Happy Book Birthday: SMOOTH by Celia Bonaduce @celiabonaduce #bookbirthday #Smooth

 

We're thrilled to announce the release of Celia Bonaduce's new book, SMOOTH: LIFE HACKS TO GET YOU SMOOTHLY THROUGH CHEMO today! To help celebrate, we are asking our readers if you can please pretty please pick up a copy at Amazon and come back and tell us how you liked it? Or, leave a review while you're there! 

 

Congratulations, Celia, on your new release, Smooth: Life Hacks to Get You Smoothly Through Chemo!

Is Now Available in Paperback!

 

Title: Smooth: Life Hacks To Get You Smoothly Through Chemo
Author: Celia Bonaduce
Publisher: BookBaby
Pages: 100
Genre: Nonfiction

When cancer got in the way of Celia traveling for her day job as a field producer on the hit HGTV show, House Hunters, she did not let it stop her creativity. While the road to her first nonfiction book was anything but SMOOTH, it was a path that Celia felt compelled to explore. This collection of life hacks comes from Celia’s own experiences living through chemo.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3pmQoFa

 

One test had led to the next and then the next. I’d had two mammograms, an ultrasound, and a biopsy. So when the call came, I was ready.

“Hi, Celia…” my doctor said, her voice trailing off. “It’s cancer.”

“Yeah,” I said, picturing my life as a novelist and a TV producer grinding to an immediate halt. “My village would have to be missing its idiot for me to not have suspected this.”

So then I did the breast cancer thing—lumpectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation. I learned a lot about breast cancer (for example, that mine was Stage 1-B triple-negative breast cancer). But here’s a secret: while there are lots of books out there about women’s personal stories during their breast cancer journeys, when you’re going through it, you don’t give a rat’s ass about anyone else’s story. You just want to know how to get through it yourself.

This isn’t a personal retrospective, nor is it a medical journal. But I do have some recommendations I’d like to pass along—just some ideas that might make your life easier during this most stressful of times. All the products mentioned are my personal favorites from my own chemo adventure. No company has endorsed, sponsored, or bribed me. The photographs of the products are beautiful and professional looking because my beautiful and professional friend Justine shot them.

As you start your journey, you will wonder where you will get the mental as well as physical strength to voluntarily show up for chemo month after month. But you will find that strength or that strength will find you. I hope these tips will make your trip easier.

Because it’s all about you.

As it should be.

 

Celia Bonaduce is an award-winning novelist, podcast writer, and television producer. Celia spent fifteen years as a producer-director in lifestyle programming on shows that include ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and HGTV’s House Hunters and Tiny House Hunters. As a novelist with Kensington Publishing, Celia has written three trilogies: the Venice Beach Romances, the Fat Chance, Texas series, and the Tiny House Novels. The Tiny House Novel series won top honors with a Grand Finalist nod from the New Apple Official Selection, first place in the Book Excellence Awards and Gold from both the National Federation of Press Women and the Elite Choice Awards. Celia is also a co-author of A Texas Kind of Christmas, an Amazon #1 Best Seller in Historical Romance that took Gold from the National Federation of Press Women.

Website: https://www.celiabonaduce.com

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/CeliaBonaduce

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

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

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/celia-bonaduce

 

 

 

 

Celia Bonaduce is giving away one $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.

• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Amazon Gift Card.

• This giveaway ends midnight July 5.

• Winner will be contacted via email on July 6.

• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Book Blast! Babe in the Woods by Jude Hopkins & Win $25 Amazon Gift Card!

 

Thirty-five-year-old Hadley returns to her rural hometown, fresh from heartbreak in L.A., to write a play about a woman’s last moment of innocence, but when a hot, young rock-star wannabe she uses as fodder outsmarts her, she needs to decide if innocence is more important than believing in herself…

 

Title: Babe in the Woods
Author: Jude Hopkins
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Pages: 292
Genre: Women's Fiction

It’s September 1995, the first year of the rest of HADLEY TODD’S life. After a decade in Los Angeles, trying and failing to launch her career as a playwright, Hadley has returned to her hometown in rural New York to write and to be closer to her lonely, ailing father–not that he always welcomes the help. Between looking after him and teaching Shakespeare to teenage malcontents at the local high school, Hadley is determined to produce a masterpiece before 36. She even joins a writing group, thinking the structure will keep her focused. Hadley hopes to channel her recent heartbreak from being dumped in L.A. into writing a play about the last moment of a woman’s innocence, a play that an agent friend in Hollywood has promised to produce. But she struggles with writer’s block and seeks inspiration.

Enter TREY HARDING, a young, handsome sports reporter for a local radio station who covers sports at the high school where Hadley teaches. Trey reminds Hadley of her L.A. ex and is the perfect spark to touch off her imagination. Trey has two girlfriends who work at the school, giving Hadley a great perch from which to watch and write down their interactions. The fact that Trey is an aspiring rock star and she has L.A. record biz connections makes the alliance perfect. She dangles promises of music biz glory while watching his moves. But after they both go to Hollywood, Hadley learns that believing in herself is all the inspiration she needs.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/41FoWQa

Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/451nn20

Book Excerpt  

She gazed into his face, his high color, those light eyes comprising both shades of teal and blue at once. If he kisses me again, I won’t stop him this time.

“Listen,” he said while taking her right hand in his. “We shook these hands on a deal that said you’d introduce me to someone in the music biz, right?”

She nodded. His hand was smooth and dry. She ever-so-slightly tightened her fingers in his grip.

“Then let’s skip these so-called lessons. I’ve already made arrangements through a friend to get a demo made this weekend. So all you have to do is honor that handshake and arrange for me to meet your connection in Hollywood, OK? Just a name, a phone call to introduce me.”

Her play would fail with no inspiration. And stuck with carrying out the worst part of the deal! How did this happen?

“OK,” she said, but not in a commanding voice.

“Good,” he said. He released her hand, breaking what she worried might be the last physical connection she’d ever have with him.

He grabbed his guitar case and headed for the door.

“Wait!” she shouted at him, taking long strides to keep him from leaving. “One more thing. What about you?”

“What about me what?”

“You. Have you ever fallen in love?”

He winked at her. “All the time.”

She’d have the last word, something she realized was important to her. “I think it’s wrong, all these women you lead on. Don’t you? I mean, they may get attached, fall for you. But you seem to use them, to see what you can get out of them for your own purposes. I think that’s wrong, They’re human beings, after all. With feelings.”

He turned around, his eyes drained of any light. “They use me, too. It’s not like they’re not getting anything out of it.”

“What am I getting out of this?” she asked him, if not rhetorically.

He stood on one hip, a move that made him appear more rakish than usual. “I really don’t know, Miss Todd. I wondered that myself. I thought perhaps you were bored or intrigued. Or maybe you’re a control freak.” He took a step toward her so he was within half an inch of her face. “Or maybe you’re just like the rest and can’t resist me.”

Hadley stood her ground. “How do you know when it’s over? The moment when love, or lust, turns into something else. Something not as passionate?”

“I don’t think about it,” he said, returning her gaze. “It’s something that happens. Maybe it’s not one moment. It just is.”

He turned around and walked out of the room. 

More...

 

_________

Jude Hopkins is giving away one $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Amazon Gift Card.
• This giveaway ends midnight June 30.
• Winner will be contacted via email on July 1.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Jude Hopkins has published essays in The Los Angeles Times, Medium, and elsewhere, as well as poetry in numerous journals and magazines. Her work can be found on her website at judehopkinswriting.net.

Twitter: www.twitter.com/HeyJudeNotJudy

Medium: https://medium.com/@heyjudehopkins

 

 

 

Sponsored By:

🏰 {BOOK TRAILER} FATEFUL CONNECTIONS BY KAREN CHARLES #booktrailer

 

BOOK DETAILS

Title: Larimar: Fateful Connections
Author: Karen Charles
Publisher: BookBaby
Pages: 91
Genre: Thriller

BOOK BLURB:

Fateful Connections tells the story of four people brought together by the tragic events of 9/11 in the United States. These four individuals were attending a conference in Seattle, Washington, and found it nearly impossible to make it back to their homes, which were scattered across the country. They decide to rent a car and drive together, as they cannot get any flights home. As rental cars are also impossible to come upon, they find a friend who has access to a repossessed car, which he is willing to rent out. Unbeknownst to the friends, the rightful owner of the car wants his car back, and as they find out, hidden inside the car are drugs and guns. What ensues is a dangerous journey which impacts the four friends’ lives forever. The story follows them on their harrowing journey home, then one and two years later as they meet up for an annual reunion. 

The strengths of this story are the easy-to-read narrative and compelling plot. The author introduces four intriguing main characters, as well as a number of antagonists, who hunt down the friends and engage in dangerous and illegal plans to not only recapture their guns and drugs, but also kill the friends so there are no witnesses to their illegal activities. The reader is instantly drawn into the storyline, and moves along with the characters as they experience fear, joy, love, and relief. The plot is compelling, and the reader cannot help but become invested in the lives of these four main characters.

 

Fateful Connections is available at:

 

About Karen Charles

Karen Charles is a children’s book author and educator. She lives with her husband on a beautiful bay in Washington State. Her latest book is the thriller, Fateful Connections.

Website: https://karenrabe18.wixsite.com/my-site-2

Twitter: https://twitter.com/karenra24229683

🏰 Author Interview Featuring Marilyn Meredith, Author of A Final Farewell

 I have a very talented lady here today to tell us all about her new mystery, A Final Farewell. Her name is Marilyn Meredith. Marilyn is the author of over forty published novels, including the award-winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and on the board of the Public Safety Writers Association. She's taught writing in many venues and appeared on numerous panels at mystery cons. Her home is in the foothills of the Southern Sierra, a place much like the fictional Bear Creek of the Tempe Crabtree mysteries. When not writing, Marilyn enjoys spending time with her large family. Visit her website at http://fictionforyou.com . Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.

Thank you for this interview!  I’d like to know more about you as a person first.  What do you do when you’re not writing?

I have a huge family, from five children we now have many grand children, great grands, and as of this writing, nine great-greats, with one more on the way. I love spending time with any of these off spring whether in person or using Facetime. 

I’m an avid reader too. I’ve always loved to read. 

And of course, there are my friends. I have my church friends, my writing friends, and all my Facebook friends. I love keeping in touch with all of them. I’m still in touch with a few of the women I went to high school with, and some of the girls (now women) who were in the Camp Fire Girls group I led for nearly ten years. 

I recently lost my husband of 71 years, and of course, I miss him, but love remembering all the things we did together. 

When did you start writing?

I began way back even before I was in grammar school, and I kept on writing. Besides stories, I wrote plays and articles, and I served as editor for several years for the PTA newsletter.  However, I didn’t get published until I was a grandmother.

As a published author, what would you say was the most pivotal point of your writing life?

Joining a writers’ critique group taught me so much about writing. The first one educated me about point-of-view, something I really didn’t understand. I learned how to accept helpful criticism, most important for any writer. 

The second group I belonged to for many, many years. In this one I learned more about getting published, grammar rules and when you could break them, writing good openings, and natural sounding dialogue. They helped me polish many manuscripts and served as a first editor. 

If you could go anywhere in the world to start writing your next book, where would that be and why?

I do my best writing here at home. However, if I’m writing about a place I’ve never been before, or one I haven’t visited for several years, I’d go where I needed to do necessary research.

If you had 4 hours of extra time today, what would you do?

Relax and maybe take a nap. I get up around 4 a.m. First I take care of any necessary chores, and then I sit down at my computer and work.

Where would you like to set a story that you haven’t done yet?

What I’m doing now is stepping back in time and writing a memoir about when I was a child during World War II. It’s amazing what memories are popping up. I’m also having to do a lot of research about things I can’t remember, or don’t know enough about.

Why was writing A Final Farewell so important to you?

It was time to end the series. Though A Final Farewell is listed as #20 on Amazon, it’s really the 21^st in the series, as the first one, A Deadly Trail is listed as #0. The reason is because it was published after the first four books in the series. I knew I needed to put together a satisfying ending to the Tempe Crabtree mystery series, and I hope I’ve done that with A Final Farewell.

Any final words?

I’ve had a wonderful writing career. I’ve written two mystery series; besides the Tempe Crabtree series, I wrote the Rocky Bluff P.D. series using the name F. M. Meredith. I’ve written eleven stand-alones, and two cookbooks. 

Along the way, I’ve met many wonderful writers and readers, and attended mystery and writing conferences all over the country. 

It’s been great.

 

About A Final Farewell...

 

A woman’s body found in a neighbor’s pond piques Tempe’s curiosity. It isn’t long before she is enmeshed in the intrigue and gossip surrounding the mystery.

Miqui Sherwood has two handsome suitors both wanting to marry her. Does either one have any ties to the murder victim?

Tempe’s life is threatened, and the health of Tempe’s friend and mentor, Nick Two John, is failing.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/40YLA5V

🏰 {BOOK TRAILER} LARIMAR: GEM OF THE SEA BY CHRISTINE E. SCHULZE #booktrailer

 

BOOK DETAILS

Title: Larimar: Gem of the Sea
Author: Christine E. Schulze
Publisher: KDP Publishing
Pages: 140
Genre: YA | Fantasy

BOOK BLURB:

A Fearless captain and a mysterious girl who walks on water. An underwater city and a destined deadly curse. What could possibly go wrong?

Captain Jorah is renowned for being one of the youngest explorers to ever sail Zephyrian waters. He’s also notorious for landing his crew in situations they hadn’t counted on, involving man-eating mermaids and other dangerous misadventures.

When Jorah decides to search for the legendary underwater City of Larimar, he doesn’t account for the quest that follows. After being rescued from shipwreck by a mysterious young woman who walks on water and carries a singing seashell around her neck, he soon finds himself reunited with an old friend once thought lost to him. Before he knows it, he’s caught up in a race against time to save her yet again, this time from a looming prophecy about a deadly serpent destined to consume her entire race.

Can Jorah help her save her people before the dark prophecy completes itself?

The Amielian Legends is a collection of stand-alone young adult books, all set in the same fantastic universe, that can be read in any order. Read Larimar: Gem of the Sea today to discover new worlds filled with adventure, diverse characters, and whimsical magic.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/44u4tQY 

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Larimar-Gem-of-the-Sea-Audiobook/B0BZDYVKWY

Larimar: Gem of the Sea is available at:

 

About Christine E. Schulze

Christine E. Schulze has been living in castles, exploring magical worlds, and creating fantastical adventures and romances since she was too young to even write of such stories. Her collection of young adult and children’s fantasy books, The Amielian Legacy, is comprised of series and stand-alone books that can all be read separately, but also weave together to create a single, amazing fantasy.

One of her main aspirations for The Amielian Legacy is to create fantasy stories with characters that connect with readers from many different backgrounds. Her current focus is to include racially diverse characters and those with disabilities. The latter is inspired by Schulze working with adults with autism and other developmental disabilities at Trinity Services in Southern Illinois.

Schulze draws much of her inspiration from favorite authors like Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Diana Wynne Jones, favorite games like The Legend of Zelda, and especially from the people in her life. Some of her exciting ventures include the publication of her award-winning Bloodmaiden, as well as The Gailean Quartet with Words Matter Publishing. Her books for younger readers include In the Land of Giants and The Amazing Captain K.

Christine currently lives in a cozy Hobbit hole, but you can visit her on her website: http://christineschulze.com.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tiktok