Archive for the ‘Guest Post’ Category

Bill’s Cajun House Of Pleasure by Alan Lampe ~ Guest Post And Giveaway

Posted: April 21, 2024 in giveaways, Guest Post, Uncategorized
Tags: ,
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It’s a romp in the swamp!

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Bill’s Cajun House of Pleasure

by Alan Lampe

Genre: Historical Fiction

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It’s a romp in the swamp of historic proportions!

Eager young reporter Jimmie Rains is assigned to write an exposé on the treatment of elderly residents of Our Lady of Sorrows Nursing Home. He soon finds that all the residents speak in awe and hushed tones of the life led by legendary fellow resident Bill Valencourt.

As a teenager, Bill was sent to work for his cranky and demanding uncle who ran a bordello on the edge of the swamp. His girlfriend, Anne Marie, was less than happy with this arrangement. As the granddaughter of the famous swamp witch Marie Laveau, she believes her magic is strong enough to keep Bill from straying. She seduces him, believing the taking of his virginity will bind him to her for all time.

When his uncle is murdered by the wife of an angry patron, Bill’s destiny is irrevocably changed, leaving him the new owner of the cathouse and setting him on the path to both riches and ruin. When he falls in love with one of his girls—the beautiful and curvaceous Ariel—Anne Marie vows revenge.

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Six chimes in descending tone came out of the radio, followed by a baritone voice.  “And now WFUX-AM 690 proudly presents the News of Louisiana with Rich Bastards.”

“Good evening Louisiana, this is WFUX-AM 690 and I’m Rich Bastards.” The new voice purred out of the radio speaker.  “Today, I have the esteem privilege of interviewing Governor Earl Long.  He’s taking a little break from the campaign trail to speak with me this evening.  Governor Long, welcome to the News of Louisiana.”

“Why thank you there, Mr. … uh Bastards, or do you prefer Rich?”

“Please governor, I’m a simple man.  Rich Bastards will be fine. Now then,” a shuffling of papers could be heard coming from the radio, “according to this here report from your campaign office, you are funneling funds to Arkansas farmers for undisclosed reasons.  Would you care to explain those reasons?”

“What?” Governor Long was bewildered.

“Your campaign office told us you are funneling funds to the farmers in Arkansas.  I’m sure your constituents would love to know why.”

“What are you talking about?  I’m not funneling funds to the Arkansas farmers.”

“Ah ha!” Rich Bastards pounced. “So you are funneling funds somewhere, just not to the northern hillbillies. Now let’s see, where could you be funneling the funds to?”

“I’m not funneling any funds to anywhere, Rich Bastards!”

“Your campaign office swears you are, Governor Long. If you’re not funneling funds to the northern hillbillies, you’ve got to be funneling them somewhere. Is it Mississippi? No, wait; they wouldn’t know what to do with the funds even if you were funneling it to them.  Lord knows they don’t spend any money on education.  Why hell, they’d probably think the greenback is some sort of mutilated, or mutant spinach plant.  So that just leaves Texas.”

“This is preposterous, man.  I’m not funneling funds to any of the bordering states!”

“But your campaign office says you are right here on this piece of paper.”  A rustling of paper followed the statement.

“Let me see that paper.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Governor, but a good reporter never reveals his sources.”

“But you’re not a good reporter!  You’re just spewing conjecture.”

“Spewing conjecture!”  Rich Bastards was bewildered.  “I’ll have you know I have never spewed anything in my adult life.  Although the étouffée at this past Mardi Gras almost came back up.  But I swear on my grand pappy’s grave that I haven’t spewed since I was a baby.”

“It’s all a lie.  I’m not funneling funds anywhere,” said the governor.

The radio went silent for a moment before Rich Bastards spoke again.  “So you’re laundering the money.  Can you believe it Louisiana?  Our own governor right here and now just admitted to laundering money in Texas.”

“I did no such thing.  You’re putting words in my mouth.”

“Oh come now, governor.  You deny laundering money with the northern hillbillies and the uneducated Mississippians, but you never denied laundering the good clean money of Louisiana through the oil soaked hands of the Texans.”

“I deny that right now.  I’m not funneling funds or laundering money to any of the neighboring states.  And that’s the truth.”

Rich Bastards paused again and then continued the interview.  “Well then, I guess that settles it.  You heard it here first, ladies and gentlemen, Governor Long is embezzling funds through off shore accounts.”

“What?!” Governor Long was beside himself.

“Oh sure, you denied the funneling of funds and the laundering of money, but you never denied embezzling funds.”

“This is utter nonsense!  I am not doing anything illegal with my campaign.  All of my funds are accounted for and verified.  I’m not a crook!”

“Oh come now governor, you’re a politician.  And as all Louisianan’s know, all politicians are crooks.  I’m confident the books you would provide for us to look at would be as fake as a… a Honus Wagner baseball card.”

“Honus Wagner!  What the hell does he have to do with this?  He has a real baseball card, you know.”

“Honus Wagner has a real baseball card!  You’re saying someone with a name like Honus is in the same league as Babe Ruth, Roy Campanella, Ted Williams and Bobby Doerr.  Now that’s preposterous Governor Long.  But let’s not change the subject.  Which nefarious enterprise are you supporting through your campaign funds?”

“For the last time, I am running a clean campaign.  I am not funneling funds.  I am not laundering money.  I am not embezzling.”

Rich Bastards was silent for a moment.  “Well that just leaves extortion.  Why Governor Long, I am shocked, yes shocked to see that a fine upstanding political figure like yourself is extorting funds from the less educated Mississippians for your own sick pleasure.”

“A minute you go you called me a crook and now you’re calling me a fine upstanding political figure.  Listen Rich Bastards, I am doing nothing illegal with my campaign.  It is all legit.  The great people of Louisiana know my record and know I’m an honest man.”

“That’s what every politician says right before they get caught with their hand in the cookie jar.  You’re brewing up some shifty gumbo that you hope the people of Louisiana will swallow, aren’t you?”

“Is there no end to you and mad ramblings?  I’m through with you and this interview.”  The sound of chair scraping along the floor could be heard, then the governor spoke again, but his voice wasn’t as audible as before.  “I have to go find out who the hell told me that talking to Rich Bastards would be a good thing and fire him.”

“Fellow Louisianan’s, the governor has gotten out of his chair and is leaving the booth.”  Rich Bastards raised his voice and continued, “Go ahead governor and leave.  You’re not the first guest to ignore the questions of Rich Bastards.  We know you’re a crook.  You’re whole campaign office says so right here on this piece of paper!”  A shuffling of papers came through the speaker.  “Wait, where is that piece of paper?  It was right here on my desk.  Did that kid from the Times-Picayune sneak in here while the governor as leaving and steal my paper?”  More shuffling of papers could be heard across the airwaves.  “I swear to you folks, I just had a piece of paper from Governor Long’s campaign office in my hand, and now it is gone.  Hell, there goes the credibility of this whole interview, with no facts to back it up now.    But don’t you worry, Louisiana, Rich Bastards wont’ stop until the truth is revealed. This is Rich Bastards for WFUX-AM 690 signing off.”

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I recall the beginning of Isaac Asimov’s biography in his Foundation books where it says he “was born in the Soviet Union to his great surprise. He moved quickly to correct situation.” At the age of three, he stowed away in his parent’s baggage when they emigrated to the United States.

To many people’s surprise, I was born in Connecticut. I don’t have grand or fond memories of my time there. My family moved to Arkansas six months after my birth. I grew up a southern boy and enjoyed writing from an early age. The earliest recollection I have of writing for pleasure is a second grade writing contest. I placed second. I can’t remember if the contest was school wide or district wide, but I do remember where I finished. The prompt was “If you were stuck on a deserted island, what would you bring with you.” I wrote a fine masterpiece, one I’m sure the Smithsonian will treasure for years when they obtain it. My composition related how I would take a magic book with me and use it to conjure up the necessities and a flying carpet to leave the island. Welcome to the world of my writing.

I continued to write stories throughout junior high and high school. I wrote a science fiction series in colored magic marker, where each character was represented by a different color. Even at that young age, I found a way to remove the unnecessary tags. I believe there are over a dozen twenty-page stories in that series. I wrote a couple of science fiction trilogies, one included a comical slant. I even designed a worksheet with the mysteries of Dr. Investigator for my little sister to solve. Like a good author, I kept all these treasures. Maybe one day I’ll revise them and share them with you.

I entered the Air Force after high school and journaled my experience. On the last Sunday of basic training, at the church services, your flight is allowed to say a few words. I wrote a poem for my flight. It was read by another flight member. I still have those journals and interesting stories abound within them.

After the Air Force I continued to improve my craft. I wrote a novella and published it monthly in the newsletter of my local Society for Creative Anachronism group. That, as well as the work I did on the newsletter itself, allowed me get my Award of Arms, a lordship, within the SCA.

In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s I focused on poetry. During this time I lived in the Dallas / Fort Worth area. Teen drug overdoses were frequent and my poems drifted to telling their story. I have a poem in each of the following The National Library of Poetry anthologies.

  • A Prism of Thought
  • Soaring with the Wind
  • A Picture of Elegance
  • Outstanding Poets of 1998
  • Blossom in the Dawning
  • America at the Millennium

One of my post powerful poems, The Measure of 0.16, I wrote after a drunk driver killed four Brock High School students on December 19, 1998. 0.16 was his blood alcohol level and the event helped reduce the legal limit in Texas to 0.08. I’ve written over 80 poems and most fall into the “Tragic Poems of Life” chapter in a Word document where I keep them.

On April 20, 1999, the Columbine Massacre occurred where two students killed twelve classmates and a teacher. The school shooting dominated the news that week. It also led me to launch a memorial website, www.Columbine-Angels.com, where I tracked acts of school violence for the next ten years. The site has over 2000 entries, the most of any site that I know of. I also provide extensive data as to when and where the attacks occur. Many people from around the world visited my site and several asked for permission to use my data in their research. I wish I could have continued the site in perpetuity, but the ever-growing numbers, nearly 300 in one calendar school year, is just too much for one person. Keeping the site updated became a second job. Although I received great response from the site, I couldn’t continue to dedicate that much of life to it. From 2010 to 2015, I updated the site with acts of school violence I saw in the news. Those are fewer, but if you research diligently and consistently (i.e. twice a day like I was), you will see how violent are kids truly are. Early in 2016 I posted my last update to the site.

My former girlfriend and I developed the essence of Bill’s Cajun House of Pleasure. We truly enjoyed our time in Bayou Cove. After we separated I built our escapades into a full length novel. This historical fiction romp takes place from 1939 to 1969 in the swamps of Louisiana. Bill works at his uncle’s bordello and is in love with a descendant of the infamous Marie Laveau. Things change and he falls for one of the soiled doves under his uncle’s employ. After World War II, he and her live in Amsterdam. When they return to Bayou Cove in 1950 he builds his grand Cajun House of Pleasure. Staying informed of world events via WFUX-TV, he and his women are able to play politics with the lieutenant governor’s wife. In the ’60s the sexual fun continues to roll when a few artist stop by and find what they need to be successful. It’s a fun story with adult language and sexual situations. I hope you enjoy it.

I am currently developing my next story. The new tale is set in medieval times on a different planet. It’ll be a fun romp as my characters travel across the continent. Highlights along the way include stops in Hack, where the Hackers live; Pee-On, where the Pee-Ons live; Dead Oak and their solution to depositing their dead on a cart to be hauled off; and more.

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Alan Lampe has been writing down tales and stories since the second grade. Over the years, his writing matured and was recognized by The National Library of Poetry. They published six of his poems in their anthologies in the late 1990s. Jotting down ideas and cranking out numerous short stories off and on throughout the first decade of the twenty-first century, he focused on his writing in 2011 instead of Super Bowl XLV.

Bill’s Cajun House of Pleasure is the brainchild of Alan and his former girlfriend. The first nuggets of this romp in the swamp were hatched eight years ago. Between workshops, critic groups, and conferences, he polished his prose in the following years. Wanting to leave no detail unchecked, he traveled to Louisiana to capture the essence of Cajun life.

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Not Quite A Scandal by Bliss Bennet ~ Guest Post And Giveaway

Posted: April 14, 2024 in giveaways, Guest Post, historical romance
Tags: , ,
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An inheritance lost. A betrothal threatened. A scandal brewing…

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Not Quite a Scandal

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Audacious Ladies of Audley Book 2

by Bliss Bennet

Genre: Historical Regency Romance

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An inheritance lost. A betrothal threatened. A scandal brewing…

Outspoken Quaker Bathsheba Honeychurch knows how difficult it is for an unmarried woman to successfully champion political change. Her solution? Wed best friend Ash Griffin as soon as he comes of age and begin remaking the world. But when Ash’s urbane, aloof cousin arrives with inconceivable news, Sheba’s future dreams are suddenly at risk…

The death of the Earl of Silliman reveals an appalling lie: it is not Noel Griffin, but his long-lost cousin Ash, who is the true heir to their grandfather’s title. Raised to place family above all, Noel accepts his grandmother’s bitter charge: find Ash, disentangle him from his religious community, and train him to take on the responsibilities and privileges of a title that Noel had been raised to believe was his. Noel certainly won’t allow a presumptuous, irritating Quakeress to thwart him in doing his duty—no matter how fascinating he finds her…

When scandal threatens both their reputations, can Sheba and Noel look beyond past dreams and imagine a new world—together?

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Author Guest Post

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True Lovers’ Knots: The Quaker Love Letter

 

Caption: A True Love Knot. ca. 1840. Philadelphia Free Library. https://libwww.freelibrary.org/digital/item/6700]

 

This knot of love which I do send

Is, like love, without an end.

Its turns and crosses many you see

So hath your love, dear, challenged me.

Yet thoughts by day and dreams by night

Rest still on you, my heart’s delight.

Mountains shall melt, the seas run dry

The stars run lawless through the sky,

The sun at midnight shall appear,

Ere I prove false to you, my dear.

Turning arms, exchanges kisses

Each partaking others’ blisses

Laughing, weeping, still together

Bliss in one is Mirth in either.

Never breaking, ever bending,

This is love and worth commending.

Still beginning, never ending,

This is love and worth commending.

From Not Quite a Marriage

 

Have you heard of a true lovers’ knot? Not the rope kind, but the romance kind? Several English folk ballads about lovers parted by death—“Barbara Allen,” “Lord Thomas and Fair Annet,” “Fair Margaret and Sweet William”—end with the image of a rose growing from one lover’s grave, a briar from the other’s. The briar and the rose meet and twine about each other, echoing the shape of a rope knot that has long been known as the true lover’s knot or true love knot. In such ballads, the knot formed by the briar and the rose symbolizes the faith and fidelity of the lovers, even after death. You can listen to an American version of “Fair Margaret and Sweet William” by Appalachian folksinger Jean Ritchie here.

 

Caption: From C. S. Hall’s The Book of British ballads (1842)]

 

But a far less tragic version of the true lover’s knot also exists: the love knot as love letter or valentine in the form of a labyrinth. During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, paper true love knots became popular amongst some Pennsylvania Quakers, not as symbols of romantic fidelity after death, but as actual romantic declarations to a living beloved. A parallel form to the fraktur, or illuminated folk art, common amongst the Pennsylvania Dutch in the same period, the Quaker true love knot includes handwritten romantic verses that twist and turn inside the outline of an endless knot. You can start reading the text at any point and the love declaration still makes sense. But you have to rotate the paper to read the poem in its entirety.

 

Some Quakers created true love knots to declare their affection to a beloved; others offered them as artistic proposals of marriage.

 

Caption: True Lover’s Knot by Hugh Pugh, sent to Mary Fisher, 1801. True Lover’s Knot blog by Meg Schultz]

 

Here is one example by Quaker schoolmaster Hugh Pugh, created in 1801 for one of his pupils.

Handcrafted using quill, brush, and compass, its poetic declarations of devotion wind through various geometric shapes. Since Friend Pugh was 54, and his student Mary Fisher only 20, his proposal seems not to have been accepted, although Mary kept the beautiful love knot her teacher designed. It is now owned by her great-great-great granddaughter, Meg Schultz.

Extant examples of true love knots are quite rare. The one pictured at the top of the page, as well as the one below, are both from the Philadelphia Free Library, one of the few collections that includes several original nineteenth-century true love knots.

Caption: “To Miss Harriet Walker, as a Token of Remembrance.” Ca. 1840. Philadelphia Free Library.]

When I drafted the verses for the true love knot that my book’s protagonist, Noel Griffin, creates for Quaker Bathsheba Honeychurch, I borrowed lines from several real true love knots of the times, so that they would sound historically accurate. Unfortunately, I’m not of an artistic bent, so I haven’t made a physical replica of Noel’s valentine. But I enjoy imagining what it might look like while I admire these and other examples of True Love Knots from the past.

You can find more examples of true love knots on my Pinterest page for Not Quite a Scandal. https://www.pinterest.com/blissbennet/not-quite-a-scandal/

Buy Link: https://blissbennet.com/p_nqas_b2r]

Bliss Bennet writes smart, edgy novels for readers who love history as much as they love romance. Bliss’s Regency-set historical romances have been praised as “savvy, sensual, and engrossing” by USA Today, “catnip for the Historical Romance reader” by Bookworlder, “romantic, funny, touching, and extremely well-researched” by All About Romance, and “everything you want in a great historical romance” by The Reading Wench. Bliss’s latest book is Not Quite a Scandal, the second book in The Audacious Ladies of Audley series.

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Before Sheba could offer an objection, Noel set himself in front of her. “Shall we try a simpler dance? A waltz, perhaps, M. de Brunhoff?”

A look of relief passed over the poor dancing master’s face. “As you wish, monsieur.”

The restlessness Noel had felt all afternoon, being in Sheba’s company but not the focus of her attention, settled as soon as he guided her hands up to rest against his shoulders. Unlike the more demure society misses with whom he typically danced, she kept her head held high, eyes not shying away from his. But the pink tint of her cheeks blazed nearly scarlet when he set his hands not on her elbows, as she was obviously expecting, but more daringly against her waist. That elusive scent of honeysuckle enticed his nose, and he could almost swear he felt the pulse of her blood coursing beneath his fingers, even with the weight of her silk gown and stays and his gloves between them.

“March, march, march, march, then messieurs, pirouette, mesdames, pas de bourée, pas de bourée, pas de bourée. Up, up, up on the toes, oui, oui…”

A satisfaction bone-deep settled over him at finally having Bathsheba Honeychurch in his arms. At being able to allow his eyes to roam without embarrassment or restraint over the sweep of her pert brows, the stretch of her lush mouth, the expanse of her graceful neck below that tip-tilted chin, confident and defiant in turn. He’d never had much sympathy for Goethe’s self-indulgent Werther, but the romantic hero’s assertion that “a maiden whom I loved, or for whom I felt the slightest attachment, never, never, never should waltz with any one else but with me” struck him as painfully apt.

He twirled her carefully, silently, unwilling to allow meaningless small-talk to distract him from a pleasure he feared he’d never stop craving.

She, too, remained quiet as the slow notes of the waltz enveloped them in a bubble of awareness, her blue eyes roving his face as his roved hers. She blinked, and blinked again, as if she could not quite understand what she was seeing.

Might she be beginning to recognize, even if she could not quite yet allow herself to believe, that the man standing opposite her might be more vital to her happiness than the one dancing on the other side of the room?

Yes, this was how he would win her. Not by wooing her with words, but by allowing her to see the truth of what he felt.

“Ah, yes, my lady, with what elegance you dance!” M de Brunhoff cried as Ash and Delphie twirled past him. “Now, let us vary the posture, eh? Messieurs, place your right arm fully about your partner’s waist, et mesdames, rest your hand and arm on your partner’s shoulder.”

Noel swallowed, then laced his arm behind Sheba’s waist. Although he kept her at a decorous distance, the heat of her warmed his entire side. And when her hand crept up his shoulder, her corseted breast mere inches from his chest, that warmth turned molten.

He felt, as well as heard, Sheba’s breath catch in her throat as his fingers tightened against her side.

The beat of the music, the tap of their slippers against the polished floor, the hum of pleasure he could not quite keep contained—Noel spun, and spun, dizzy with the turning, near giddy with longing.

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Bliss Bennet writes smart, edgy novels for readers who love history as much as they love romance. Despite being born and bred in New England, Bliss has always been fascinated by the history of that country across the pond, particularly the politically-volatile period known as the English Regency. Though she’s visited Britain several times, Bliss continues to make her home in the States, along with her spouse and an ever-multiplying collection of historical reference books.

Bliss’s Regency-set historical romances have been praised as “savvy, sensual, and engrossing” by USA Today, “catnip for the Historical Romance reader” by Bookworlder, “romantic, funny, touching, and extremely well-researched” by All About Romance, and “everything you want in a great historical romance” by The Reading Wench. Bliss’s latest book is Not Quite a Scandal, the second book in The Audacious Ladies of Audley series.

Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Ghosts Along The Oregon Trail by David Fitz-Gerald ~ Guest Post And Giveaway

Posted: March 29, 2024 in giveaways, Guest Post, Historical, Western
Tags: , , ,
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Embark on a harrowing trek across the rugged American frontier in 1850.

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A Grave Every Mile

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Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail Book 1

by David Fitz-Gerald

Genre: Historical Western Adventure Fiction

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Embark on a harrowing trek across the rugged American frontier in 1850. Your wagon awaits, and the untamed wilderness calls. This epic western adventure will test the mettle of even the bravest souls.

Dorcas Moon and her family set forth in search of opportunity and a brighter future. Yet, what awaits them is a relentless gauntlet of life-threatening challenges: miserable weather, ravenous insects, scorching sunburns, and unforgiving terrain. It’s not merely a battle for survival but a test of their unity and sanity.

Amidst the chaos, Dorcas faces ceaseless trials: her husband’s unending bickering, her daughter’s descent into madness, and the ever-present danger of lethal rattlesnakes, intensifying the peril with each step. The specter of death looms large, with diseases spreading and the eerie howls of rabid wolves piercing the night. Will the haunting image of wolves desecrating a grave push Dorcas over the edge?

With each mile, the migration poses a haunting question: Who will endure the relentless quest to cross the continent, and who will leave their bones to rest beside the trail? The pathway is bordered by graves, a chilling reminder of the steep cost of dreams.

A Grave Every Mile marks the commencement of an unforgettable saga. Start reading Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail now to immerse yourself in an expedition where every decision carries the weight of life, death, and the pursuit of a brighter future along the Oregon Trail.

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Lighten the Load

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Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail Book 2

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After a devastating tragedy, Dorcas Moon faces brutal choices in the unforgiving wilderness.

An unsolved hometown murder casts a foreboding shadow over the journey. Mounting responsibilities weigh heavy on Dorcas’ shoulders while navigating the trail along the Platte River. Family, friends, and neighbors can’t seem to get along without her help.

The gruesome trail exacts a heavy toll. A sweeping grass fire blazes across the prairie. A doomed wagon careens down a treacherous hill. A fellow traveler is gored to death while hunting buffalo. Each disaster pushes the pioneers to the brink. Amidst the chaos, Dorcas grapples with the realization that she must dump her precious cook stove and her husband’s massive safe. The oxen can no longer haul the heavy weight of unnecessary cargo.

When her daughter mysteriously disappears while the wagons are at Fort Laramie, Dorcas despairs. She is desperate to help her daughter when the troubled youth is found in the arms of a Brulé man in Spotted Tail’s village.

Secure your copy of Lighten the Load and delve into an unforgettable saga of empowerment, sacrifice, and the haunting echoes of the American frontier. Rejoin Dorcas Moon on the adventure of a lifetime as she confronts the challenges that shape her destiny.

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Meet the Hero from Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail

Dorcas Moon is a one-of-a-kind protagonist.

In April of 1850 she is 34 years old. Her husband, Larkin Moon, is an aspiring banker who recently left his job as the manager of an inn. They are the parents of four children and together they journey from Independence, Missouri toward a new future in Oregon.

She has many strengths but plenty of faults as well. Hopefully, that makes her relatable. In many ways, she belongs in 1850. In other ways, she’s ahead of her time. Perhaps that makes her interesting. She’s always loved to cook but hates to sew. As a young woman, her mother couldn’t keep her indoors. The westward journey reawakens the tomboy in Dorcas. Sometimes, she pokes her nose into other people’s business and now and then she can’t help listening in on private conversations.

After working with her as a young woman in my novel, WAKING UP LOST, part of the Adirondack Spirit Series, I couldn’t get her out of my head. She wasn’t the hero of that book, but she often stole the scenes in which she appeared. She was such a unique character, I just had to spend more time with her. Now that she’s been the center of attention for five books, and the series built around her is complete, I’m still not tired of this indomitable character. Maybe someday I’ll return to Dorcas Moon. We shall see.

Who doesn’t try to picture the character they’re reading about? As the author, I’ve described Dorcas as a tall woman, taller than most men. She’s self-conscious about that and has a history of arguing that she is not six feet tall. She’s a full eight of an inch shy of that. She has frizzy blond hair that is not easily contained. I have a collage featuring pictures of women that could be Dorcas Moon. It includes Lady Liberty from United States coins and the blond woman who looks like she’s wearing a toga floating like an angel above the prairie in artist John Gast’s 1872 painting titled American Progress.

What famous people, past or present do you picture when reading Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail? I welcome your email at dave@itsoag.com – and if you’d like to know what famous woman’s picture I have pasted on my collage, I’ll tell you in my reply.

Where did the name Dorcas come from? It’s very rare these days. When writing historical fiction, I love to find names that were used during a particular time period that are far less common today. I reached way back into my own family tree to find this memorable name and when business took me to Newark, New Jersey, I visited her grave.

I’ve been asked about writing in the first person from a woman’s perspective. I enjoy the challenge of inventing characters unlike myself and trying to bring them to life. It helps having the perspective of my editor, Lindsay, who has collaborated with me on all of my fiction. I love putting myself in the shoes of my characters and trying to imagine what they’d do or say. That could be the best part of being a novelist.

Now that I’m finished writing Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail, I wonder whether the protagonist is the real hero of the series. The case could be made that the true star is the trail itself. Maybe it is the iconic prairie schooner that captures readers’ imaginations. Just the sight of a wagon sets off something in me. It’s as if I’m connected to that symbol. Maybe it is a flicker from a past life. Who knows for certain?

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Stay With the Wagons

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Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail Book 3

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Venture deep into the uncharted wilderness and crest the continental divide.

Stay with the Wagons is the enthralling third chapter in the Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail series. Dorcas Moon has discarded her mourning dress and yearns for freedom and independence amidst the vast frontier. But a perilous world and a commanding wagon master keep her tethered. Ultimately, it’s a brutal bout of fever and ague that confine her to camp.

Relentless disasters and beguiling challenges unfold in this installment. A young man is crushed beneath a wagon wheel. Dorcas’ son breaks an arm, a grizzly bear attacks the wagon train, and the looming threat of attacking outlaws whips the emigrants into a worried frenzy. How many must perish before they reach the end of the trail?

As chaos reigns, her troubled daughter, Rose, disappears once again, leading Dorcas on a perilous quest. Tracking Rose to a sacred site, they encounter a blind seer and a legendary leader, Chief Washakie. Rose’s enchantment with Native American adornments sparks Dorcas’ concern about an unexpected suitor and raises worries about Rose’s age.

Stay with the Wagons is bursting with action, adventure, and survival. It is a story of resilience and empowerment on the Oregon Trail.

Claim your copy now and re-immerse yourself in a tale of high-stakes survival, unexpected alliances, and the indomitable spirit of Dorcas Moon.

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Snarling Wolf

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Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail Book 4

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Dive back into the gripping, frontier chaos. Snarling Wolf is the fourth adventurous installment in the Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail series.

The famed Snake River marks the point the wagon master claims that all the greenhorns turn loco. After twelve hundred grueling miles and four relentless months on the trail, the expedition teeters on the brink. Frayed nerves, exhausted patience, and the specter of doom cast a dark cloud over the travelers.

At every turn, new dangers emerge. A young man who is like a brother to Dorcas Moon is ravaged in a mountain lion attack. A heat wave grips the dusty, barren plains and spreads sickness. The wolves that lurk in the shadows edge closer. Even the rattlesnakes seem emboldened.

Dorcas’ daughter, Rose’s descent into madness can no longer be ignored. What began as an eerie preoccupation with death takes a shocking turn when Rose reveals her truths. Dorcas is thrust into a realm of disbelief, and her worst fears about Rose’s mysterious suitor become a stark reality.

As weary emigrants yearn for respite, tales of murderous outlaws spread like wildfire across the prairie. Passing strangers share the latest terrifying news. It’s only a matter of when, not if, the notorious highwaymen will strike. Which bend of the mighty snake shelters the feared outlaws?

Grab your copy of Snarling Wolf now and unveil the next chapter in Dorcas Moon’s relentless saga. Sink your teeth into this tale of survival, madness, and the unyielding spirit of those who brave the treacherous migration.

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

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Rolling Home

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Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail Book 5

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Climb aboard! Don’t miss the heart-pounding climax of the Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail series. Rolling Home is the final installment.

In the heart of the rolling village, dissent brews as the stubbornest naysayer refuses to continue the journey. With an ominous early snowfall and memories of the ill-fated Donner Party haunting the pioneers, Dorcas Moon faces a new wave of challenges. Just when she believes things can’t get worse, a disastrous river crossing claims their wagon and submerges their belongings.

As the rolling village approaches the final leg of the journey, the looming threat of outlaws intensifies. The notorious bandit known as The Viper and his ruthless brothers are determined to rob the greenhorns, sell their stock, and kill every last one of them. The pioneers had heard tales of their brutality, but now, with Dorcas’ daughter kidnapped and Dorcas captured, everyone is in danger.

What will become of Dorcas Moon, her family, and their friends? Will anyone survive the perilous journey?

Rejoin the expedition and witness the thrilling end to a gripping saga.

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Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

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David Fitz-Gerald writes westerns and historical fiction. He is the author of twelve books, including the brand-new series, Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail set in 1850. Dave is a multiple Laramie Award, first place, best in category winner; a Blue Ribbon Chanticleerian; a member of Western Writers of America; and a member of the Historical Novel Society.

Alpine landscapes and flashy horses always catch Dave’s eye and turn his head. He is also an Adirondack 46-er, which means that he has hiked to the summit of the range’s highest peaks. As a mountaineer, he’s happiest at an elevation of over four thousand feet above sea level.

Dave is a lifelong fan of western fiction, landscapes, movies, and music. It should be no surprise that Dave delights in placing memorable characters on treacherous trails, mountain tops, and on the backs of wild horses.

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Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

The Secrets Of The Hidden Workforce by Lisa Toth ~ Author Interview And Giveaway

Posted: March 19, 2024 in Excerpt, giveaways, Guest Post, reviews
Tags: , , ,
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Join us for this tour from Mar 11 to Mar 29, 2024!

Book Details:

​Book Title:  The Secrets Of The Hidden Workforce by Lisa Toth
Category:  Adult Non-Fiction (18+),  142 pages
Genre: Nonfiction Occupational
Publisher:  Yorkshire Publishing
Release date:  March, 2024
Content Rating:  PG. Suitable for all adults 17+

Book Description:

​Radio show host, Lisa Toth shares how she created a staffing agency for the developmentally disabled population. Over the years, Toth has helped thousands of individuals with disabilities find work that Is not only a good fit for their strengths, but also work they find fulfilling. Readers will enjoy this collection of inspiring stories, as well as the honest candor with which Lisa shares the lessons she learned along the way. She and her clients have faced daunting obstacles and challenges that would make many give up. It’s the challenges that make the successes extra sweet for all of them.

BUY THE BOOK:
Rise Staffing
Amazon ~ B&N
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Welcome to Laura @ FUONLYKNEW, Lisa Toth!

 

  • Where did you get the inspiration for your stories? 

The inspiration for my stories came directly from my lived experiences and the lived experiences of the people I work with. They came from the many hats I’ve worn in my career working to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities live, work, and become thriving citizens within their communities. What I do, serving this community in this way is my life’s art and passion.

 

 

  • In your book you create a small guide-like explanation on how an entity could create a path for someone with a disability to get a job, what inspired you to come up with this idea? 

Not everyone has access to or the opportunity to receive services from a vocational agency like Rise Staffing. This guide can serve as a blueprint for a family to help their loved one who lives with a disability find a job and build positive habits for the workforce, or for someone who has the same life art and passion as I do the steps for them to take in building a career in this field. This also came naturally for me to develop because I share stories behind the steps through different interviews on my Radio show and podcast, The Hidden Workforce. Breaking everything down and explaining how employers can be more inclusive is one of my specialties.

 

  • Did you have a special place where you would write? 

I did most of my writing in a brown recliner in the living room of my beautiful home. I like to call my home “The Unicorn Resort” because just as a unicorn is a one-of-a-kind creature, my home is one-of-a-kind as well. It was everything my family and I dreamt it would be and more. I have worked hard my whole life in the field of serving people with different abilities— so to be able to sit in the space that came from decades of hard work from me and my family, as I’m putting the stories that shaped me and the people I work with to paper, it was a very special full-circle moment for me.

 

  • Was there a story in your book that was difficult for you to write about? 

One story that was emotionally difficult for me to revisit and write about was about one of the patients I served early in my career, Violet. I would be lying if I said I didn’t shed tears when writing about her story and experiences. It was also my encounters and working with her that shaped the direct care worker I was then and the leader in this field that I grew to be. I also knew though difficult to share, people needed to read and know her story. Her story and many others like her’s happened and still happen to this day, so I believe it’s important to shed light on that to prevent the same mistakes from happening again in the present. The section about sexuality also comes to mind. This is unfortunately a very taboo topic in the world of people who live with intellectual and developmental disabilities, but it’s very important to discuss. I made sure to write this section respectfully while also maintaining integrity within the truth. I also had a certified professional who specializes in this field of focus, Judy Myers, contribute to this section as well.

  • Do you have a favorite story in your book? 

That is always such a tough question. Every story is so special and important to me for different reasons and in different ways. My story isn’t a novel that explores someone else’s experiences and truths— they explore my experiences and truths as well as the world of people who live with disabilities’ experiences and truths, which although can be scary/vulnerable to bring forth, was also very liberating to share.


A part of my book, not so much a story but it means a lot to me, is the forward my dear friend and mentor for over three decades, John Depaula wrote for me. What he wrote highlights the dedication and passion we have for our work and a friendship that has lasted since the late 1980s. From the beginning of my journey to what my career is today has entailed tremendous amounts of hard work and relentless advocacy. John’s forward represents a special sentiment to me, and I’m honored he wrote it.

 


  • What are the secrets of the hidden workforce? 

You’ll have to read it all to capture the whole truth of this answer. But the secrets unveil themselves as readers encounter people within the hidden workforce— to be clear, people who live with disabilities— and witness the stereotypes they break and the glass ceilings they shatter as they accomplish achievements some of us could only dream of accomplishing. They do it overcoming obstacles and barriers we could only imagine having to face on a daily basis which makes them even more remarkable than they already innately are.


If you don’t have the chance to meet people in this community in person, you are introduced to many in my book, which is a great place to start. This also further emphasizes that it’s ok to be different and do things differently than others. Sometimes, the way things are done differently is the better way. There are many secrets within the hidden workforce— the most important being our workforce of ready workers who live with different abilities— but there are many truths that come to the surface as we explore these secrets as well. We learn lessons like we don’t have to be afraid to interact with someone who lives with a different ability, we simply need respect and patience as we learn to communicate with each other. You don’t need a special tool or degree to help a person who lives with a disability at work or in the community, you just need to be willing to step up to the plate and advocate. It’s ok to ask questions when you don’t understand because it’s better to ask questions than to act on assumptions. The hidden workforce surrounds and affects all of us. My book discusses all of it and activates a greater conversation on how we can all be more inclusive.

 

  • Do you have a next project in mind? 

Many exciting projects are in the works! My Staffing agency, Rise Staffing, is joining forces with my Radio Show and Podcast, The Hidden Workforce, to develop a not-for-profit vocational training program for our customers interested in the field of radio and reporting. We understand that many have technical and creative skills they would like to use to work in the field of radio and broadcasting or to start their own show or podcast, and we want to help provide training opportunities for them to accomplish this. We are also expanding our show and podcast to YouTube as well as employing more remote reporters who live with different abilities to share their stories, voices, and capabilities.


  • What advice would you give someone new to the field you have served in for over three decades? 

First and foremost, you have to be in this field for the right reasons.


This is a job that happens in people’s homes, work, and personal spaces so it can become routine, familiar, and familial. Remember, in everything you are doing to stay professional and that you are there to provide a therapeutic training service that will help your client succeed throughout their life. You can’t be in this field for any self-indulging, self-serving ulterior motive— if this isn’t your passion or calling it will be a very difficult career to maintain. Sometimes, people choose a career in this field to feel good about themselves or to enjoy feeling appreciated, but a majority of the time you will be challenged in all you do to go above and beyond after you have already gone the extra mile for your client without any sort of acknowledgment or outcome. Pace yourself and set boundaries. There will be times you go the extra mile and then some for your client who won’t respond with appreciation for those extra efforts. It is very often that these experiences change the dynamic of this work for the vocational staff, and they leave the field with a bad experience. Do the work to teach the person how to do what they can, don’t do it for them, teach them and watch them grow and flourish. As much as I advise on boundaries and precautions to protect yourself— I also want to emphasize that when you’ve been in this field as long as I have, you will have your share of tribulations, but you will have just as many if not more wonderful experiences and victories. This is a field unlike any other. It’s special, and when you see what these incredible people can do and when their dream comes true, it is truly a feeling unlike any other! Don’t give up, you can do it.

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Meet the Author:

Lisa Toth, CEO Owner at Rise Staffing is passionate about employment. Her favorite thing is matching people with great employers! In addition to this work, Toth is the host of the successful radio show “The Hidden Workforce,” a show about the positive impact people with different abilities bring to the workforce. 

connect with the author: website ~ facebook 
 
 
 
 
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The Secrets of the Hidden Workforce Book Tour Giveaway

 

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Florida: Poetry And Prose by Glen Erick Miller ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: March 9, 2024 in giveaways, Guest Post, Poetry
Tags: , ,
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Florida offers lush landscapes, infinite sunshine, and a chance for renewal. But its footing as a place of

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refuge and joy continues to shift as easily as its miles of sandy shoreline.

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Florida: Poetry and Prose

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by Glenn Erick Miller

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Genre: Poetry, Fiction

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Florida is a land of extremes. Depending on the perspective, it can be seen as either beacon or demon. It is an epicenter of dreams, both wonderful and broken. It offers lush landscapes, infinite sunshine, and a chance for renewal. But its footing as a place of refuge and joy continues to shift as easily as its miles of sandy shoreline.

Florida: Poetry and Prose explores our complicated relationship with place. This love story serves as the backdrop for observations on identity, family, and the desperate attempt to safeguard memories against the march of time. The poems speak to the longing for human connection and the promise of permanency. At the same time, they revel in satire and the irony of setting down roots in a paradise that may soon be under water.

The collection is anchored by a pair of short stories which pit tragedy-tested love against the stark realities of nature and an increasingly uncertain world.

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Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

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SNOWBIRD

 

Snowbird

is a slam.

I’ve used

the term

myself.

 

Never

is a stupid

thought.

I’ve used

the word

myself.

 

A snowbird knows

when to leave

and when to go back.

 

It is buried in her,

this call to move with the seasons,

traveling lightly with no possessions.

“Why deny it?” she asks. “Just accept it,

and enjoy the scenery.”

 

What kind of bird

stays? What do you call

a bird that stores

food and insulates

their home and puts

together jigsaw puzzles

to fritter away

the horrible night?

 

What kind of bird

chooses to wear

a badge of

martyrdom

when paradise

is just

a flight

away?

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Interview about the book

  1. What was your inspiration for “Florida: Poetry and Prose”?
    1. Since moving from snowy northern New York state to sunny Florida several years ago, I’ve enjoyed connecting to my new home’s landscape and culture. The sights, sounds, and smells of the Sunshine State are really unique and diverse. It’s surprising to many just how large the state is: it features 1350 miles of coastline! Despite all of the natural beauty, there’s also a lot of tension in terms of overdevelopment, environmental issues, and politics. In “Florida: Poetry and Prose,” I wanted to collect my observations on both the natural beauty and the social eccentricities of the place. Other themes I’ve been writing about lately are home, family, memory, and change.
  2. What was your process in writing the book?
    1. I’d been writing poems—and a few stories—ever since we arrived here, and I felt it was time to collect some of them together in a book. As a kid who grew up in the 80’s, I’m old enough to remember the joys of making mixed tapes of my favorite songs. Curating this book reminded me of that process. I basically laid out printed copies of all the poems and started to shuffle them around. I had some ideas about placement such as which ones worked well back-to-back, like a call and response. As with making a mixed tape, I also paid attention to the ups and downs of the collection. I tried to highlight the variety of pieces, from very short poems to ones that span four pages. Some works are lighthearted while others are pretty dark. Finding the best mix took several weeks. Of course, during this time, I also did quite a bit of editing; the more I re-read and rearranged the poems, the more I found things I wanted to change. A big decision with the process was whether or not to include stories, or just focus on poems. Another thing I had to decide on was including some non-Florida poems. I’m happy with the result that features three ‘parts’ because it shows the variety of writing I enjoy. Adding a few of my own photos was another way to share my creative interests.
  3. Tell us about the book’s cover.
    1. The credit for the cover photo goes to my son, Brooks. He took the picture while we were enjoying a sunset at Rookery Bay in Southwest Florida. Since I began thinking about the book, I knew I wanted to use this photo for the cover. Playing around with the layout, the image of the sun and the book’s title seemed to be at visual odds with one another. One day, I was moving things around and found that the sun fit into the “O” in “FLORIDA” perfectly. That was one of those happy accidents, a la Bob Ross!
  4. What did you learn from writing this book?
    1. I learned that poetry is hard! I’ve known that it’s a deceivingly simple genre since I first began writing poems as a kid, but creating a book for publication forced me to look differently at every little detail. In putting “Florida” together, I recalled the advice from teachers over the years, such as paying close attention to rhythm and sound and how they can underscore a poem’s tone. Also, I rediscovered the joy of subtle concepts like enjambment and assonance. In a more general sense, writing this book taught me to trust my creative choices; self-doubt has always been one of my biggest struggles. In the end, I’m really proud of the way the book turned out and am excited to work on more collections.
  5. Why is your book a “must read”?
    1. While writing the pieces for the book, I enjoyed researching other works and writers based in Florida. However, I was surprised to find only a few books of poetry. Because the state is experiencing great upheaval these days, I think there’s a place for literature that closely examines what’s going on. Not only does there continue to be a huge influx of newcomers, each with their own “Florida Dreams” (like my own family), but the state also continues to go through profound environmental transformations. Climate change has led to rising water levels and historically devastating hurricanes. My poem “Waterfront” addresses the irony of Florida being one of the fastest-growing states while it fights a losing battle against destructive change. I haven’t seen other collections that observe this incredible place in the same way, and I want to be part of that conversation.

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Glenn Erick Miller is the award-winning author of “Camper Girl,” a Young Adult novel and “Red’s First Snow,” a picture book. Another picture book, “What Can it Become?” won a Florida SCBWI’s Rising Kite Award and is forthcoming.

He earned his BA from SUNY Oswego and MA from Binghamton University. During his long career in education, he has been a tutor, program coordinator, GED teacher, and college professor. He divides his time between New York’s Adirondack Mountains and Southwest Florida.

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Website * Facebook *Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

 

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

The Babel Apocalypse by Vyvyan Evans ~ Guest Post And Giveaway

Posted: February 14, 2024 in giveaways, Guest Post, Science Fiction
Tags: ,
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Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for The Babel Apocalypse organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Vyvyan Evans will award a randomly drawn winner a copy of the audiobook. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Babel Apocalypse

by Vyvyan Evans

 

 

Genre: Science Fiction

Synopsis

Language is no longer learned, but streamed to neural implants regulated by lang-laws. Those who can’t afford monthly language streaming services are feral, living on the fringes of society. Big tech corporations control language, the world’s most valuable commodity.

 

But when a massive cyberattack causes a global language outage, catastrophe looms.

 

Europol detective Emyr Morgan is assigned to the case. Suspect number one is Professor Ebba Black, the last native speaker of language in the automated world, and leader of the Babel cyberterrorist organization. But Emyr soon learns that in a world of corporate power, where those who control language control everything, all is not as it seems. After all, if the mysterious Ebba Black is to blame, why is the Russian Federation being framed for an outage it claims no responsibility for? And why is Ebba now a target for assassination?

 

As he and Ebba collide, Emyr faces an existential dilemma between loyalty and betrayal, when everything he once believed in is called into question. To prevent the imminent collapse of civilization and a deadly war between the great federations, he must figure out friend from foe—his life depends on it.

 

And with the odds stacked against him, he must find a way to stop the Babel Apocalypse.

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Enjoy this peek inside:

As I was about to glance back at the voices, a light flickered in my peripheral vision, drawing my gaze upward to the night sky. A soft white glow, high up in the dark. At first it was indistinguishable from the airway lights. But it persisted, the size of a small disk at first, before shifting to red-orange, getting larger. At that point I realized it definitely couldn’t be a hover car. This was farther up, probably low Earth orbit, which explained the initial white. But the shift in coloration—that meant a detonation, producing nitrogen dioxide, which turned deep orange when mixed with air. A gaseous cloud has reached the atmosphere, I thought. I was witnessing a chemical explosion in space large enough to be visible to the naked eye. But what was exploding?

 

As I continued looking up, the orange grew in intensity until it flared across the skyline, illuminating the entire landscape around me with an eerie red-orange. It was only then that I became aware of the newly hushed silence of the drunken revelers nearby. And the silhouettes of other people too, who had also stopped and peppered the pedestrian corridor. We were all now strange red creatures, watching transfixed in rapt silence as the night sky was on fire. And just as suddenly as it had appeared, it was gone; the orange light faded back into a deep well of pitch black.

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Guest Post From Author Vyvyan Evans:

Why you chose language as the focus for your story

My background is in linguistics, working as a university professor. Hence, I had written and published a good number of non-fiction books before moving into science fiction. I published 14 non-fiction books, including technical books, textbooks for university students and popular science books on language and communication for lay readers.

The Babel Apocalypse is a natural extension of my entire career as a researcher in linguistics. It imagines a near-future in which language is no longer learned, it’s streamed to neural implants in people’s heads from internet in space. But when a global language strikes, catastrophe ensues. The book explores how language works, and when it doesn’t what we all lose. I hope it makes the reader think about language in a whole new way.

The Babel Apocalypse imagines a future in which we stream language directly to neural implants in our heads, just as, today, we stream anything from movies, to books, to music, to our ‘smart’ devices, and consume that content. Smart devices use streaming signals—data encoded in IP data packets—encoded and distributed via wi-fi internet. Language streaming would work, in principle, in the same way. With a ‘language chip’ implanted in our brains, we will be able to ‘stream’ language from internet-in-space on demand, 24/7.

Moreover, based on an individual’s level of subscription to a language streaming provider, they would be able to stream any language they chose, with any level of lexical complexity. This means that someone could, potentially, apply for a job in any country in the world, without needing to be concerned about knowing the local language. Rather, the individual would just draw upon the words and grammar they need, to function in the language, by syncing to a language database, stored on a server in space. And call it up, over the internet, in real time, as they think and talk. It means that everything someone needs to know, to be able to use a language, is streamed over the internet, rather than being stored in someone’s head. Language learning, thus, becomes obsolete.

Science fiction has a long and illustrious habit of predicting the future. In 1940, with his first in the Robot series of stories, Isaac Asimov predicted some of the ethical issues that would arise as artificial intelligence comes to have a more pervasive influence in our daily lives.

Today in the twentieth first century, we are on the brink of a Fourth Industrial Revolution, sometimes dubbed 4IR. This is where automation and connectivity, via the internet, will dramatically alter the way in which we interact with each other, as well as everything around us, in our increasingly joined-up technological environment. And I predict, in less than one hundred years from now, this new technology will transform many aspects of our daily lives that we currently take for granted, including language itself.

As humans “give up” on language, and offload language learning, allowing AI to take over, language becomes a commodity (like any other, such as movies, music, etc., that we now stream on demand for a fee). In short, language would become a proprietary product, controlled for and by big tech, in service of shareholders and corporate interests.

Such a development leads to a slippery slope of issues ranging from potential censorship, to control of thought, and even, through cyberterrorism, the prospect of an existential crisis for the human race. The latter is manifested in The Babel Apocalypse most notably by a global language outage, which prevents large numbers of people from being able to communicate.

Self-evidently, in a world where most people have undergone language chipping, this would soon lead to a situation in which in the automated world there are no native speakers of language left. And with an entire population entirely dependent on language, were that language streaming ecosystem to fail, then the consequences would be catastrophic.

The Babel Apocalypse imagines a situation in which a cyberterrorist attack on language streaming servers in low-Earth orbit leads to just such a global language outage. Such an event, with its low probability, would be one for which humans would be completely unprepared. In The Babel Apocalypse, entire populations of people, literally at a stroke, lose the ability to use language, becoming feral. And hence, the consequences for civilization become catastrophic.

Hence, the concerns alluded to in the book relate, ultimately, to what it means to be human; and whether implantable AI can and should be allowed to replace previously fundamental aspects of the human experience. Moreover, these concerns highlight the abuse that arises from the commoditization of what we (may have previously) assumed to be a human birth-right, namely language.

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About Author Vyvyan Evans

Dr. Vyvyan Evans is a native of Chester, England. He holds a PhD in linguistics from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., and is a Professor of Linguistics. He has published numerous acclaimed popular science and technical books on language and linguistics. His popular science essays and articles have appeared in numerous venues including ‘The Guardian’, ‘Psychology Today’, ‘New York Post’, ‘New Scientist’, ‘Newsweek’ and ‘The New Republic’. His award-winning writing focuses, in one way or another, on the nature of language and mind, the impact of technology on language, and the future of communication. His science fiction work explores the status of language and digital communication technology as potential weapons of mass destruction.

 

Author Links: Book Website / Author Website / YouTube / Twitter / Facebook / Instagram

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

The Corpse Whisperer Series by H.R. Boldwood ~ Guest Post And Giveaway

Posted: February 6, 2024 in giveaways, Guest Post, Mystery, urban fantasy
Tags: , , ,
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Welcome to the world of Allie Nighthawk, corpse whisperer and bad ass zombie hunter.

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The Corpse Whisperer

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An Allie Nighthawk Mystery Book 1

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by H.R. Boldwood

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Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Mystery

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Zombie hunting just got wicked fun!

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Welcome to the world of Allie Nighthawk, corpse whisperer and bad ass zombie hunter.

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“If you raise deadheads, you’d better be able to put ‘em down. Nobody said it was pretty. But in this day, when vampires aren’t just for breakfast anymore, and the dead are disposable pawns for necromancers, someone has to ante up. Looks like I won the lotto. Imagine my delight. You should thank me, really, because the world is batshit crazy.”

When the zombie population spikes and no one knows why, it’s up to Allie to solve the mystery. But there’s a hitch. She’s stuck babysitting Leo Abruzzi, a zombie-bitten gangster who’s turning state’s evidence. But the mob and a powerful necromancer will stop at nothing to take Leo and Allie down.

Allie Nighthawk is Anita Blake on steroids, with a fondness for leather and Jack on the rocks. She has a healthy dose of Stephanie Plum and Rachel Morgan in her, too, though she’d never admit it. The battle between good and evil just got wicked fun.

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads

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What advice would you give new authors? What are common traps for aspiring authors?

 

From a technical perspective, I encourage new authors to tighten their writing, tighten it again, and then tighten more. Readers want a page-turning pace, but be careful to not edit the voice out of your characters or your narrator.

 

It’s common for new writers to “info dump,” which means plopping too much exposition or backstory upfront. Use a deft hand when splicing those all-important facts into your story. Too much exposition slows the pace of the narrative.

 

Find an online or in-person writing group where the participants have at least your level of experience (preferably more experience than you.) Check your ego at the door. Listen and learn. If one reader has an issue with a specific area of your story, it may or may not be a matter of personal preference. If multiple people give you similar feedback, they are probably on to something. Keep in mind that the story you wrote belongs to you. You can choose which feedback suits you and which doesn’t.

 

Don’t get attached to your words. Sometimes, I have a passage I love, but it doesn’t work where I’ve placed it. Rather than discard the passage, I move it to a “keep file” where I can access it again at another point in time.

 

There is a world of online writing information at your fingertips. Educate yourself, whether it’s learning how to format a manuscript, create compelling three-dimensional characters, pace your story, or outline a novel. There are also excellent online and in-person seminars on every writing-related topic imaginable. The more you know and the more professional your manuscript appears, the better your chances of seeing your work professionally published.

 

Find an experienced mentor to help guide you through the writing process if you can. Let them read your work and provide feedback. Soak up their words of wisdom!

 

Use an editor. There are millions of authors out there, all seeking publication. Don’t let punctuation errors, wonky sentence structure, or plot holes kick you to the curb before an agent or publisher gets to the meat of your story.

 

Once you think your manuscript is polished, forward it to experienced beta readers, not just your mom or Aunt Sally. Good beta readers help you spot logic errors, inadvertent name/time frame changes, and typos that have magically survived your own editing process.

 

Once you send your manuscript out into the world, be aware that the publishing industry moves at the speed of molasses. Have patience when it comes to expecting responses. Expect a ton of rejections before you receive an acceptance. And when you do get an acceptance, read the publisher’s contract very carefully. Have a professional look it over before you sign. You don’t want to be locked into an agreement that isn’t mutually satisfying.

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Corpse Whisperer Sworn

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An Allie Nighthawk Mystery Book 2

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Zombies, Voodoo, and Hoodoo-what would you do?

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Follow Allie Nighthawk to exciting New Orleans where she raises the dead, puts down rotters, and dabbles in the mystical world of hoodoo. She’s on the trail of an evil necromancer who will stop at nothing to rule the world with his army of deadheads. Is her magick strong enough to save the day? Or will this necromancer from her past kill her before she gets the chance? She figures she’s got a fifty-fifty shot. Make that forty-sixty.

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Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads

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Life Among the Tombstones

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An Allie Nighthawk Mystery Prequel

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Freelance zombie hunter seeking full-time employment-benefits required.

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In this prequel to The Corpse Whisperer series, financially challenged zombie hunter, Allie Nighthawk, returns to her hometown of Cincinnati and finds herself knee-deep in murder, mayhem, and zombies. Can she solve not one but two murders, and get away unscathed — when the good guys might not be so good, and a presence from her past returns for revenge?

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**Get it FREE!**

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Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads

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Corpse Whisperer Torn

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An Allie Nighthawk Mystery Book 3

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Zombie hunting 101: Never tell your neighbors what you do for a living.

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“Just after sunrise, I jumped on my Harley and hurtled toward Templeman’s Funeral Home, packing Hawk, my custom 9mm, a backup Glock, and a seven-inch Ka-Bar knife—the standard-issue zombie-hunter’s tool kit. Not that I’m standard-issue, by any stretch. I was born with the ability to raise the dead. It’s a genetic thing. Don’t ask me how it works. I didn’t write the playbook. I’m just living the dream.”

Allie Nighthawk faces a ghost from her past as she explores the fascinating and historic world of Cincinnati’s underground. When the Z-virus threatens world-wide contamination, it’s up to Allie to save the day. Is her magick strong enough to turn the tide? Or will doubt and inner demons stand in her way? And will those she loves survive?

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Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads

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H.R. Boldwood, author of the Corpse Whisperer series, countless short stories, and Imadjinn Award finalist, is a writer of horror and speculative fiction. In another incarnation, Boldwood is a Pushcart Prize nominee and winner of the 2009 Bilbo Award for creative writing by Thomas More College. Boldwood’s characters are often disreputable and not to be trusted. They are kicked to the curb at every conceivable opportunity when some poor unsuspecting publisher welcomes them with open arms. No responsibility is taken by this author for the dastardly and sometimes criminal acts committed by this ragtag group of miscreants.

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Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Guest Post And Giveaway ~ Standing Room Only by Josh Liccardi

Posted: January 31, 2024 in fiction, giveaways, Guest Post
Tags: , ,
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One man’s journey through the sick and twisted world of heroin addiction.

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Standing Room Only

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by Josh Liccardi

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Genre: Fictional Biography

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One man’s journey through the sick and twisted world of heroin addiction. Listen to his every thought as he tries to reexamine life, or what it has become. See each struggle unfold as things get more and more complicated. Learn how to curve the pain, and ultimately how to simply just give up.

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*Please note – due to an Amazon error, the ebook connected to the Amazon paperback is incorrect and NOT by this author!*

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151 Productions ebook * B&N * Paperback Amazon *Goodreads

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It hits me hard. Then it pulls through me like a freight train that is stuck on its rails, but set to full throttle at its fastest speed. The pause button has been pushed. Time is slowed to an almost stop. All the energy in the world enters me through the invisible lines that are attached to every square inch of my body. For a second, I have entirely disappeared. Absorbed into everything else that is….and isn’t. This feeling can only be described as indescribable. Without experiencing it yourself, there is no possible way that one could ever even imagine its magnitude and significance. Soon time will begin again and catch up in a strange and ambiguous way. I can see around things that normally seem so benign and unimportant. A new way of thinking takes over as I try to grasp all the differences between what I’ve been told, and what I am currently actually seeing. Things that normally aren’t this clear are suddenly lit up and almost transparent. Like the answers were always just sitting there right in front of me waiting to be found. This is how I want to feel all the time. I can’t imagine dying without ever having felt this way – I now finally feel as though there was a point to living. A glimpse into the soul this deep should not be passed over. Never again will I see things the way that I used to – through a murky filtered lens. Never again will I feel hopelessly trapped inside of someone else’s great idea that I simply do not agree with or accept. Never again will I fear that there is nothing else to be found. Never again will I search for a way to fill the voids that so profoundly populate my chest. I know that in the physical sense I am sitting on the floor against Dave’s beat up brown couch, but I can’t feel it. A numbness has engulfed my body which pulsates at irregular time intervals as a reminder of its presence. A cyclone of thoughts swirl through my head like watercolors being brushed lazily onto a canvas. There is no pain in this place. No worries. No cares. Just the forever stillness of my physical self that has relaxed to the consistency of putty. This is the high. This is what we all crave and spend all of our energy constantly seeking. It has become irreplaceable. It has become everything.

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Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?  

 

As far back as I can recall I would write little snippets of thoughts or even short story type excerpts instead of paying attention in school, to pass the monotony of it all.  Writing was always a passion that would eat away at me in the back of my mind until I had no choice but to put my thoughts down on paper.  Even if these thoughts didn’t formulate into anything more, the act of writing them out and working through the words left me with a cathartic feeling.

 

What is something unique/quirky about you? 

 

I drink more coffee than water throughout the day and am running out of free skin to tattoo.

 

I was also recently informed by a close friend that I have a knack for coming up with analogies to describe things, and that I “do this all the time” –  after giving it some thought, I don’t think he’s wrong.

 

Tell us something really interesting that’s happened to you! 

 

Once on a business trip to San Diego I was shocked to run into an old co-worker there who had moved to the area without my knowledge.  I live in MA, so to randomly run into someone you actually know literally on the other side of the country seemed extremely odd, and of course, interesting!

 

What are some of your pet peeves? 

 

I don’t have many that I can think of, however the biggest thing that comes to mind is “giving up”.  I personally exhaust every route possible before doing so, and I have come to expect the same from others.  The younger people in my life who I’ve had the pleasure of mentoring over the years always get this advice from me – do you best to never give up, you might end up surprising yourself.

 

Where were you born/grew up at? 

 

I was born in Great Barrington MA and grew up in a nearby town called Hinsdale.  It was a rural area with not much to do but to make your own fun, mostly outside either alone or with neighborhood friends.

 

If you knew you’d die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day? 

 

I would spend the day at the ocean surrounded by loved ones (hopefully), specifically my daughter.  Knowing that I was going to die would create immense anxiety, and being at the edge of the water could help with calming my nerves.  My daughter would be the last person that I’d want to see before making the final descent into nothingness.

 

Who is your hero and why? 

 

I can’t really think of anyone (fictional or real) that I would call my “hero”, but if I had to choose, I suppose it would be two people.  My Grandfather is one, and the other would by my Father.  My Grandfather was an extremely kind person and was someone that I observed for years.  I was able to learn a lot from him while I was growing up, and he inadvertently showed me how to deal with most situations in life.  My Father is also one of the nicest people you’d ever have the pleasure of meeting.  He’s an extremely hard worker and has always chosen to do the right thing in life.  Both provided me with many social skills and abilities to navigate life in a respectful manner.

 

What kind of world ruler would you be? 

 

A peaceful one (if that is at all possible).  I have always felt as though we should all help each other as human beings and do what we can to lift those up around us.  The world we live in today does not have that mentality, and the people who hold power are generally only concerned with acquiring more of it.  As a world leader I would desperately try to push humanity toward hitting a reset button, and changing archaic ways that end up doing more harm than good.

 

What are you passionate about these days? 

 

I am mostly passionate about my current writing projects, one of which is a comic book series called “Tribes of Erutan” who my closest friend and I have created together.  We are close to publishing the second issue and will then immediately be moving on to the third.  It’s been a tremendously rewarding project and we hope to create many more in the future.  When I’m not working on that specifically, I’ve been writing another novel as well, so that is also at the top of my list lately.

 

What do you do to unwind and relax? 

 

I rarely have “relaxing” time, however when I do, I usually end up either playing some video games, enjoying a sessions of D&D with some friends, or spending time near the ocean.  Every year I travel down to coast of Virginia and just get away from everything around me.  Staring into the vastness of the ocean fills me with inspiration while simultaneously having an overall calming effect.

 

How to find time to write as a parent? 

 

Finding time to do anything as a parent is difficult!  When my daughter was still very young the opportunity to write was almost non-existent.  There were times where I would have a sudden thought and I would quickly type it out on my phone to not lose the idea etc.  Now that she has grown into a teenager, finding time has become a bit easier.  I end up writing a lot at night, or simply in between obligations such as work and family activities.

 

When did you first consider yourself a writer? 

 

Once I published my first novel I began to feel somewhat ok with the title, however I’m not a fan of titles in general.  I feel that stamping a title or name on someone/something immediately provides preconceived notions and tends to make people overlook the qualities behind the veil.  Anyone can be a “writer”, whether you can invoke feeling in a reader is another thing entirely.  My goal is always to make someone feel something.

 

Do you have a favorite movie? 

 

Too many to list, however a few that come to mind are “Fight Club”, “Trainspotting”, “Donnie Darko”, “The Godfather”,

 

Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?

 

Definitely Standing Room Only.  There is plenty of drama, with some elements of action as well.   While some scenes would certainly have some grittiness, I feel like the emotion would come across well on screen.

 

As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

 

An English Bulldog – hands down.  I’m only slightly biased due to having my own 12 year old English Bulldog, but seriously I think they’re amazing dogs despite their physical challenges.  They are incredibly stubborn yet extremely loyal and dedicated.  I cannot help but smile every time I see one.

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Josh Liccardi is an American author who grew up in the Berkshires located in Western Massachusetts. He was born in 1981 to a small family and grew up in a rural area 15 miles away from a small centralized city. With not much to do he spent his time creating scenarios for himself and other neighborhood kids near him in order to pass the time outside of school. At an early age Josh became interested in computers and started learning their ways from the inside out, which ended up turning into a career choice as he aged. School was never of much interest, but Josh did attend some college, before dropping out and focusing solely on his first IT job. The years went by and he bounced around between a few different companies, but still to this day is working in IT. When not engrossed in work he was able to find time to write various things, which did get put on hold after the birth of his daughter. Josh is able to focus more on writing now however and recently created 151 Productions with his dear friend and artist Shawn. Through this endeavor Shawn and Josh will continue to create and publish various works such as a comic book series as well as upcoming novels that are already in process. They are both very grateful to get their creations out into the world and hope to share their art for years to come.

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Website * Facebook * Instagram * Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Undomesticated Women by Anna Blake ~ Guest Post, Giveaway & Review ~

Posted: January 30, 2024 in giveaways, Guest Post, reviews
Tags: , , ,
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Book Details:

​ Undomesticated Women, Anecdotal Evidence from the Road by Anna Blake
Category:  Adult Non-Fiction (18+),  325 pages
Genre: Travel Memoir
Publisher:  Prairie Moon Press
Release date:  Oct  2023
Content Rating:  PG. oblique mention of dysfunctional family, no sex, drugs, etc

Book Description:

Welcome to our year of living compactly. My dog, Mister, and I took to the road pulling our A-frame trailer, the Rollin’ Rancho. I’m a traveling horse trainer/clinician, who became a non-essential worker during the COVID-19 lockdown. Then, in 2022, we bounced back. We were nomads looking for horse training adventure and liver treats. Work paid for the trip; it was part clinic tour, part travelogue, part squirrel hunt. But mostly an unapologetic celebration of sunsets, horses, RV parks, roadkill, diverse landscapes, and undomesticated women.

It’s a book made of made of adjectives and nouns, blue skies and tornado watches, resorts and reservations, open roads to the horizon, and one-lane dead-ends. We emerge from the truck in a cloud of dog hair and sunflower shells, like disoriented and scruffy rock stars in a GPS haze, not entirely lost or found.

This book isn’t about training, although there are horses in it. It’s a follow-up of Stable Relation, my first book, but my life changed in ways I would never have guessed, so don’t expect the usual sequel. Undomesticated Women is a travel memoir, a peek behind the curtains of what my job is like. I wanted to see this beautiful country, do some time travel, and explore thoughts and memories now that I’ve become a gray mare.

​Mister would tell you it’s his memoir about being tasked with the unreasonable job of guarding me against a wild range of dangers. Like eating dinner late.

BUY THE BOOK:
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add to goodreads
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MY REVIEW

I’ve recently read some memoirs and enjoyed them and was curious about Undomesticated Women. The title intrigued me and the idea of a woman of my age traveling the country with only her dog as a companion sure had me curious how it went. And a horse whisperer to boot. I’m sure she probably doesn’t tag herself as one, but that’s what came to mind when I read about some of her experiences with the noble animals.

I was hooked right off the bat. From how the germ of an idea blossomed into a possibility and then to reality, right down to what kind of travel camper to choose, I didn’t want to miss a thing. The details of doing some practice camping on different places on her farm to see how Mister, her canine companion, would deal with the cramped quarters and being separated from the other dogs and The Dude Rancher, her husband, to how she’d cram everything she need for the long trip into the nooks and crannies, all of it was interesting… and entertaining.

I’m a horse lover. Was one of those young girls that had the statues on all my shelves, along with all those great books like The Black Stallion, Black Beauty and Little Black, A Pony, and posters hung in every available place. The author had me laughing and crying as she related her journey of cross country clinics with owners and trainers and their horses. Kind of reminded me of the show Heartland, which I love.

Anna Blake is such a great storyteller. Yes, a storyteller. This may not be a work of fiction, but all great storytellers leave you hanging on each sentence, wanting more and more. And that’s how it was with her book. If she can entertain me this much with her memoir, it makes me wonder where her imagination could take me in a work of fiction. I’d read it!

5 STARS

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Guest Post
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My Dog, The Author

After the COVID lockdown was over, I was eager to get back on the road and do my job live again. I’m a horse trainer who’d been sitting in an office chair, giving lessons in Zoom meetings. Now I wanted to see the country again. My dog, Mister, and I took to the road pulling our A-frame trailer, the Rollin’ Rancho. We were nomads traveling 14,000 miles, across 30 states, and seeing both oceans.

Driving days were long and to stay awake, I listened to audiobooks, nibbled sunflower seeds, and took my dog’s advice on when to stop for a walk. Mister was my self-care specialist. He walked me to keep my hips loose. He called me to dinner after a long workday. And he was an emotional anchor for me because no matter what other people think about me, Mister always thinks my only job is to be with him. He makes things that simple.

Writing is part of every day for me. I’ve been blogging since 2010, along with publishing books, writing poetry, and even screenplays. It’s my habit to use words to sort out my thoughts. At home, I usually write early in the morning before the chaos begins. When traveling, I’m oddly comfortable writing in an airport bar.

When I was training locally, I always kept a notebook with me to scribble down thoughts as I drove from farm to farm. In preparing for this long-distance road trip, I added some technology to keep us safer, including a cell phone holder on the dash and a voice-to-text app. At first, it was just for notes and ideas that I wanted to remember. One day, I dictated part of an essay and then felt guilty. I had already betrayed my paper tablet. Was I betraying my laptop now?

The app didn’t work that well, not speaking horse like I do. It would have to become bilingual. Once I downloaded the file, the number of corrections was bewildering. If I hadn’t edited it that night, I wouldn’t be able to recognize what I was talking about a day later. But with technology changing so fast, I’m always afraid if I don’t keep up, I’ll have to hire somebody’s kid to do my banking.

The next day, I tried again. It was a quiet afternoon on the back roads in North Carolina. I wanted to write about the last stop, so I thought out my sentences and slowly enunciated every word. Mister was in the passenger seat, strapped into his safety bed. Like most dogs, he sees me at my worst and keeps my secrets.

I paused in my dictation and thought for a long moment. The microphone was waiting. Mister sat up and let out one bark. The screen added the word “what.” Our eyes met, and he didn’t look away. Was Mister going to write a tell-all book of his own?

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Meet Author Anna Blake:

 



I’m an animal advocate, award-winning author, solo RV traveler, old-school feminist, dog companion, unabashed lover of sunsets, and professional horse trainer/clinician. I’m sixty-nine years old. I’ve done just about everything and done it well. No longer auditioning.

My books include:
Stable Relation, A memoir of one woman’s spirited journey home.
Relaxed & Forward: Relationship advice from your horse.
Barn Dance, Nickers, brays, bleats, howls, and quacks: Tales from the herd.
Horse Prayers, Poems from the prairie.
Going Steady, More relationship advice from your horse.
Horse. Woman. Poems from our lives.
Undomesticated Women: Anecdotal Evidence from the Road

I was born in Cavalier County, North Dakota, in 1954, the youngest daughter in a farm family. Now I live at Infinity Farm, on the flat, windy, treeless prairie of Colorado with a herd of reprobates, raconteurs, and our moral compass, Edgar Rice Burro. Previously, I was a self-employed goldsmith, showing one-of-a-kind artwork in galleries from coast to coast. My Denver studio and gallery was shared with generations of good dogs.

Early writing included a few screenplays, one of which was produced independently, and articles for several periodicals. Every Friday since 2010, I have posted an unconventional and popular blog about life on the farm and horse training. My unique perspective combines Calming Signals and Affirmative Training for a special method of understanding, training, and respecting animals.

connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~ facebook ~ instagram ~  goodreads 

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Undomesticated Women, Anecdotal Evidence from the Road Book Tour Giveaway

 

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Guest Post And Giveaway ~ Recruiting Murder by Frank Lazarus

Posted: January 20, 2024 in giveaways, Guest Post, Mytery/Thriller
Tags: , , ,
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Can two Sleuths put these two puzzles together before college starts in September?

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Recruiting Murder

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A Brown & McNeil Murder Mystery Book 3

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by Frank Lazarus

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Genre: Murder Mystery, Crime Thriller

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The third installment in the Brown and McNeil Mystery Series
Lenny Goldstein and his company, Future Stars, evaluate high school and collegiate basketball talent and sell their rankings to colleges and NBA teams.
From its humble beginnings in 1975, Future Stars had grown into a behemoth; with fifteen NBA teams and seventy-eight colleges paying subscriptions for his rankings.
Lenny is semi-retired these days, with his son and son-in-law running the business until he gets a call from an old buddy in Newport News, who wants him to come look at a high school kid, Lincoln Anderson, in Emporia, Virginia. He believes this Anderson kid has been overlooked by everyone, including Future Stars.
Concurrently, Lenny gets a call from an old buddy, the iconic coach of Duke University, to see what he knows about the college decision of Tyler Longenecker, Future Star’s #5 ranked high school senior from a premier prep school in the tony Boston suburbs.
All seems to be going on script until graduation, when both Lincoln and Tyler are involved in a death and a roofie rape. Suddenly, Lenny’s getting calls about both kids.
Lincoln’s family is related to James McNeil in Philly, and they call him for help. James and his buddy, Detective Vernon Brown of the Philly PD, jump into the car and head South on I-95.
Can the two Sleuths from The Murder Gambit and The Phenom put these two puzzles together before college starts in September?
Once again, Author Frank Lazarus has produced a gripping, suspenseful story that will keep you off Netflix for a day or two.
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Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads

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The Graduation Party of the Beaver Country Day School was being held at The Country Club in Brookline,
Massachussetts.
The dance had ended and Tyler Longenecker and Katie Reynolds walked off the floor together. Tyler was a
highly recruited basketball player who had recently committed to Duke University in the Fall.
Tyler asked, “How about going outside for some fresh air and a beer? I’ve got two tickets left.”
“Sure!”
They stopped by the bar and picked up two Samuel Adams, and Tyler led her outside. It was still mild
outside, and on a clear night, the stars and half-moon were shining brightly. “Wow, what a gorgeous night,”
he said; girls love that shit!
The headed to the pool area, and Tyler knew the cabanas were unlocked. They could have some privacy
there, at least for a bit. They entered and sat close to each other on a chaise lounge. Tyler raised his beer
bottle and toasted, “To our futures, Katie.”
Katie returned the toast, “To the Class of 2022!”
Tyler reached in and gave her a peck on the cheek. But he pulled back only an inch or two, waiting for her to
glimpse into his eyes. When she did, he looked into hers and slowly inched closer to her lips. Her mouth
opened invitingly, and he accepted the invitation. Their tongues found each other and explored. Tyler’s
arousal was now in full throttle, and it seemed that Katie was keeping pace. Her hand found its way down to
his zipper, but without opening it, she gently massaged it as it continued its growth. “Oh, Katie, that feels so
good; please don’t stop.”
She couldn’t and wouldn’t! She started unbuckling his belt as he reached around and began unzipping her
dress. By the time he had worked it down to her waist,Katie had slumped, and her body fell out of Tyler’s
arms, collapsing onto the chaise lounge.
Tyler froze for a minute, and then Nathan, Billy, and Sheldon entered the cabana.
“She’s out cold,” Tyler said. “Those roofies are quick-acting. Guys, I’m still hard; I’m going first.”
Lincoln Anderson had just dropped off two work friends and was heading home on West End Boulevard in
Emporia, Virginia. Lincoln had recently gone from an unknown basketball player to a full scholarship recruit
to Richmond Commonwealth University, thanks to the discovery by Future Stars, LLC.
BetweenTaylor and Greene Streets, he saw a bike lying on the road. A strange place for an abandoned bike,
he thought. It was a narrow, one-way street, so Lincoln had to pull off onto the grass. He parked and got out.
He walked towards the bike, and as he got within ten feet, he noticed a young girl lying in the drainage ditch.
He ran over to her, knelt down, and gently pushed her to see if she was awake. There was no movement.
He ran back to his car and dialed 9-1-1 on his cell phone.
“This is 9-1-1; what is your emergency?”
“Yes, I am on West End, and a girl has fallen off her bike, and she’s not moving. I think she needs an
ambulance really bad.”
“Where on West End?”
“Right at Taylor and Greene.”
“And your name, sir?”
“Lincoln Anderson.”
“OK, Mr.Anderson, please wait for the ambulance and police, and do not touch the girl.They should be there
within five minutes.”
She hung up. Lincoln thought he should call home; hopefully, his dad could come over. He dialed his dad’s
cell.
“What’s up, Lincoln?”
“Hi,dad, can you get over to West End? I was driving home and saw a bike lying on the ground. When I went
over to it, there was a girl lying in the ditch next to it. I called 9-1-1, and they are on their way, but I hope you
can get here.”
“I’ll be right there, Lincoln. You did the right thing, but do not answer any questions until I get there. Do you
hear me? Is there anyone else there? Other drivers pulled over?”
“Not yet!”
“I’m on my way.”
Ten minutes later, a police car arrived, and Lincoln could hear the ambulance approaching behind them.
Lincoln got out of the car and walked towards the girl. Two uniformed police officers jumped out of their car;
one pulled his gun and said, “Halt right there, young man; put your hands up in the air?”
The other officer walked to the girl’s body and placed his hand on her throat. Heturned and said, “She’s
gone.”
They both walked towards Lincoln and said, “Keep your hands in the air. We just need to search you; do you
have a weapon?”
“No, I don’t have any weapon; what am I a suspect? I just saw the girl’s bike and stopped to see if I could
help.”
The officer frisked Lincoln and then looked into his pockets. Out of his side pocket, he pulled out a small
pouch that contained a white powdery substance.“What’s this?”
“What do you mean? That’s not mine, whatever it is.”
“Turn around, smart Alec. We are taking you into the station for questioning; turn around; cuff him, Buddy.”
“Wait,what the hell is this? I ain’t done nothing.”
The officer grabbed Lincoln and forcibly turned him around. Lincoln stumbled,falling to the ground. One
officer kicked him in the butt, while the other pulled out a club and hit him several times on the shoulder.
“Now, are you going to get in the car peacefully, or do we need more discipline?”
Just then, Lincoln’s father pulled up and jumped out of his car, “What’s going on here? Why is my son on the
ground?”
“Who are you?”
“I’m Lincoln’s father, Dwight Anderson; who are you?”
“I am Officer Jerome Abbott, and this is Officer Buddy Wilkins with the Emporia Police Department. Your
son stumbled when we were putting the handcuffs on him.We are taking your son in for questioning about
this young woman’s death and this substance we found on him,” showing the white pouch to Anderson.
“Dad, whatever that is, it ain’t mine. This guy just reached into my pocket and pulled it out like it was a
magic trick. And they have been kicking and clubbing me.”
“Is this the way you treat all your suspects or only the Black kids? Lincoln let’s just go down the station and
get this sorted out. Don’t say a word. Officers, I’ll follow you, but do not ask my son any questions until I
arrive.”

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The Phenom

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A Brown & McNeil Murder Mystery Book 2

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Even before he has played his first game in high school, it would seem nothing can stop Bo Campbell’s meteoric rise to stardom in the basketball world. In Philadelphia, people are already comparing him to his Overbrook High School predecessor, Wilt Chamberlain.


But his dreams are suddenly shattered when he is arrested for the murder of his best friend, Sherman Claxton.

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Detective Vernon Brown, and James McNeil, his friend and Bo’s grandfather, search for the truth, but James goes rogue, and soon finds himself in the dangerous underbelly of the Philadelphia drug sub-culture, where the stakes are high and it’s hard to tell who’s friend and who’s foe.

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Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo *Bookbub * Goodreads

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The Murder Gambit

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A Brown & McNeil Murder Mystery Book 1

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An unexplained death in a nursing home. A man falls from a balcony. A hit and run in the middle of a city street. An execution in a home. A woman collapses dead after a date.

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Five murders. Five methods. Five police jurisdictions.

What’s the connection?

Philadelphia-area detectives are under pressure to solve the murders, while dealing with their own issues.

Speeding like the lead car at Talladega towards a shocking conclusion, is The Murder Gambit a Shakespearean tragedy or a sinister reality?

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Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads

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Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?

I spent fifty-three years in the Financial Services and Life Insurance industry, never thinking much about writing a book or becoming a published author.

With possibly a couple of exceptions: thirty or forty years ago, I read that “everyone has a novel in them.” I once started one, and every five years or so, I add a sentence to it. Secondly, twenty years ago, I started writing a blog. It was private and only shared with friends and family. I considered it an outlet for my Seinfeldish sense of humor and titled it A BLOG ABOUT NOTHING.

I am working on a book that will be THE BEST OF THE BLOG; we’ll see if or when that comes to fruition.

I retired at the end of 2021 and kept busy with golf and COVID hibernating. Towards the end of 2021, a friend shared with me a novel that he had written but was unpublished. I decided to try it, and THE MURDER GAMBIT was born.

 

What is your favorite part of this book and why?

 

In THE PHENOM, there is a Lesbian seduction scene that I wasn’t certain I could write with any authority or conviction. It was so out of character for me, and I received a lot of questions about it from those who know me.

It may not be the highlight of the book, but it was the one I think of proudly.

 

 

What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?

I actually do more research WHILE writing than BEFORE.

For example, in my third novel, I have a potential murder in Emporia, Virginia, part of Greensville County. I needed to research how their court system worked.

And I am constantly on Google Maps, looking at streets, parks, churches, restaurants, etc.

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Frank Lazarus was born and raised in West Philadelphia and attended Overbrook High School, as you may have guessed from his writings.

After graduating high school, Frank spent two years in the U.S. Army during the VietNam War. After his service, he completed his

Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration at St. Joseph’s University, in Philadelphia.

He was in the Financial Services and Life Insurance industry for fifty-three years before he retired at the end of 2021.

Frank has three adult children and five grandchildren.

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Website * Facebook * Twitter * Amazon * Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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