This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Shannon O’Gorman will be awarding a $40 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Rose Hawthorne: The Irish Wanders follows Rose, a celebrity author in her early seventies, who dislikes the limelight but does like Hermes scarfs, round violet sunglasses, and old colonial hotels. One day, she receives a letter asking her to visit Newgrange, Ireland and discover something that has been hidden there for a thousand years.
She asks her granddaughter Samantha to accompany her, but she hadn’t expected her to continually post photos of their progress on her Instagram account. An encounter with an old love and an unexpected discovery leads Rose deeper into the past, where she finds she must make a hard decision about her future.
Read an Excerpt
At first, the music the fiddler played was lively, his fingers deftly danced across the strings, and a few couples got up to spin around the floor. Towards the end of his set, he played exquisite notes that washed over the pub, making the dust dance, and it rose in the air like magic. The cheering and conversation quieted down for his last song. It was a slow piece that most of them recognised. The fiddler hit the final note with such poignancy that it echoed throughout the pub. When the music stopped, the whole pub went quiet.They cleared their throats and blinked back tears, and then took a few last swallows from their pints.
“Nothing like a bit of Irish music to bring out the tears,” Bill admitted wiping an eye.
“It’s something so special,” Rose agreed with a small sniff.
And all around the pub, they raised their glasses to the fiddler and his music.
As people began to leave the pub, Rose realized that it was getting late and neither of them had eaten yet.
“Shall we eat something? Maybe grab some fish and chips?” Bill said, reading her mind.
“Perfect,” she replied in a low, quiet voice.
They bought some greasy fish and chips at a nearby takeaway. It was wrapped in brown paper and covered with the Dublin news.
Then, they walked the streets until they found a bench under the stars away from the shouts, laughter and the lights. Beside the river, they were alone. They unwrapped the greasy paper and ate the cod hungrily, stuffing the vinegar smeared fries quickly into their mouths.
“Do you want the last chip?” Bill had said softly, holding it up in his greasy fingers.
About the Author:
Shannon O’Gorman is a retired ESL teacher who has recently completed her second walk on the Camino de Santiago. She is currently training her dog to accompany her on a Camino one day. She lives in California with her husband and daughter when university is not in session.
The number one secret
to my success as a bodyguard? Staying under the radar. But when a wildly public
disaster and a dead client blew up my career and reputation, it turned my
perfect, solo life upside down.
I thought my tiny
hometown of Nowhere would be the ideal out-of-the-way refuge to wait out the
media storm.
It wasn’t.
My little brother had
moved into a treehouse. The obscure mountain town had decided to attract
tourists with the world’s largest collection of big things… Yes, Nowhere now
has the world’s largest pizza cutter. And lawn flamingo. And ball of yarn…
And then I stumbled
over a dead body.
All the evidence points
to my brother being the bad guy. I may have been out of his life for a
while—okay, five years—but I know he’s no killer. Can I clear my brother before
he becomes Nowhere’s next Big Fatality?
A fast-paced and funny
cozy mystery series, buy Big Shot now to take advantage of the special
pre-order price of .99 cents.
Murder mystery game
included in the back of the book!
NOTE:
The book will be on sale for $0.99 during the tour.
EXCERPT
Just to be clear, it wasn’t my fault.
It wasn’t my responsibility either. But when my client
slipped me a mickey, there’s a principle involved. Though after falling down a
flight of hotel stairs, I wasn’t sure what that principle was anymore.
I staggered to my feet, lost the rest of my dinner in a
potted palm, and careened through the door into the hotel lobby.
Guests turned to stare, and why not? My blond hair
fountained out of a high, pre-makeup-removal ponytail. Camo pajamas and flip-flops
completed my tipsy party-girl look.
I staggered deeper into the chic gray and white lobby.
Lights glinted off the chrome chandeliers, and I winced at their dizzying
starbursts.
My fists clenched on my phone. Or at least I thought they
did. My fingers were a little numb. But I’d expelled most of the drugs, and I
was going to catch my wayward client, Toomas Koppel, and surveil him until it
hurt. Him. Hurt him.
That wasn’t ego. I was well aware of my many flaws. But I
also knew who I was and what I was, and what I was was very, very good at
surveillance.
Plus, I was an optimist. Personal protection agents,
otherwise known as bodyguards, frequently were. We liked to think we were tough
and cynical, since our job was to watch for trouble. But you didn’t get into
this business if you didn’t think you and your client would survive it. Maybe
that was why I’d been snookered by mine. I still had no idea why he’d drugged
me, but I was going to find out.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Kirsten Weiss
writes laugh-out-loud, page-turning mysteries. Her heroines aren’t perfect, but
they’re smart, they struggle, and they succeed. Kirsten writes in a house high
on a hill in the Colorado woods and occasionally ventures out for wine and
chocolate. Or for a visit to the local pie shop.
Kirsten is best
known for her Wits’ End, Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum, and Tea &
Tarot cozy mystery books. So if you like funny, action-packed mysteries with
complicated heroines, just turn the page…
Links:
Website: https://kirstenweiss.com
Pre-order Swag for Big Shot with FREE Mystery Role-Playing Game: https://www.kirstenweiss.com/big-shot-pre-order-extras
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Torina Kingsley will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Eleven year old Macy dreams of action and adventure that will take her far beyond her family’s farm. But what will happen when that adventure finds her?
Long ago, faeries were banished from the land after a legendary battle. So long ago that many wonder if faeries really exist or if the battle was just a tall tale. But one mysterious night, Macy’s mother is attacked, and ever since, unusual things start happening. Missing items, changing moods, and most strange of all, the family’s sheep start behaving unusually.
Her mother is suddenly determined to get rid of the sheep, and Macy suspects that the reason may be sinister. When Macy meets a boy her age, the aloof and sarcastic Jay, they embark on a journey to discover the truth and save her mother. In this twist on The Wonderful Birch, you won’t find kings, queens, or evil stepmothers. Instead, you’ll find two courageous pre-teens from the outskirts, ready to defend Odele from the magical forces that threaten it.
Read an Excerpt
The sun was just starting to set on the rolling hills of the Jensen property. Laurel Jensen climbed the nearest hill, the wind whipping at her graying curls. She looked all around, searching her surroundings.
Where did that sheep run off too? she thought with frustration. She looked back towards the pen, where she could see the rest of the flock grazing. With a sigh, she turned from them and continued on in search of the silly creature.
“How many times have I told Macy to keep the pasture gate closed?” she muttered, gathering up her skirts as she began to climb a particularly steep hill. Though her boots were sturdy and built for the rough terrain, Laurel much preferred flat ground to these hills. Each step left her more winded than the last.
All at once, she slipped and landed hard on her hip. In a panic, she reached into her pocket on that same side and pulled out a clay, beaded necklace that her daughter had given her earlier that morning. She breathed a sigh of relief to see it unharmed.
“Happy birthday, Ma!” Macy had said. Her brown curly locks framed her face, making her look much older than her eleven years. “I made it just for you.”
Laurel smiled as she remembered, knowing these moments would become scarce in the next year or two. She put the necklace around her neck and then flinched as she reached down to rub her bruised hip. She exhaled and picked herself up to continue up the hill. At the top, she saw a treeline not far ahead. Feeling hopeful, she began her descent in that direction.
About the Author
Author Torina Kingsley masterfully creates a world where things aren’t always as they seem. Beyond the Birch is an imaginative spin on an old folktale that reminds us all to hold our loved ones close and always believe in own our capabilities.
What
happens when your entire identity revolves around a way of life that is
becoming obsolete?
In the 1920s, as Canada
progresses through the Industrial Revolution, horses are still the rural
engines of survival. As a child Adam lives this reality on his family’s farm in
the Ottawa Valley, planning to take over one day and have a family of his own.
When his parents die during the Great Depression, nineteen-year-old Adam is
disinherited in favour of his brother and is forced to move to the city to find
work. Without a formal education his choices are few, yet he finds a place to
use his horsemanship skills in the dwindling forces of the Canadian cavalry
based near Montreal. There he finds pride in being a mounted soldier, and
friendship with his fellow dragoons. But the cavalry units are mechanized by
the beginning of World War Two, and when Adam is sent to Europe, he must
abandon his equine partners for trucks and tanks. In the catastrophic
experience of war, he will lose everything once again.
Broken in body and
spirit, he returns to Canada where he must confront the question of survival in
a world that doesn’t seem to have a place for an injured soldier. Full of
poetic reflections on what it means to work with horses, horse/man is a
powerful story about a man searching for dignity and connection in the face of
a rapidly shifting world.
EXCERPT
“Trot on, Jack! Git up, Pete! Git UP! Good.”
The driver called out orders and sounded gruff, even in
praise. The reins slapped the broad chestnut backs lightly, then loosened. It
was the end of May, and planting had finished. Today, they were going to town.
Freed from their heavy collars and the deep wet soil, the horses danced down
the dirt road, shaking their heads as they pushed through the harnesses. Their
efforts were rewarded with an easy silence.
Seven-year-old Adam sat in the back of the wagon, his skinny
legs anchoring the sacks and baskets his mother had given him for dry goods. He
was small for his age but wiry and strong. His face was still childish,
heart-shaped and snub-nosed, with sandy brown hair and eyes. His father,
Ciaran, was alone on the front seat, driving the horses with his back to Adam.
Adam was grateful for the rest.
The horses picked up speed, and Adam bounced from side to
side on the planks. The percussion of the horses’ hooves and the squeak of the
wagon on its struts was all he could hear. The wind from the wagon’s movement
had a chill. He turned his head to face it, letting the tears from his watering
eyes stream along his cheeks. He inhaled the sharpness of spring, undercut by
the heaviness of soil and vegetation that was not quite yet alive. Travelling
along, further details unfurled — the patches of mud in the potholes, the
freshly tilled soil in the fields, the shades of green emerging from the
ditches and the trees.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
ulia Merritt has been captivated by horses ever since she could see out of the car window. Then she grew up and became a public library CEO and certified animal bodyworker. She lives in Ontario, Canada, with her thoroughbred horses and smooth collie dogs. This is her first novel.
If you have been coming to fundinmental for a while, you probably know how much a cover can influence me. That is why I invited Barbara Casey here to tell us her thoughts. Take it away Barbara.
THE ARTFUL EXPRESSION OF BOOK COVERS
One of the things I am most pleased about in
writing The F.I.G. Mysteries is the fact that my publisher is also a
professional and extremely talented artist. From the beginning when she first
published Book 1 – The Cadence of Gypsies
– she sensed the emotional tenderness underlying the story. The cover she
designed – an obscure symbol found in the Voynich Manuscript – expressed that
emotional tenderness perfectly. At that time, I wrote The Cadence of Gypsies as a stand-alone novel. After it was published,
however, my publisher convinced me to expand it into a series. The original
cover metamorphosed into something different that was perfect because it now
tied in with the other covers on The Wish
Rider, The Clock Flower, The Nightjar’s Promise, and now, The Seraphim’s Song.
Each cover symbolizes the main underlying
theme of the book in a beautiful and sensitive expression. Books 1 through 4
have focused on the personal emotional journeys of Carolina and the females of intellectual
genius as they search for answers to explain why they were placed in an
orphanage and who their biological parents were. With those answers for the
most part found, The Seraphim’s Song elevates
Carolina and the F.I.G.s to another level of understanding. There are new
questions; more answers are needed. This involves an ancient artifact that, in
fact, is a key to all knowledge in the universe that has been hidden in a cave
in China for as long as the planet Earth has existed. The cover shows a “key”
surrounded by colors of the universe. It is beautiful, and it is perfect.
It is really nice to visit with you again. Thank you for inviting me and for your continued interest in my books. All best to you and your bloggers. ~Barbara
I am so happy to have you here and look forward to ‘seeing’ you again soon, Barbara.
The Seraphim’s Song by Barbara Casey
GENRE: Fiction/Mystery
BLURB
Book
5 – The F.I.G. Mysteries
Many changes have taken
place at Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women while Carolina and
Larry were on their honeymoon in Frascati, Italy, on the Granchelli farm. The
newlyweds have been given a larger bungalow; Ms. Alcott, niece of the founder
of Wood Rose, and Mrs. Ball, assistant to the headmaster, have moved into a
bungalow together; and Jimmy Bob, caretaker and night watchman at Wood Rose has
moved from his family home down the road a bit into a small bungalow on the
orphanage property with his hound dog Tick, as well as his new cat and her
litter of kittens. Most important, thanks to the persuasive powers of Ms.
Alcott and Mrs. Ball, the F.I.G.s have been given a forever home at Wood Rose.
Summer is coming to an
end and the F.I.G.s will soon return to the universities to complete their
special projects. They are starting to feel anxious, and the coping mechanisms
they have used their entire lives are starting to work overtime. Dara’s
thoughts turn to an unknown language, possibly from another world; Mackenzie
focuses on the relationship of math to music; and Jennifer keeps hearing the
note of B flat minor and is drawing dark swirls on her canvas board.
Deadly forces and
natural disasters are unleashed into the world when Milosh, the evil young man
who placed a curse on Carolina when she searched for her mother, steals an
ancient artifact—a “key”—from an archaeological site near Puli, China on the
Yellow Sea where he is working. This artifact, when paired with a certain
note—B flat minor known as the Seraphim’s song—opens a portal that enables man
to communicate with the gods.
When the key gets lost
in a storm, Carolina comes into possession of it through Jimmy Bob’s dog, Tick,
and when she does, she hears Lyuba, her gypsy mother, tell her that time is
running out. The F.I.G.s and Carolina must go to the forbidden cave on the
Yellow Sea, the place where the early gypsies are believed to have settled
before travelling into Europe. For it is there where the key must be returned
before all is destroyed.
EXCERPT
As she usually did in the early, pre-dawn hours, Lyuba was
digging roots, in the dark of the crescent moon, and every so often replanting
a good piece of a root to grow next year.
The day before she had picked herbs, during that time when the essential
oils are at their strongest, before they could get evaporated by the midday
sun. Where she searched was her favorite
place, the place where the energies were strongest. Surprisingly, it was the old church graveyard
built on a slight mound just outside of the rural Italian village of Frascati,
which is why the other gypsy women stayed away.
Unlike Lyuba, they feared being so near the dead. They believed that
being near death would hasten their own, therefore they refused to go there.
Lyuba, however, saw death as the natural and necessary progression of life, in
another form, in a different dimension. She found comfort and solace in its
nearness.
A creek ran nearby, and a tall, unkempt yew tree grew near
the entrance to the graveyard, poisonous, but giving off positive
energies. It was a place Lyuba knew
well, having discovered it from earlier times when the travelers came this way.
It was there where she found peace.
She would prepare her potions from the roots, bark, and hard
seeds she gathered and make decoctions by soaking them overnight and boiling
them the next day. Some of the
decoctions she would add honey or sugar to; others she would thicken into syrup
or add lard to make ointments and salves.
The freshest herbs she saved for her oils.
Once her potions were ready, she would take them into the
village to sell. Coughs or colds,
rheumatism, cuts and bruises, burns—it didn’t matter. She knew what remedy was necessary to relieve
pain, create lustrous hair, revive the impotent, whiten teeth, cure
constipation, or simply heal the broken spirit.
Unlike others who only pretended, she had the gift.
As she scraped pieces of root and bark, and gently picked
the seeds from the plants she revered, she suddenly paused, aware of something
different in the air around her—an unseen potent force. She stood up and,
closing her eyes, listened quietly as she sniffed the air. There was an
unfamiliar strangeness surrounding her. She felt the slight tremor of the earth
and somewhere very far away, she heard the low-pitched hum.
It was a sound she knew well for it had been given to every
civilization from the beginning of time. Used in all of the major
religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, Zoroastrianism and
Christianity—it was the sacred universal sound.
A single sustained note, a mantra, it was the melody of the angel that
acted as the means of communication between the gods in the heavens and the
humans on earth. It was the seraphim’s song.
But something was wrong; the single note was slightly
off-key. The pitch wasn’t quite right. Then, because she was a choovihni and
had the knowledge of the universe coursing through her veins, a cosmic
consciousness that had been passed down to her from her mother, her
grandmother, and her great grandmothers through all time, she sensed darkness
and evil.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Originally from
Carrollton, Illinois, author/agent/publisher Barbara Casey attended the
University of North Carolina, N.C. State University, and N.C. Wesleyan College
where she received a BA degree, summa cum laude, with a double major in English
and history. In 1978 she left her
position as Director of Public Relations and Vice President of Development at
North Carolina Wesleyan College to write full time and develop her own
manuscript evaluation and editorial service.
In 1995 she established the Barbara Casey Agency and since that time has
represented authors from the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Japan.
In 2014, she became a partner with Strategic Media Books, an independent
nonfiction publisher of true crime, where she oversees acquisitions, day-to-day
operations, and book production.
Barbara has
written over a dozen award-winning books of fiction and nonfiction for both young
adults and adults. The awards include the National Association of University
Women Literary Award, the Sir Walter Raleigh Literary Award, the Independent
Publisher Book Award, the Dana Award for Outstanding Novel, the IP Best Book
for Regional Fiction, among others. Several of her books have been optioned for
major films and television.
Her
award-winning articles, short stories, and poetry for adults have appeared in
both national and international publications including the North Carolina
Christian Advocate Magazine, The New East Magazine, the Raleigh (N.C.) News and
Observer, the Rocky Mount (N.C.) Sunday Telegram, Dog Fancy, ByLine, The
Christian Record, Skirt! Magazine, and True Story. A thirty-minute television special which
Barbara wrote and coordinated was broadcast on WRAL, Channel 5, in Raleigh,
North Carolina. She also received
special recognition for her editorial work on the English translations of
Albanian children’s stories. Her award-winning science fiction short stories
for adults are featured in The Cosmic Unicorn and CrossTime science fiction
anthologies. Barbara’s essays and other
works appear in The Chrysalis Reader, the international literary journal of the
Swedenborg Foundation, 221 One-Minute Monologues from Literature (Smith and
Kraus Publishers), and A Cup of Comfort (Adams Media Corporation).
Barbara is a
former director of BookFest of the Palm Beaches, Florida, where she served as
guest author and panelist. She has
served as judge for the Pathfinder Literary Awards in Palm Beach and Martin
Counties, Florida, and was the Florida Regional Advisor for the Society of
Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators from 1991 through 2003. In 2018 Barbara received the prestigious
Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award and Top Professional Award for
her extensive experience and notable accomplishments in the field of publishing
and other areas. She makes her home on the top of a mountain in northwest
Georgia with three cats who adopted her, Homer – a Southern coon cat, Reese – a
black cat, and Earl Gray – a gray cat and Reese’s best friend.
I want to welcome Toby Negus to fundinmental. I left the topic open to whatever Toby would like to share. I hope you enjoy it. Take it away Toby….
Love
While I was sitting within a grove of
trees, my gaze came to rest upon a single tree. I tried to see this tree as it
was, to feel its life without my conditions of how I thought it should be. So, I waited for another way to understand
this tree, resisting the distractions in me that so wanted to tell the tree
what it was. I waited for the tree to tell me who it was. Ever so
slowly, an awareness of the tree grew in me of its life, its interconnectivity
to the other trees, the air, and the earth. This tree felt singular in its
purpose; not a different type of tree or a daffodil, but the tree that it was.
It felt like it had no doubt of what
it was or why it was. The power of the tree’s self-identity was total.
It was in love with being the tree that it was.
This irrevocable love that is evident in
nature, feels so different from the human experience of love. Ours seems a
kaleidoscopic chaotic love affair. Unfixed to the singular love that a tree
has. It is a helter-skelter ride of highs and lows, where our everchanging will
causes our love to come and go all too easily.
The tree does not have to make it, it is in
it! We have to summon it; create its opportunities and beckon it into our
lives. And we do this each day; rekindle the sparks of our purpose to find again
our love. Because we do long to be in love in what we do, with another and with
who we are. We love to love, love to share, love to give, love to make things
that shine, and of course, we love to be happy.
It seems that the human task is to ‘make love’,
to give birth to it by our will. And
this we do, in our choices of passion and in the struggles we endure to bring
our heart’s love to life.
The Heart Knows What the Mind Cannot See by Toby Negus
GENRE: self-help, mind body spirit
BLURB
This is a thought-provoking and enlightening
exploration of spirituality and perception. The text functions as a guide to
self-improvement, with a mixture of autobiographical elements and snippets of
universal wisdom. The speaker provides accessible solutions to life’s
difficulties, and an outlook of optimism applicable to any circumstance. The
illustrations and graphics are thoughtfully chosen, and the interactive textual
elements give this work an originality that sets it apart. The speaker’s own
experiences and conclusions are at the heart of this fiction, and the first
person narrative voice creates a sense of proximity between author and reader.
The text describes itself as ‘a journey to the heart’, and this truthful
discovery of the self is reflected in the speaker’s revelation of his whole
self through the text. The narrative often presents a dichotomy between positive
and negative outlooks or voices.
For example, the speaker includes sections in which
his self-doubt speaks, ‘you’ve got no proper education, you can’t spell
properly, you’re dyslexic and your grammar is crap. You’re not really a
writer’. This negative voice directly opposes the sense of self-belief the
speaker builds within the narrative. He uses examples such as this to remind
readers that the journey to happiness is complex and that flaws or setbacks are
natural. The negative separation or fragmentation of the self is prevalent in
the lines, ‘I do not love the grumpy me, the sad me, the hostile me, the parts
of me that act as if I do not care’. The act of writing represents a
unification of the self and an attempt to reframe the speaker’s life into coherence.
The frequent use of direct address and rhetorical questions promotes an active
reading experience, in which the author opens up a dialogue with the reader.
The text includes prompts and activities for the reader to engage with and
learn from. Encouraging readers to take part in the text is emblematic of their
journey to self-fulfilment and love, in which they must take responsibility for
actively creating their own happiness.
The speaker depicts his process of enlightenment as
a framework for others to emulate, and the format of the text demonstrates the
transfer of agency to those who take part in the speaker’s challenges at the
end of each chapter. This work ultimately teaches us that ‘we are the cause of
what is’ and thus sheds light on the crucial idea that every individual has the
power to create themselves and their world positively.
EXCERPT
Real learning is not what we expect. If we could expect it,
it wouldn’t be learning.
I looked in the mirror today and saw more than who I thought
I was; within the eyes was a million years of purpose. I saw the depth of the
universe and felt its unfaltering love. It was as if I had seen the divine
within myself, the truth of who we are. The us that never dies, the custodian
of our purpose, the love of our life.
This wasn’t what I expected and was somewhat sobering. There
was no blinding light, no sound of trumpets, and no big handshake with an
almighty. But it was as profound as if there had been. For it seemed I was
touching an eternal part of myself, an authority within that could create my
heaven on earth, that was already in heaven on earth! It was a glimpse of
something other than the me I thought I was. Its light questioned the lack of
self-care and love I held for myself. And its presence would eventually crack
and then dissolve my view of what I thought it meant to be human.
Doing a spiritual journey and tackling self-development
issues can give many profound perceptions, and I have had my fair share of
them. But this was different, this was personal. It was my eyes that were
looking at me, something that I could not escape from. It could not be brushed
off as a ‘perhaps’ or a nice perception that subsided over time. Its truth
seemed to embed itself into my very soul.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Toby
Negus has studied and taught spiritual and personal development in the UK and around
the world for over two decades. He is qualified in advanced counselling, as a
life coach and as a Cognitive Behaviour therapist. He is an Amazon best-selling
author of a collaborative Conscious Creators book and has illustrated and self
published two books on the subject of self-awareness and the spiritual journey.
He is also a published author of a children’s book The Boy Who Dreamed in
Colour. He has given talks and run workshops in support of his published work
within the UK.
In
the last few years, he has created many pieces of artwork that are a reflection
of his spiritual journey. These have appeared in magazines and have been
exhibited in the UK.
Alaska tour boat guide Stacie Calder faces the deep freeze in this scenic cozy series debut perfect for fans of Paige Shelton.
No nine-to-five cubicle career will suit
Stacie Calder—the naturalist much prefers working in the great
outdoors. Specifically, the spacious and spectacular Alaskan wilderness,
whose rugged charms she shares with sightseers on the top deck of the
tour boat where she works. But one May afternoon, Stacie’s passengers
see more than glittering glaciers, frolicking harbor seals, climbing
bears and soaring seabirds…they also witness a man lying dead in the
frigid Alaskan waters. And it seems likely that someone gave him a fatal
push.
Stacie didn’t know the unfortunate
victim, but he sure wanted to know a lot about her. He spent most of his
final afternoon bombarding her with questions quite awkward to answer.
And when he wasn’t in her hair, he was arguing incessantly with the
boat’s beleaguered crew. Which makes for a suspect list about as long as
the passenger manifest. Furthermore, as police helicopters relentlessly
circle her boat in search of any clues, Stacie is shaken to find
herself on that suspect list.
Before the tour boat reaches shore
Stacie—accompanied by her beautiful blue-eyed husky, Sasha—must deduce
just who sent the testy tourist tumbling into the turgid waters and have
the authorities take custody. Because if she can’t, then the killer
might aim a fatal ice-cold stare at Stacie.
About Lark O. Jensen
Lark O. Jensen is the pseudonym of Linda O. Johnston, a former lawyer who is now a full-time writer. Lark has written Bear Witness,
the first Alaska Untamed mystery for Crooked Lane. Linda has written
the Barkery & Biscuits Mystery series and the Superstition Mysteries
for Midnight Ink and the Pet Rescue Mysteries and Kendra Ballantyne,
Pet-Sitter mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime. Linda also writes for
Harlequin Romantic Suspense, and her stories often involve dogs.
I no longer have any little ones in my home, but I am always looking for ways to stay healthier for myself. I appreciate you dropping in and sharing this simple suggestion, Kalifa.
Nutrition Hack:
Using fruits to replace sugar
Hello! My name is Kalifa, I’m a registered dietitian,
certified breastfeeding specialist and the author of Eating These Foods Makes
Me… I have a passion for everything nutrition, food and a healthy lifestyle. One
thing I’m constantly noticing in my career is the re-occurring issue I notice
many of my clients struggling with and that’s the adverse health outcomes
having excess sugar in their diet is causing them to experience.
In our westernized diet, sugar is one of the top
nutrients we tend to inadvertently consume in excess amounts, and it can be
very challenging to cut down. The problem is too much sugar in our diet
promotes the onset of many health-related issues and chronic diseases such as
diabetes and obesity. So today I’ll share 3 quick and easy tips on how you can
swap out the refined sugar and use fruit instead.
1st off, the sugar found in our foods and
drinks comes in various forms. Fruits
contain natural sugars, which are a mix of sucrose, fructose and glucose, but primarily
fructose. I often suggest using fruits whenever possible to achieve the
sweetness you desire as a healthy nutrition hack. For example, berries
(raspberries, blackberries and strawberries) are quite low in sugar compared to
other fruits and sometimes just a handful added to your cereal, yogurt or
pancakes is all you need to satisfy a sweet craving as opposed to sprinkling on
the sugar, honey or syrup.
For those of you who love pastries and baking, you can
actually use banana, papaya or even apple sauce as a sugar swap. Put any of
these fruits in a blender and pulse until a smooth consistency, and there you
have it, if a recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, you can use ½ cup of the
puree. Figs and dates are also great
sugar swaps and provide the added benefits of fibre and minerals such as
potassium, calcium and iron.
Lastly, the hot summer weather is just around the
corner so you and your little ones might be craving a sweet treat to cool down,
why not get the kiddos involved by making their own 3 ingredient fruit sorbet
ice-cream. You can take almost any fruit you
want and transform them into a delicious and refreshing treat. Raspberry,
Pineapple, Peach and Honey Melon are our favourites! Simply peel and cut up
your fresh fruit into cubes then freeze them. If you’re using smaller fruits
like berries skip this step and freeze them whole! Once frozen, add your fruit
and a small amount of lemonade, orange juice or apple juice to your ice-crushing
blender or small food processor. Feel free to add some ripened banana to make
it taste a little sweeter. Keep in mind this sorbet is best eaten immediately
because unlike traditional store-bought sorbets, which contain high amounts of
added sugar which acts as interference for freezing resulting in a
softer/scoopable texture even at freezing temperatures, this homemade one has
way less sugar therefore if stored in the freezer it will harden.
Remember, there are always ways to improve our nutrition by simply being open-minded to trying different alternatives!
Thanks so much for sharing, Kalifa. I hope others found this as helpful as I did.
Is
your kid a picky eater? Do you want your child to enjoy eating a variety of
foods? Reading can be a proactive way to introduce your little one to the
amazing world of nutrition! In this book, readers will explore healthy foods
and learn how key nutrients benefit the body. These pages repeat positive
affirmations that will empower and build your child’s mindfulness about the
foods they eat.
It is never too early
to instill life-long healthy eating habits. Happy reading! Or should I say,
happy eating!
EXCERPT
Eating these foods makes me… Strong.
These foods give us protein which builds our muscles and bones to make us strong!
Fun Learning Activities to Promote Healthy Nutrition
1. Using paper and crayons or coloured pencils, draw a
rainbow, and then draw a fruit or vegetable that is the same colour as each
colour of the rainbow. You can even use this book for ideas. Remember to eat a
rainbow of fruits and vegetables (at least 5 servings) each day! How many have
you eaten today?
2. Do you like to play any sports or games? Do you like to
walk to the park? Help your parents choose and prepare an energizing snack
before the next game or walk to the park.
3. Eat your water? That sounds silly! Did you know that some
fruits and veggies such as celery are mostly made up of water and can also help
to keep you hydrated? Can you think of any others? Now try adding those slices
of fruit or even cucumber to your water bottle to give it some pizazz.
4. Try introducing interactive sensory play for preschoolers
(age 3 and older). Gather a variety of beans, nuts, or seeds on a tray or in a
bowl with a spoon. Under adult supervision, let the preschooler feel, grab, and
scoop the legumes, nuts, and seeds. See if the toddler can separate them based
on different colours, sizes, and textures while the adult names each food and
talks about how these foods make us strong from the proteins and smart from the
healthy omega fats.
These foods give us protein which builds our muscles and bones to make us strong!
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Kalifa Rodriguez is a registered dietitian and certified breastfeeding specialist. She currently works as a clinical nutritionist in Montreal, Canada. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in nutritional biochemistry, she went on to complete a master’s degree in human nutrition and dietetics at McGill University. Kalifa is passionate about promoting healthy lifestyle choices through nutrition, exercise, and mindfulness. She also hopes to leave a positive impact in the community through her work by giving nutrition education sessions to community groups and organizations. Kalifa and her husband are parents to their delightful toddler, who is the inspiration for this book.
I love a ‘morally grey protagonist’. I love villains. I think it makes it more interesting…and real. It’s not like we don’t need a little help and redemption at times. Besides, who are we to judge? So, let’s see what L T Getty has to share about her characters.
Morally Grey Protagonists?
I
grew up reading stories about heroes and villains, where things were not clear
cut that the hero was perfect but there were definitive light and dark sides. Somewhere
along the lines, the stories that claimed that they were for a more adult audience
started to blur the lines of hero and villain. I didn’t mind it, because so
long as the hero didn’t cross the line and had some redemptive qualities, I
could still cheer for them.
Suddenly
reading more ‘mature’ stories meant more nuanced themes and ideas. I didn’t
mind unreliable narrators, and even stories where there were no heroes. Perhaps
the most honest among these is William Makepeace Thackery’s Vanity Fair. Its subtitle is A Novel without a Hero. It’s satire but
not in the way you think.
But what makes a hero? I suppose we should define
some terms.
A Hero in the modern sense, is probably
a loaded term. For the sake of this article, I will define as someone who at
least attempts to do good. We’re not here to talk subversions, so I don’t want
to hear about how much Hero A sucks at it. A
Villain conversely, is someone who attempts to do bad. There are many, many
many subversions of these tropes, and there’s no way I can go over all of them
in any brief article. The fact that I had to define these terms speaks volumes,
but let’s focus.
A Protagonist is the center of the
story. The antagonist is the person
or force that opposes the actions of the protagonist.
Up
until recently, in most stories, we follow a heroic protagonist. Think of most renditions of Cinderella or The
Ugly Duckling. In more modern renditions of stories, we tend to flesh out the
characters, or tell the story from a different perspective. My favourite novel,
Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis,
tells the story from a villain protagonist. Lewis also pinned The Screwtape Letters, which was
literally advice from one demon to another, whereas Till We Have Faces paints the character of Orual as incredibly
sympathetic, but also completely in the wrong by the end of the tale.
I’ve
done villain protagonists. Dreams of
Mariposa, Marie is a villain, and I didn’t want the audience to think she
was the victim or somehow loveable, so much as delve into an extremely
narcissistic mindset. I’ve written heroic characters; Daphne from The Mermaid and the Unicorns is jealous
and stubborn, but she’s also brave and loyal, and grows from her mistakes. I’d
say that Marie is a very flawed villain, and Daphne is a flawed heroine.
What
about the morally grey characters?
When
I was doing research for this article, I stumbled across why Heroic Fantasy
deviated from Sword and Sorcery. I always assumed that Sword and Sorcery were
referring to elements in the story, like sword and sandal (Vaguely historical
romanish stories) or Sword and Gun (John Carter Space Opera). Turns out it was
to deviate from the legacy of morally compromised protagonists common in sword
and sorcery. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroic_fantasy )
Although
comics, movies, and other adaptations didn’t always stay true to the original, I
grew up reading Conan the Barbarian shorts, and there’s plenty of stories where
Conan gets himself into a situation because he’s blatantly there to steal
something or do something that would land him up in the local jail. He takes up
with pirates, isn’t shy on killing, and has been attributed to an awful lot of
ravishing. He’s still an incredibly iconic hero that has stood the test of
time.
Why
the morally grey heroes in Sword and Sorcery tales? In my opinion, sometimes
stories lean better towards characters who might not be on the up and up in
their society. There are certain situations that have to get pretty convoluted
for a Lawful Good Hero go find himself in.
I
found this with my novel Tower of
Obsidian. Kale gets betrayed by his lord’s men and they set out to sea to
hide from the wrath of said lord, where they are attacked by drougr and Kale’s
captors become captive themselves, and thus the adventure truely kicks off. I’m
not calling Kale a morally perfect hero, far from it, but he’s also not the
sort of person who’d go sailing off into contested waters. The drougr are
looking for warriors and rough men to send to the tower; they don’t typically
have access to people like Kale.
I
for one don’t like to think of people as morally complex but inherently flawed
– even paragons of virtue probably should have a testing point or a weakness,
and it’s ultimately their actions, and not their motives, that make them heroes
or villains in the story. As a writer, I eventually have to take a side in a
conflict, even if it’s “Hey, you’re all awful”. That doesn’t mean that I have
to make the answers easy.
For
instance, in Witchslayer’s Scion, one
of the major issues in the growing empire of Tenagee is that these conquered
territories aren’t happy being ruled by people who aren’t from their island or
culture. Yes, the Imperium is conquering the islands and sometimes they treat
the natives pretty terribly. BUT they are also bringing in trade between the
communities, and establishing a form of law that protects women and children.
YES, the islanders are right to want to control their own futures, BUT the
people who tend to rise to power tend to be the sort who use people and will
sell their own people out to better their own positions.
To
me, the morally grey area is the situation which a given character is faced
with making a decision in which there is no right answer. I love well-written
characters who are upstanding moral citizens to which I inspire. The problem is
that, when I was a younger writer they were difficult to write well. I think it
depends on the audience, but in general most readers want a main character who
is relatable, and even if they’re not perfect, understandable, and if they’re a
villain, motivations that the reader can understand or even sympathize with.
In short, I don’t think a character has to be capable of stealing but not of murder to be morally grey. I think the vast majority of characters in fiction need to be realized, and that includes flaws. It’s not such a bad thing as the vast majority of characters in modern fiction overcome their flaws and grow as people. An upright person, with a teeny tiny tint of darkness, could still be considered grey by this standard, but it’s ultimately their actions in spite of of these flaws that differentiate the heroes from the villains.
I loved the article and it only makes me want to check out your characters more. Thanks so much, LT.
Witchslayer’s Scion by L.T. Getty
GENRE: Sword and Sorcery/Fantasy
BLURB
Koth’s
life was decided for him since before he was born, for his ability to heal
wounds by touch is rare even among his people. When an attempted kidnapping
turns to sacrificial murder, he embraces vengeance and the sword. As he
journeys far from his small isolated village in the north, he learns the truth
as to why his bloodline is targeted by strange magic, in a world still
rebuilding from a time when dark sorcerers didn’t bother with secrecy.
Koth thinks his quest is straightforward enough–find the men responsible, and
kill them–and any who aid them. He will soon learn that those who have both
privilege and power, there are few things they lack–and in the pursuit of
godhood, their allies can prove even more sinister as mere mortals seek to
advent empires and dynasties.
EXCERPT
“Something’s wrong,” Una said. “Koth, wait here.”
“Why?” If there was a problem, she should be waiting outside
for him.
He sensed inside, his aunt’s thoughts remained hidden from
him. Una shouted, and he ran inside the building. He thought there were lights
on inside, but he saw no candles.
The tea house was very dark, and he felt a sudden dread—he
wanted to leave. Baro barked from the outside. ~Una!~ he thought, before something hit his neck.
He knew at once it was a poison dart, and ripping it out he
tried to smell what it was. Seeing metal reflect moonlight and he moved his
hand, his skin cut. Moving instinctively out of the way, his next reaction was
to purge the toxin that coursed through his body and tried to understand the
wound. It was mostly his forearm, deep but he could still use it, the bone
unaffected. He’d do a better healing later. He focused on something not unlike
a burn before going for the knife at his hip. Striking 85 in the next liquid
motion, Koth realized he was attacking his aunt.
She grabbed onto his injured flesh and seared it,
destroying, weakening the sinew and the cartilage and causing it to age and
die, following up the bloodstream, to find the heart and kill. Koth tried to
brace; he couldn’t heal and keep her at bay. He was physically stronger and much
heavier, but she was weakening his muscles. He tried to wrench the knife from
her.
He knocked the blade to the ground then tried to lock minds
with her to find nothing short of blinding pain take him over, wrestling him to
the ground and making him drop his knife. She took the dagger and when he tried
to force himself up, a familiar sense washed over him. Magic, but not coming
from Una.
“Do not kill him yet,” Yeshbel said, “we will bleed him
first.”
AUTHOR Bio and Links
L.T.
Getty is a rural paramedic from Manitoba. She enjoys writing science fiction
and fantasy and generally being creative.
Seeing I am such a cover hound, I thought it would be interesting to get Zanne Raby’s take on the cover for Descent Into Darkness. It sure is colorful and intriguing, making me want to know what is happening. Welcome Zanne.
Subject: Discuss your cover
Hello All! I’m really excited at being
featured as a guest author on the Fundinmental blog and I’d like to thank Cheryl
for inviting me to write about the cover of my latest novel, Descent into
Darkness, the second book in the sci-fi/ space opera series, “The
Chronicles of Deneb”. Since I’m working on a series I’d like to begin with a
little background to set the scene.
Let’s jump forward to the year 2080 CE. In the sixty years separating us from the characters in my series, humanity has just about ignored every little bit of science related to our climate catastrophe and allowed our beautiful planet to plunge into decay. Politicians and big multinational companies wore blinders over the decades that resulted in droughts, famine, and mass migration. But rather than own the problem, the developed world manned the guns and doubled down on isolationism. That’s not all folks, because NASA, the European Space Agency and ROSCOSMOS banded together and created the Space Ark Project – three massive shuttles that were built to be the saviors of the human species. Except in 2080, that’s not what’s really going on. When Dr. Daniel Radu, the project manager of the United States of North American’s Space Ark Project, overhears the truth he decides that he’s not going to take it lying down. He didn’t get to be one of the best astronomical engineers on Earth by twiddling his thumbs after all. Daniel arranges for his team to take control of the Space Ark Mayflower and off they go, leaving the rotting planet and the even rottener politicians behind while they rocket through space and on to their destination: Deneb7. Now fast forward three years to 2083 CE and let’s catch up with the crew in the second novel of the series, Descent into Darkness, where they try to integrate into Denebian society. Little did the intrepid space travellers realize that the desert planet was populated until their arrival and by then, it was too late. The war-like denizens of Deneb sent out a greeting party and you can just imagine that things didn’t go so well for the crew. The refugees try their best to integrate with their new neighbours. But what do you know, the humans bring along some unintended guests in the form of a deadly disease that begins to blaze through the local population. With Denebians dying like flies, a lack of communication and a series of misunderstandings spark off a deadly planet-wide conflict. The cover of Descent into Darkness is a reflection of this. The fires of war blaze in the background while one of the powerful warbirds descends through the roiling clouds of smoke to bring battle to the enemy. The entire planet is ablaze and I tried to capture that on the cover bThanky portraying mushrooming clouds of greasy orange smoke billowing up from the ashes of destruction. Above it all, isolated from the carnage, is one of the weapons of annihilation. There, high above the wreckage and safe in their warbird, a pilot is about to make their descent. High above the planet’s ravaged surface they soar, unseeing of the destruction they unleashed on the city below, unaware of the carnage they wrought that extinguished thousands of lives. The title of the novel, “Descent into Darkness”, alludes not only to the actual massacre of the population and destruction of the planet exacted by the war on Deneb, but also of the moral abyss into which the characters find themselves falling. In the novel’s cover, I’ve tried to distill some of the more important elements of the plot to incorporate them into the cover. If you want to dive into the depths of Deneb, why not to pick up a copy of Descent in
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. Happy to have you here, Zanne.
Descent into Darkness: Mayhem follows the
Mayflower in the second book of The Chronicles of Deneb series. Journey along
with the crew of the Space Ark Mayflower as they adapt to their new home on the
planet Deneb. But along with their struggle to integrate into an alien culture,
a new battle sweeps across the planet with the arrival of the human-transmitted
Chimera bactovirus, bringing war and fanning the flames of racial intolerance.
With a bloody conflict raging across the planet, the crew of the Mayflower is
split between the two factions and embroiled in the chaos and destruction.
Descend with the crew into darkness, where the only survivors of a global war
will be on the right side of the border.
EXCERPT
“Pallav? You alright?” Tara’s voice broke him from his
reverie and he pasted on a phony smile.
“Sorry darling, I was a million light years away. I’ll be
fine,” he promised. Sweat trickled down his back in the unrelenting heat of the
Denebian day, his disruptive pattern shirt already sticking to his body as he
shrugged into his rucksack.
“Daddy, I’m gonna miss you.” The chirpy sing-song voice of
little Jolanta gave him cause to smile at the child as she held out her arms to
him. Swooping her up, Pallav dropped a kiss on the little girl’s rosy brown
cheek, her eyes glistening with tears.
“And I’m going to miss you too, little one.” Hugging the
orphaned girl to his chest, he burrowed his face into the cloud of dark hair
that was as soft as a feather before pinching her cheek and gently setting her
down. Guilt pierced his heart at the sad resigned look on the child’s face. Had
it not been for him, Jolanta would be snug as a bug with her biological parents
and not in lockdown high above the capital city living with a pair of humans.
Poor little thing… she’s known so much loss in her short
life, he thought. Surrounded by death as the human Chimera bactovirus raged
across Deneb, Jolanta had been cruelly abandoned by her mother after Tara
retrieved the fallen child from the cobblestoned marketplace in the centre of
the capital city. He could still picture his wife walking through the door with
the tiny tot in tow. Shocked, surprised, but then captivated, Pallav let the
child into his heart. It wasn’t like his two teenagers wanted him around
anymore. No, Luke and Isabella were busy chartering their own course in the Wessel
world with Gomalan insisting that they attend the best boarding school in the
nation.
Taking advantage of his position, Pallav had initiated a
thorough search for Jolanta’s parents only to get confirmation that they were
amongst the thousands in Styria who had succumbed to the pandemic. Since her
arrival, the young orphan had been his little shadow, never leaving his side,
following the big man’s movements with her luminous opalescent eyes. He smiled
inwardly at the thought of Jolanta climbing into her little cot and begging her
new daddy for a bedtime story. Guilt-ridden he realized that he’d miss her more
than his own children who were so immersed in their new lives that even their
weekly holotalks were rushed and awkward. Laughing at himself, Pallav knew he
was totally under the child’s spell.
“I promise to be back in time for market day, so no tears,
okay?” Taking the little urchin’s chin in his hands, Pallav stared into her
eyes. “And you have a promise to make to me too young lady, don’t you?” The little
brown head nodded up and down, serious eyes acknowledging the responsibility
her adopted father had assigned to her.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Since the days of
the Napoleonic War, there has always been a member of Zanne’s family in
uniform. Choosing to follow in the footsteps of her ancestors, Zanne joined the
Canadian Armed Forces in 1980, and was selected to attend the Royal Military
College of Canada – the first year that women were accepted into that
prestigious academy of learning. After graduation, she studied to become a
Transportation and Movements Officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
During a career
spanning 38 years, some of the most memorable experiences involved command of 8
Mission Support Squadron as part of Joint Task Force Afghanistan, leading a
study on support to the Canadian Arctic involving several trips to Northern
Canada, including Canadian Forces Station Alert (the most northern settlement
in the world), a three–year tour with NATO at Joint Force Command Brunssum, a
deployment as the NATO Liaison Officer to United States Central Command, and
finally a nomination as the Deputy Commander for the Canadian Forces Recruiting
Group.
After hanging up
the uniform and putting away the combat boots, Zanne bought a small acreage in
Central Ontario and designed her own house. With an office overlooking the
picturesque shores of Georgian Bay, surrounded by maps and images of alien
worlds, she is pursuing her life-long ambition to become an author. Enough of
the reports and returns that littered her desk over her career, now she could
turn her attention to unleashing the creativity that had taken a back seat to
the analytical world of logistics. The time had come to shake the dust off and
begin a new career. The winds of change had called.
Zanne is
currently crafting The Chronicles of Deneb, a sci-fi series that will
take the reader from a dystopian earth on a voyage across the galaxy in search
of a safe haven. But the planets the team discover provide anything but the
sanctuary they sought. In her spare time, Zanne enjoys travel, photography,
hiking, and gardening. And always, a good story to pass the time.
