Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Read an Excerpt from Rosemary Mild’s new memoir: IN MY NEXT LIFE I’LL GET IT RIGHT

A Driving Disaster

February 17, 2005. I had attended my Jazzercise class downtown at Royal Elementary School, and I was driving home in the dark at 7:00 p.m. My endorphins had kicked in. I was “wired” in the best sense from my workout, and now from the exhilaration of listening to

Hayden’s Water Music on Hawaii Public Radio.

Driving down Ward Avenue the light was green, and I was ready to turn left. I heard a deep male voice from another car yell to me: “Hey!” I paid no attention. The light turned yellow. I kept turning left.

As I turned, I discovered to my horror that I had turned left onto Beretania Street, a five-lane, one-way road—and I was going the wrong way! Going the wrong way on one of the most heavily traveled roads in congested Honolulu.

How to extricate myself from this nightmare? I immediately moved to the far right lane. The car coming toward me slowed to a stop and the cars in the next three lanes also stopped to allow me to do a fast U-turn, which I did. I felt sick.

Suddenly a police car with blue lights flashing was following me. Of course. I pulled into the far left lane near the State Library, stopped, and rolled down my window. I unzipped the wallet pocket of my purse, ready to take out my driver’s license.

The police officer approached. “Hi,” he said.

“Hi, Officer. You saw me.”

“Yes. Are you from here?”

“No, but we’re snowbirds, here for the winter. This is a rental car. I lost my bearings. I was coming home from Jazzercise and got distracted. I should have turned left on Kinau. Some very nice drivers stopped for me to turn around.”

He nodded. “You missed your turn.”

He had his ticket pad in his hand and opened it.

“Officer, I’m terribly sorry. It shouldn’t have happened. I know better.” I was totally prepared to accept a ticket.

He closed his ticket pad. “Just be careful from now on.” I thanked him. I drove slowly down Beretania, turned left on Punchbowl Street, and managed to get home without another crisis.

The impact of what I had done swept over me and I felt like crying. I trembled. God had been watching over me and saved me from a horrible accident, not only to myself, but from having a head-on collision and killing other people.

What happened was, unfortunately, rather typical of me. I got so wrapped up in the beautiful classical music that I literally went on automatic pilot. My thoughts drifted and I did not pay attention to what I was doing. God gave me a break—He delivered me from a disaster that would have affected every driver around me and their loved ones.

It was a wake-up call.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rosemary Mild is an award-winning essayist whose work has appeared in the Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, Chess Life, and countless other outlets. When not dreaming up outrageous essay ideas, Rosemary Mild and her husband, Larry, wallow in crimes and clues that include their popular Paco and Molly Mysteries; Dan and Rivka Sherman Mysteries; two Hawaii suspense/thrillers; and three gripping story collections. They have two stories in the 2021 anthology Kissing Frogs and Other Quirky Tales. Rosemary has also authored two memoirs: Love! Laugh! Panic! Life with My Mother; and Miriam's World—and Mine, in memory of the beloved daughter they lost in the terrorist bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Check out her website. Find out more about the book.

Friday, March 26, 2021

🏰 Interview Featuring UNNATURAL by Deven Greene #interview

I have a great interview for you today! The author is Deven Greene and her book is called Unnatural: Erica Rosen MD Trilogy Book 1. Picture this. A child is born in China with blue eyes and people are really a little suspicious about it. Read on while Deven tells us more about it, but first a little about Deven...

Fiction writer Deven Greene lives in the San Francisco Bay area. Ever since childhood, Deven has been interested in science. After working as a biochemist, she went back to school and became a pathologist. When writing fiction, the author usually incorporates elements of medicine or science. Deven has penned several short stories. Unnatural is the first novel the author has published.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: https://www.devengreene.com

Facebook: https://facebook.com/devengreeneauthor

As a book bloggin’ and book luvin’ Princess, I’m always curious to find out how authors got the ideas for their books. Can you tell us how you got the idea to write your book?

I was forced to write this book the day I started, around two years ago. No, I wasn’t held at gunpoint, but the idea came in a flash, and I couldn’t suppress it. I was getting ready to start another novel, one I’d been thinking about for some time, when I felt compelled to write this novel, Unnatural, Eric Rosen MD Trilogy Book 1, about human embryonic stem cell gene editing. Being interested in all things science, especially medically-related science, I’d read quite a bit about CRISPR/Cas9 and genetic engineering, a real game-changer in medical research. I loved the idea of introducing the effect of a genetic change by way of a Chinese girl with blue eyes. To use that in a thriller, I needed to think of a nefarious use for this technology. The novel took off from there.

Can you tell us a little about the main characters of your book?

The main character is Erica Rosen, a thirtyish San Francisco pediatrician. She is smart, principled, and has a soft spot for the underdog. She had just broken up with her boyfriend when presented with the opportunity to help a young woman get back the infant she was forced to leave in China, and expose a secret Chinese government program to genetically engineer human embryos.

Ting Chen is a woman who recently arrived from China, and recruited Erica to help her. She has an interesting past, but is most dedicated to her genetically-engineered children whom she was forced to bear.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would that be?

Don’t wait. There is never a perfect time to begin.

What would you say is one of your interesting writing quirks?

I don’t have any quirks. I prefer to write in complete quiet, but given that I don’t live alone, that’s often not possible.

Do you hear from your readers? What do they say?

I am new to this, and have only heard from a few readers. So far, they like my work. I realize that could change, and I might receive negative feedback at any time.

What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author?

My biggest disappointment has been that some readers aren’t as interested in learning about the science behind my writing as I would like. Those that aren’t interested skip ahead. Better than putting the book down forever, I think.

What has been your best accomplishment?

Starting my first novel. I haven’t published it yet, but it was hard to type the first letter of the first word of the first sentence.

Do you Google yourself?

I occasionally check to make sure there isn’t anything crazy written about me.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

My first novel (the one I referenced above) is unpublished. After I finish the trilogy I’m working on now, I want to go back, clean up that first novel, and publish it. I love the subject matter (a quick weight-loss treatment).

The second book in the series I’m working on, Unwitting, is the novel I was going to write when I decided to write Unnatural instead. Unwitting is almost finished and will be published in October 2021. The first draft of the third book in the trilogy is finished but requires a lot more work.

Fun question – if you were princess or prince, what’s one thing you would do to make your kingdom a better place?

If I were limited to only one thing, I would eliminate poverty. I would make sure everyone had enough money to live comfortably.

Do you have anything specific that you would like to say to your readers?

I hope you learn something from my novels.

If you like what you read, please leave a review. If you don’t like what you read, please let me know why. I’m always eager to get constructive criticism.

Title: UNNATURAL (Erica Rosen MD Trilogy Book 1)
Author: Deven Greene
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Pages: 292
Genre: Medical Thriller

BOOK BLURB:

Dr. Erica Rosen is perplexed when she sees a young Chinese girl with blue eyes in her San Francisco pediatrics clinic. The girl’s mother, Ting, is secretive, and Erica suspects she has entered the country illegally. Later, Erica encounters Ting’s son and discovers he has an unusual mutation. Erica learns that Ting’s children underwent embryonic stem cell gene editing as part of a secret Chinese government-run program.

The Chinese government wants to murder Ting’s son to prevent others from learning about his unusual mutation and the secret gene-editing program. At Ting’s urging, Erica heads to China to expose the program and rescue the infant Ting was forced to leave behind, all while attempting to evade the watchful eye of the Chinese government.

PRAISE

A compelling and richly woven story, perfect for those looking for their new favorite thriller!

The UC San Francisco pediatric clinic is a lively and bustling facility where every sort of injury and infirmity has been seen, diagnosed and treated. That is, until the day a Chinese migrant named Ting brings her daughter in for an evaluation. The striking girl is truly an anomaly, bearing genetically impossible bright blue eyes. Dr. Erica Rosen presses Ting for information, but Ting is paranoid, evasive and overly protective of her family’s privacy. Things become more puzzling when Ting ends up in the ER with a wounded young son and insists that someone is trying to kill the boy. Shocking test results, a second attempt on the boy’s life and a missing phlebotomist are just the beginning of a riveting tale of government conspiracy, medical mystery and dangerous close-calls.

Unnatural is a flawlessly written medical thriller that focuses on a Chinese mother who will sacrifice everything to save her children. Erica is a bold protagonist who follows her instincts to some amazing discoveries. The narrative is driven by intelligent dialogue and a clever, yet heinous, plot. The cultural aspects between Ting and Erica feel authentic and the technical medical language is just complicated enough to feel genuine without becoming difficult to read. Deven Greene has created a truly gripping international thriller with just the right amount of humanity and compassion. Unnatural, the first in the Erica Rosen MD Trilogy, is a compelling and richly woven story, perfect for those looking for a new favorite thriller!

–Indies Today

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon → https://amzn.to/3qq7nli

Barnes & Noble → https://bit.ly/3baCBGJ

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

The Page 69 Test: THE MYSTERY AT TURKELTON MANOR by Kraig Dafoe #page69

They say if you want to really find a good book, go to page 69 (the middle and meat of the book) and you like it, it's definitely worth reading. For today's feature, I'm zooming in on page 69 of Kraig Dafoe's new MG lit, THE MYSTERY AT TURKELTON MANOR.

woods all night and it was starting to get cold, even with a jacket on.

Nate went back to the main trail and hid in the woods across from the opening to the shack. The boy heard a twig snap behind him, making him jump a little. Though the sound scared him, he didn’t turn on the light to see what it was, figuring it to be a small animal for he was inside a walled property and was sure it was nothing big enough to do great harm, like a black bear or moose.

The time ticked slowly by as thoughts ran through Nate’s mind. He couldn’t tell exactly how much time passed for he didn’t have his watch, though it seemed like hours as he sat there in the dark, barely able to see his hand in front of his face.

“This is stupid,” he whispered aloud, and in the silence of the night, it seemed almost like a shout. The wing started to pick up and rustle the leaves in the trees. The cold air along with the steel of the flashlight made his hands cold so he hunkered down, shoving the light and his hands in the pocket of his jacket.

After what seemed like hours but was probably closer to forty-five minutes, with shivering shoulders and slightly chattering teeth, Nate could see a light coming toward him from the area of the shack. The boy made sure to position himself so the light wouldn’t land on him as the individual appeared on the main trail.

When the person emerged from the woods, Nate couldn’t make out who it was because they wore all black and it was just too dark to see any facial characteristics. Nate did notice the individual had a cylinder slung over his shoulder. The case appeared to be leather, but Nate couldn’t be sure.

What do you think? Would you keep reading?

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

🏰 ARROWED by Avery Daniels #BlogTour #BookSpotlight #PUYB

It all began when a dying man with an arrow in his chest grabs her ankle…

By Avery Daniels

Title: ARROWED: Resort to Murder #4
Author: Avery Daniels
Publisher: Blazing Sword Publishing Ltd.
Pages: 250
Genre: Cozy Mystery

BOOK BLURB:

It all began when a dying man with an arrow in his chest grabs her ankle.

During a heat wave at a Santa Fe resort, Julienne has the resort owner pressuring her to solve the murder.

The victim is a high-profile businessman who made enemies rather than friends, leaving Julienne with a roster of suspects. She was supposed to be training the staff and spending quality time with Mason rather than investigating a murder. The heat turns up when an old girlfriend of Mason’s checks in and is determined to get back together.

Arrowed is the fourth book in Avery Daniel’s Resort to Murder series and is a contemporary cozy mystery. If you like Cleo Coyle, Maddy Hunter, Duffy Brown, Lynn Cahoon, and Annette Dashofy, then you’ll love this series with a strong intelligent sleuth, lavish settings, and tantalizing mysteries.

Buy this spunky clean cozy mystery and start enjoying Julienne’s adventures today!

After several songs had passed with us oblivious to any other living being, just wrapped up in each other, we stepped outside to stroll in the golden glow of a nearly full moon before heading to our room. We walked hand-in-hand until we were surrounded by the landscaping around us and the shimmering moonlight through the trees. Mason stopped and wrapped his muscular arms around me.
     “I am so grateful for you in my life. I hope I never take you for granted or forget to tell you how important you are to me.” He kissed me, sweet and slow. He drew me closer, and the kiss deepened. I slid my hands up his chest and around his neck. My head and heart were spinning.
     Then I felt something brush my foot.  Don’t spoil the moment LaMere, focus on the kiss. I succumbed to the kiss again. It had probably been a rabbit startled out of its hiding spot, right?
     After another moment of blissful necking, my foot was brushed again before a hand - yes, a hand - grasped my left ankle. I let out a yelp and jumped. Mason pulled back and looked into my eyes.
     “A hand just latched onto my ankle!” I don’t know why I was whispering, whoever owned the hand knew they had me in their grasp.
     We shifted and looked down to see an arm in a soiled white blazer reaching out from the bushes along the pathway. The hand at the end of the arm was attached to my ankle. I shook my foot, and the hand slipped away. Mason released me, took a hold of the arm, and dragged Merritt, face up, out from the foliage. He had an ancient looking arrow of wood protruding from his chest and blood drenched his shirt. Mason bent down and placed two fingers to his throat.
Merritt’s head twitched, and he breathed out a few words, “It’s the curse. I didn’t believe it. The curse got me.” And he seemed to deflate like a balloon leaking air until he went flat, like the animating force had left him.  What curse is he talking about? Oh my, I may never kiss again.

Amazon → https://amzn.to/39diFTN

Check out my book at Goodreads!

NAILED

ICED

SPIKED

Avery Daniels was born and raised in Colorado, graduated from college with a degree in business administration and has worked in fortune 500 companies and Department of Defense her entire life. Her most eventful job was apartment management for 352 units. She still resides in Colorado with two brother black cats as her spirited companions. She volunteers for a cat shelter, enjoys scrapbooking and card making, photography, and painting in watercolor and acrylic. She inherited a love for reading from her mother and grandmother and grew up talking about books at the dinner table.

Website: http://avery-daniels.com/

Blog: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16863152.Avery_Daniels/blog

Twitter Address: https://twitter.com/my_averydaniels

Facebook Address: https://www.facebook.com/AveryDanielsAuthor/

Sunday, March 7, 2021

🏰 Interview Featuring THE TEMPLE OF THE CRYSTAL TIMEKEEPER by Fiona Ingram @fionarobyn #interview

I have the perfect book for you to curl up with while stuck indoors, called The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper by Fiona Ingram! While yes it is 'technically' a book for preteens, anyone of any age will love this. Read on while Fiona tells us more about it! (I can't help but to think of The Goonies when I read about this)

Fiona Ingram is a children’s author, but up until a few years ago, she was a journalist and editor. Something rather unexpected sparked her new career as an author—a family trip to Egypt with her mother and two young nephews. They had a great time and she thought she’d write them a short story as a different kind of souvenir…. Well, one book and a planned book series later, she had changed careers. She has now published Book 3 (The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper) in her middle grade adventure series Chronicles of the Stone, with many awards for the first book, The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, a few for Book 2, The Search for the Stone of Excalibur, and several for Book 3! She also teaches online novel writing for aspiring authors and she finds that very satisfying. Fiona’s experience with raising an adopted, disadvantaged African child struggling with literacy got her interested in the subject and she has written numerous articles on child literacy. Relaxation time finds her enjoying something creative or artistic, music, books, going to the theater or ballet. She enjoys doing research for her book series. Fiona loves animals and has written two animal rescue stories. She has two adorable (naughty) little rescue dogs called Stanley and Pumpkin, and a beautiful black cat called Bertie.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: http://www.FionaIngram.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/FionaRobyn

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

Book Series Website: www.chroniclesofthestone.com

Blog: http://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2868182.Fiona_Ingram

As a book bloggin’ and book luvin’ Princess, I’m always curious to find out how authors got the ideas for their books. Can you tell us how you got the idea to write your book?

I went to Egypt with my mother and two young nephews. On our return, I decided to write them a short story as a different kind of souvenir. That was The Secret of the Sacred Scarab. The adventure escalated so dramatically that it turned into a book which turned into a book series! The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper is book 3 in this amazing rollicking adventure. I am now on Book 5. My young heroes have not saved the world yet, but we are working on it.

Can you tell us a little about the main characters of your book?

The main characters are two young cousins, Adam and Justin, aged 12 and 13. They are typical youngsters, full of curiosity and energy, seeking out adventure at every turn without really thinking about where it will lead them. Since I went on the Egypt trip with my own nephews of those ages, I based the young heroes loosely on my real-life nephews. Over the course of the books, the characters have developed and grown.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would that be?

Don’t make the mistakes I did. Don’t waste the money I did. But all my dead-ends and wrong turns did teach me everything I know now so, looking back, everything had to happen the way it did. I learned from the experts in the publishing and marketing fields, people who are generous with their knowledge and advice. So, the three vital tips are: 1. Never give up. 2. Make sure your books meet the high standards of the industry in all aspects. 3. Tell someone every day about your book. Word of mouth is free, and it is the best form of advertising.

What would you say is one of your interesting writing quirks?

I have a mixture of plotting and pantsing. I make copious notes in a big notebook that by now is falling apart and had to be fixed with sticky tape. I make notes all the time and then I go back and put them in where they belong. My notebook is like my security blanket.

Do you hear from your readers? What do they say?

I love hearing from readers, and I do. Adults say they felt like kids again when reading my adventures. Kids say they felt they were actually in the adventure. It is the best thing in the world when someone says, “I loved your book!”

What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author?

After my first book (The Secret of the Sacred Scarab) was published, a top children’s book site reviewed it and the person said to me she felt my two heroes sounded the same. That was a shock to me because I had felt they were so different. But I heeded her advice and all for the better. When a reader/reviewer points something out, I advise authors to take stock of the comment and work to improve their story.

What has been your best accomplishment?

Staying the course, continuing to write, developing the series, winning many book awards… Actually, just hanging in there. Writing is a tough business, and many people have dreams that never see fruition because they are put off by criticism, by closed doors, by derision. You have to grow a thick skin to survive in publishing.

Do you Google yourself?

I did once or twice but I don’t bother now.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

I have finished book 4 (The Treasure of the Knights Templar) and am busy on book 5, which only has a working title right now.

Fun question – if you were princess or prince, what’s one thing you would do to make your kingdom a better place?

I’d institute laws to protect the vulnerable; children, women, the elderly, and animals. And I would make sure these laws were enforced.

Do you have anything specific that you would like to say to your readers?

If you are a beginner author, stick it out. The road is hard and long but worth it ultimately. If you are a parent, read with or to your child every day to help them develop a love of reading. It is the greatest gift any parent can give their child.

Title: THE TEMPLE OF THE CRYSTAL TIMEKEEPER: CHRONICLES OF THE STONE BOOK 3
Author: Fiona Ingram
Publisher: Bublish Inc.
Pages: 318
Genre: Juvenile (preteen) / Action / Adventure

BOOK BLURB:

A plane crash! Lost in the jungle! Hunted by their old enemy, will Adam, Justin, and Kim survive long enough to find the Third Stone of Power? With only a young boy, Tukum, as their guide, the kids make their way through the dense and dangerous jungle to find the lost city of stone gods, where the Stone of Power might be located. River rafting on a crocodile-infested river and evading predators are just part of this hazardous task. Of course, their old adversary Dr. Khalid is close behind as the kids press on. But he is not the worst of their problems. This time Adam will clash with a terrible enemy who adopts the persona of an evil Aztec god, Tezcatlipoca, and is keen to revive the ancient tradition of human sacrifice. Adam, Justin, and Tukum must play a dreadful ball game of life and death and maybe survive. Will they emerge alive from the jungle? Will Dr. Khalid find the third Stone of Power before they do?

Praise:

“Action, danger, and excitement are the key words for the riveting adventure novel, The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper … Its spellbinding storyline explores the history of the Aztec and Maya gods and their cities with exceptional accuracy; this is one of those books you can’t put down. With authentic historical facts expertly woven into this spectacular action-packed fiction series, no one of any age can resist its magnetism. This is a fascinating and exciting fiction story created with expertise and finesse, which educates while entertaining the reader.”

— Susan Williams, for Readers Favorite

USA Book Awards: