bond of a Dragon series. Growing up in western Montana and spending most of his time outdoors has given AJ plenty of adventures to draw from when he's creating his stories. AJ Walker is an avid outdoor enthusiast, a world-class whitewater kayaker, and former wildland firefighter. His personal experiences, just to name a few, include grizzly bear encounters in northern Montana, a life-threatening winter survival experience, and several whitewater rescues. Using the influences from his many personal adventures, AJ Walker loves to transport readers into his mythical world of Kartania, where his characters find themselves embarking on the most epic of journeys. Kartania is home to magical creatures, bold heroes, and evil sorcerers who are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.
AJ Walker writes stories inspired by other fantasy authors like his person favorites Brandon Sanderson and fellow Montanan Christopher Paolini. Walker aspires to emulate the creativity of these works, and the works of many other great fantasy writers. AJ's unique and exciting personal experiences combined with his wild imagination create an exciting world that is sure to please anyone who loves fantasy adventure or fast-paced adventure stories.





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Act of God Book 1: In the Beginning By Jan Byron Strogh Genre: Science Fiction, Space Opera

  What could happen if climate change forced humanity to find a new home?  To make the journey we must leave behind our most cherished belie...