Welcome to my fire. This is a place to talk author’s, their life, and craft. Sort of a peek behind the curtain to get to know people. I hope you will subscribe to the blog and be part of this growing community of readers, writers, and what makes us tick. Today is a new to me author, Meryl Tobin from Australia. Meryl, I hear you like a special beverage and I’ve gathered the ingredients to make Nature’s Cuppa. I’m excited to try this drink made of barley, rye, chicory, and malted barley
So, while I grab a couple of mugs, why don’t you take the floor and introduce yourself? Who are you other than your bio?
I am a happily married woman with three adult children and extended family and friends, and I am also involved in my community. As a child I developed a love of nature and a social conscience, and I try to do what I can to help make the world a better place as I see it.
 
Lovely! The world is a gift, and we need to do our part in taking care of it and its people. What interests besides writing do you enjoy?
Travel, photography, watching TV, following up and researching mystery sightings of mystery creatures such as big wild cats and animals fitting the description of the extinct Tasmanian tiger. I read newspapers, journals and books and I am involved in conservation groups advocating for the environment. My husband and I love traveling and have traveled extensively around Australia and have traveled overseas to countries including Denmark, Sweden, Russia, China, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and the USA.
 
Wow! I’ve only been to Mexico and the Caribbean, other than the USA. Though my hubby and I travel a lot in our camper. Who is your network or support system?
I belong to various writer groups. The Australian Society of Authors Inc is a highly professional organization, and I joined it when I published my first book. The one whose meetings I attend regularly is The Society of Women Writers Victoria (in Australia). For many years I was a member of a SWWV poetry workshop where members critiqued each other’s poems. I have also been a member of the now-defunct Fellowship of Australian Writers Victorian branch and the Victorian Writers Centre (now called Writers Victoria). I am also a member of Geelong Writers. Apart from formal groups, I have good writing friends. We email each other with writing news, tips, experiences and help with technology, etc.
 
That’s quite a varied and widespread network. I get inspiration many different places. Who or what books or authors are your inspiration?
I like lots of different sorts of books and lots of authors. As a child I loved Enid Blyton’s books, especially the Famous Five ones. The science fiction novel ‘Z for Zachariah’ by Robert Leslie Carroll Conly was one with a great message, as were George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’ and ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’. In more recent times, I’ve enjoyed reading Richard Flanagan’s ‘The Narrow Road to the Deep North’, for which Flanagan won The Man Booker Prize 2014, Chrissie Michaels’ Australian historical fiction for teenagers and Bruce Pascoe’s brilliant book, ‘Dark Emu’ and Stan Grant’s ‘Talking to My Country’, both books about First Nations people.
As this interview is about my work as a romantic suspense writer, I should mention EV Timms, an Australian historical novelist, Catherine Gaskin author of ‘Sara Dane’, Victoria Holt, gothic romance writer, Catherine Cookson, a British writer of historical novels and the films of some of Danielle Steel’s books. All authors and books made an impression on me, as did others.
As a keen TV viewer, I also thrived on TV detective shows such as ‘Midsomer Murders’ and ‘Vera’ and family sagas such as ‘The Forsyte Saga’ and ‘Downton Abbey’.
 
I’ve often mentioned Victoria Holt and Catherine Cookson though I’ll have to look the others up. Do you have any fun or outrageous talent?
I follow up stories of sightings of unusual fauna, such as exotic big cats, such as pumas and black panthers, which are not native to where I live––Australia.
 
What is your neighborhood like? Are there any places you frequent?
My husband and I live in Paradise between the coast and the bush with lots of flora and fauna. For instance, there are 54 native orchids growing naturally in our area. In spring, 2019, some months after bushfires close to us the summer before, a huge grass tree forest we didn’t know existed erupted in full bloom with thousands of spikes flowering at the same time. Sadly, because of sand mining, many of the orchids and grass trees and other native flora have been destroyed or are under threat.
 
It sounds beautiful. I’ve tried growing orchids at home but never was quite successful. I can hardly imagine them growing wild. Let’s chat about writing. Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Both but I have to do it. As Dr Phil would say, it is part of the ‘authentic me’.
 
After years of writing, I wish I knew some of what I know now. Let’s help the new writers out. What are common traps for aspiring writers?
Sending material off before letting it settle for a time and then thoroughly proofreading it to see it is the best it can possibly be.
 
So, true. We are so excited when we type The End, that we send it off before it’s really ready. What are your writing gems?
Being given the tools to write in a style to rework my novels so they will be published. The former Wild Rose Press Editor Val Mathews gave me the tools and they are set out in Mary Buckham's ‘A Writer's Guide to Active Setting’ and Janice Hardy's ‘Understanding Show, Don't Tell’.
 
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Do a writing course early in your career––don’t lose precious time learning a lot through trial and error and experience. Also, as it takes so long to write a novel and get it published, Consider writing shorter pieces regularly as well and getting published regularly.
 
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have? 
Among other writing, I have three novels close to ready, another that needs quite a bit of work, and one more that needs rewriting in depth. One is buried in my head with none of it written down, three educational puzzle books need more work, and, I have several short story collections of my published short stories and several poetry collections of my published poems waiting for me to find the time to revise them and put them together.
 
Oh, my. Prolific much? Lol! Let’s get a snapshot of you, Meryl. If you could only choose one song to play every time you walked into a room for the rest of your life, what would it be?
‘I Am Woman.’
 
What subjects should be taught in school but aren’t?
Clear thinking to counter the proliferation of false facts. While some students might be, all students should also be taught to handle money and manage a household and be taught respect for all.
 
What’s the most amazing natural occurrence you’ve witnessed?
My husband and I once saw a small parrot we couldn’t identify on the mudflats on the coast eating beaded glasswort. Then it registered, we were looking at the almost extinct, orange-bellied parrot. Only about 50 are said to exist in the wild. My husband did get photos of it on our mobile phone, but we were a bit far away so they were not good ones.
 
Meryl, than you for joining me today Around the Fire. Before you head off into the wilds, will you leave us with some information about your book and where we can find out more about it and you?
​

Broome Enigma 
by
Meryl Brown Tobin 
​Romantic Suspense
Release by The Wild Rose Press November 20, 2023

On a working holiday in Australia's cosmopolitan Outback town of Broome in 1986, Jodie, a young book designer is open to romance and adventure.
At the holiday village where she is staying, she meets Joe, a young man who works there. Despite the strong attraction between them, the many unknowns about his earlier life keep them apart. To try to uncover his mysterious past, they travel to Perth and back to Broome and are drawn into not only bizarre but also dangerous situations.
Is Joe the person Jodie thinks he is, or is he some alter ego? Can she stop their relationship from developing until she knows whether he is free to love her?
*From the author.
Broome Enigma is for mature Young Adults, Women and Adults.  All interactions, other than the 'baddies' behaviour' are respectful, and family values are important. ​

Accidental Allies
by
Karina Bartow
Released 11/20/23
Police Procedural
PG
Everybody’s experienced a rocky start to a new job, but few can top Minka Avery's return to Orlando PD.
After six years as a stay-at-home mom, Minka’s nervous but excited to sit at a detective’s desk again. Before she has a chance to break in her badge, however, her career resumes with a bang when someone bombs the county courthouse.   
With many disillusioned with the justice system, several brow-raising suspects emerge right away. Minka and her new partner, Renee, follow several tips that lead to dead ends, until they zero in on the courthouse's former security guard. Their attempts to apprehend him send the city and police department into chaos. Meanwhile, Minka contends with the lingering suspicion of another party being involved. Could his accomplice be closer than she thinks?
Get your copy today.
 https://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Allies-Unde-feted-Detective-ebook/dp/B0CHWKQ98F 
 https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/accidental-allies-karina-bartow/1144069605
 https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Accidental-Allies/Karina-Bartow/9781509252077
 https://www.walmart.com/ip/Unde-a-Feated-Detective-Accidental-Allies-Series-3-Paperback-9781509252077/5087500511 
​
Inspiration for the story from Karina.
In continuation of The Unde(a)feated Detective series, I decided to bring Minka back to the police force in Accidental Allies, but I wanted her return to be suspenseful, much like her departure was in Husband in Hiding. Thus, I set it around an explosion. You can’t get much more action-packed than that, right?
Along with that, I used this installment to provide a glimpse into the adversity Minka faced—and continues to face—in her pursuits to be a policewoman. Being disabled myself, I channeled some of my own experiences and reactions to them through her.  Like her, I’ve also been privileged to have “allies” in my corner who believe in me, so I implemented characters around her that show her that kind of support.   

Happy Thanksgiving to all those celebrating tomorrow. I've already started prepping. The pies are baked. I'm debating spatchcocking my turkey. I'm still undecided. Maybe I'll wait and start with a chicken. They do say Thanksgiving is not the day to experiment. We'll have mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, corn (it's all my hubby will eat that resembles a vegetable) stuffing, cranberry, and biscuits. Only my son and grands are coming this year. Dear daughter-in-law is a new RN and anyone in the medical field knows the low man works all the holidays and weekends. Hubby and I did that for many many years. We'll send a plate home for her. Today's guest a fellow Wild Rose Press author though she is new to me. So, let's get to know her together. 

​Hi, AK, I hear you like coffee and bourbon. I found a recipe that incorporates both. It'll keep us warm around the fire. 1 ounce of bourbon, 1/2 ounce of honey liqueur, 6 ounces of  coffee and top it with whipped cream. While I mix up some of this magic, why don't you take the floor and introduce yourself? Who are you other than your bio?
Externally, I’m super chill, but that’s because, internally, the hamster is too busy eating tacos to get on the anxiety wheel.

Ugh, my hamster wheel could generate enough electricity to run my house with the right equipment. What interests besides writing do you enjoy? 
I’m a certified chef, so cooking’s a thing. I also love landscaping my yard and refinishing antique furniture. I get my best ideas when I’m in the zone of monotony doing super detailed work with dental tools to get that last bit of paint out of crevices.

I love to cook. I have no training, oh wait, I did take a baking class at the local technical school. Maybe we can cook together over the fire after the interview. Who is your network or support system?
My mom, but don’t tell her, she gets all smug. I also have a group of wonderful ladies I’ve been writing with for close to three years now I would be lost without, and my favorite introvert/bff writing buddy is the best.

Different books and authors have inspired me over the years. Who or what are your inspirations?
Mercedes Lackey, Andre Norton, Roger Zelazny, Brandon Sanderson, JR Ward, and Ilona Andrews.

Do you have any fun or outrageous talent?
I can freeze my kids mid bad behavior with a look.

Ah, the mother's glare, tis a thing of awesome terribleness. What is your neighborhood like? Are there any places you frequent? What makes them unique?
I live in the boonies, so there’s not really a neighborhood per say, but I love my yard and work hard to make it a refuge. We have an insane amount of wildlife, which is a blessing and a curse. You’d be surprised how destructive rabbits are. Monty Python had it right, those things are evil.
 
We live in the woods. Deer are our archenemies. Let's talk about writing. What are common traps for aspiring writers?
Listening to all the external criticisms and suggestions in the hopes of validation. Go with your gut, always. You’re a writer if you write. You don’t need anyone to rubber stamp you.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Keep the faith, it will happen, and everything up to that point serves a purpose, even the rotten stuff.

How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
I learned to trust myself and embrace my voice. Before Flame & Shadow I was writing based on what I thought I was expected to write. After some super harsh criticism, I finally said enough and wrote the most ridiculous, sassy adventure I could come up with. It was freeing. I laughed through the whole thing and want all of my books to feel like that, for myself and my readers.

Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
Yeah, there are a ton of inside jokes there just to make certain people laugh. It’s literally my goal to make them spit out their tea at some point in every book.

If they made a movie about your life, what would the title be, and who would play you?
“You Can’t Make this S— um, Stuff, up” because bizarre things happen to me all the time. Like, I can hardly believe it, and I’m there! Anne Hathaway (The klutzy, dorky version from the beginning of The Devil Wears Prada) would definitely be the lead.

If you could only choose one song to play every time you walked into a room for the rest of your life, what would it be?
“Should I Stay or Should I Go” by The Clash, and everyone in the vicinity would cringe because I’d insist on singing along. It would be glorious. Musical I am not, but I am extremely enthusiastic. I’m all about embracing all that is embarrassing and owning it. Yep, I’m a terrible singer. Do I care? Nope, because I’m enjoying the hell out of it!

AK what a pleasure to share my fire and get to know you. I'd like you to stay but I know you should go. But, before you do, please tell us about your book and where we can get more information. 

Flame & Shadow
by 
AK Nevermore
Half-daemon Envy Starr is destined to die on Midsummer’s Eve, still a virgin, on some crappy cult’s live-stream feed. With thirty days left to live, the chance to escape her fate and get some action compels her into her absentee father’s world of beautifully cultured cruelty.
Once there, she’s the object of a deadly game, slated to alter the Fae realm’s power structure. Worse, the rules keep changing, and everyone has an ulterior motive, including her dae-licious guide, Brennan. Under a geas he’s desperate to break, she can’t trust him, or herself.
Stupid Stockholm syndrome.
But unless she can come to terms with what lies in her heart, her unlikely survival will be a fate worse than death. For her, and the rest of Fae.

Get your copy today.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CHGLQZRV/
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/flame-shadow/id6464523158
Barnes & Noble:: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1144031970?ean=2940186024484
Your readers can also get a free prequel to the book, One Night in Bliss, here. 

​More about the author
AK Nevermore enjoys operating heavy machinery, freebases coffee, and gives up sarcasm for Lent every year. A Jane-of-all-trades, she’s a certified chef, restores antiques, and dabbles in beekeeping when she’s not reading voraciously or running down the dream in her beat-up camo Chucks.
Unable to ignore the voices in her head, and unwilling to become medicated, she writes Science Fiction and Fantasy full time.
She pays the bills editing, wielding a wicked hot pink pen and writing a column on SFF. She also belongs to the Authors Guild, is a chapter treasurer for the RWA, teaches creative writing, and on the rare occasion, sleeps.
www.facebook.com/AkNevermore
twitter.com/AkNevermore
https://www.instagram.com/aknevermore/​
https://www.tiktok.com/@ak.nevermore​​

Hi everyone! I hope you had a great weekend. Today's guest lives only an hour away from me and we've become friends. Just this past Saturday we both joined other NJRW authors at a signing event at one of our local Art & Event Galleries. You can check the venue out at ​www.facebook.com/whitespaceartevent/

Kringle all the Way
by 
​Judy Kentrus
A sweet holiday romance.
Released November 8, 2023

Freja Sorenson is content running 2 Sisters Kringle and Fudge, their family business in Dickens.  She decides to rent out the back apartment in her big Victorian home. She’s taken aback when the man who once held a special place in her heart wants to rent the space. Once a loving couple, she suffered his betrayal when he shared her secret ingredient with her biggest contender in her culinary school’s distinguished bake-off.
Can she forgive him for his betrayal? 
Axel Frost became mother and father to his two young granddaughters after their parents were tragically killed.  He moved Holly and Ivy to Dickens for a fresh start and opened a hobby shop, Trains, Planes, and Automobiles.  When the house he's renting is sold, two weeks before Christmas, Axel is desperate to find them a new home.
His best friends told him about a great apartment, but he’s leery when he learns his landlord will be Freja Sorenson.  Together for five months, she unexpectedly ended their loving relationship. After all these years, he’s determined to find out why she broke his heart. 
Is it possible Christmas is a time for forgiveness and maybe a second chance at love?
Grab your copy today at one of these online retailers.
books2read.com/u/38nA6r

 Hi, I’m Judy Kentrus. I write Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense, Sweet Romance, Rom-Com, Later-in-Life Romance, and Historical Romance. 
I’ve always been a romantic at heart, and I married my high school sweetheart. I make my home in the Poconos of Pennsylvania. My two grown children have given me six grandchildren.  
When I’m not giving couples their happily-ever-after, you can find me in the kitchen, baking, especially cookies.  I’ve been dubbed the cookie queen by my family and friends.  You’ll find a new recipe every month on my website. 
Want to find out more about my books and what’s coming?  Be sure to sign up for my newsletter via my website.  My stories are fun, sexy romances that make you laugh, cry, and fall in love.
 
Website:  https://www.judykentrus.com 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/judykentrusauthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judykentrus
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/judy-kentrus
Pinterest    https://www.pinterest.com/jkentrus                                                                   
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7389513.Judy_Kentrus

Thank you for visiting Around the Fire. For any of my guest from NY, NJ, and PA, It's less than a week away. I'll be joining other authors at Whitespace Art and Event Gallery in Hackettstown, NJ. It's an easy on and off from I-80. Check it out at https://www.facebook.com/whitespaceartevent
November 18 - Romance Book Signing 1pm - 4pm FREE ADMISSION

The Scarred Santa Kindle Edition
by
Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy 

The Wild Rose Press, Inc. 
‎ November 13, 2023
A sweet inspirational romance.

​Once handsome Rafe Sullivan is left scarred, injured, and with PTSD from his Marine Corps service in Afghanistan, returning to civilian life is far from smooth, and the burn scars on his right side are extensive. Although he lives close to family, he lives a solitary life and changes jobs more often than most people change their socks. A temporary job as Santa at the mall is presented, but Rafe first rebels, then relents. His Santa gig affects his PTSD. Then he meets Sheena Dunmore. When she doesn't run from his scars or issues, she intrigues him. An unmasking by some rowdy children is a test of his stamina and spirit. His greatest fear is fire. Will Rafe conquer the fear so he can move forward into the new life he desires?

Christmas Romance
Christmas Holiday Romance
 Military Romance

Get your copy today
www.amazon.com/Scarred-Santa-Lee-Sontheimer-Murphy-ebook/dp/B0CHG2JPKX

About the author
From an early age, Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy scribbled stories, inspired by the books she read, the family tales she heard, and even the conversations she overheard at the beauty shop where her grandmother had a weekly standing appointment. She was the little girl who sat at the feet of the elders and listened.
As an author, she has published more than fifty novels and novellas writing as both Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy and as Patrice Wayne for historical fiction. She is also the author of a new Faery Folk series from Evernight Publishing writing as Liathán O'Murchadha. Her books are found in many places, online and in brick and mortar stores including some in both Ireland and Australia. As of October 2022, she currently has six upcoming titles from World Castle Publishing, Evernight Publishing and The Wild Rose Press.
She spent her early career in broadcast radio, interviewing everyone from politicians to major league baseball players and writing ad copy. In those radio years she began to write short stories and articles, some of which found publication. In 1994 she married Roy Murphy and they had three children, all now grown-up. She was widowed in 2019. Lee Ann spent years in the newspaper field as both a journalist and editor and was widowed in 2019. 
In late 2020, she hung up her editor’s hat to return to writing fiction. A native of St. Joseph, Missouri, she lives and works in the rugged, mysterious, and beautiful Missouri Ozarks.
Follow the Author
 https://leeannsontheimer.blogspot.com/

Welcome to Around the Fire. I’m so glad you could join me today. Before we get started, I want to tell you about a unique opportunity I have coming up. Whitespace Art and Event Gallery in Hackettstown, NJ, is hosting a book signing on November 18th. Members of NJRW will be on hand amidst the beautiful art displays, helping you get a head start on your holiday shopping. If you’re in the area, check out https://www.facebook.com/whitespaceartevent/
I’m so happy for you to meet today’s guest. We did a book spotlight on her a few weeks ago, but now you get a chance to meet the lovely award-winning author, Susie Black. Hey, Girl, come on and hunker down by the fire while I grab some nectar of the gods, otherwise known as coffee. And while I do, please introduce yourself to our other guests.
I am a curious, nosy, funny, irreverent, compassionate, driven woman who succeeded in a traditionally male-dominated industry and broke every glass ceiling I faced.
 
I can attest to much of that, and the sound of shattering glass is music to my ears. What interests besides writing do you enjoy? For instance, what do you read or hobbies you have?
I am an avid stamp collector, voracious reader, sailor, and dedicated walker-3 miles a day.
 
Ahoy there! So, a philatelist. Hah, I looked that up. I knew there had to be a unique name for it. As you know, Pete is my rock as far as a support system. Who is your network or support system?
First and foremost, my family. My husband and son are both helpful, especially in making sure my depictions of male characters are accurate. Then I have a group of author colleagues and super readers who I bounce ideas off of. 
 
An author gets inspiration from many different places, ideas, and characters, often in other books and authors, which is why we also read so much. Who or what books or authors are your inspiration?
I have a ton. Joan Hess, Nancy J. Cohen, Elmore Leonard, and Janet Evanovich are just a few.
​
Do you have any fun or outrageous talent?
I can single-sail a sailboat.
 
We watched the movie True Spirit, about a teenage girl who sailed alone around the world. Rather scary. I love our home area. Even though it’s in New Jersey, we’re still quite rural. What is your neighborhood like? Are there any places you frequent? What makes them special? 
I live in a gated community in the California desert. We live on a golf course, and I enjoy watching the duffers make fools of themselves. Great entertainment that has given me some wonderfully funny one-liners that have shown up in my books.

Do you have a particular object like a piece of jewelry or a keepsake of some sort? Can you tell us what makes it special to you?
Yes. Several. A ring and earrings from my Nana she made for my sister and me. My grandfather’s ruby and diamond pinky ring. My wedding band. And a pin my son made in school when he was 6. 

What is your favorite mug or teacup?
A mug my wise guy Nana gave me when I got into the swimwear biz that says “Things could be worse. We could be trying on swimsuits.”

What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
A large-screen computer

What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book? 
All my stories are based on the daily journal entries I kept during my apparel sales career. If I need additional research, I go to the California Apparel Mart and speak to sales reps or buyers.

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
I read them all. I revel in the good ones and try to learn something from the bad ones…but I never responded to any of them.

What does literary success look like to you?
When a reader says I stayed up all night to read your book because I couldn’t go to sleep without knowing how it ends.
Susie, I know how busy you must be with Rag Lady only a week away from release, but could you leave us a bit about where to find out about the book and more about you?

Rag Lady A Holly Swimsuit Novel
by
​Susie Black
Release Date November 15, 2023
Contemporary Women's Fiction
Recent college graduate Holly Schlivnik dreams of being a writer, but fate has other plans. A family crisis throws her into an improbable situation and her life will never be the same. Determined to make her own luck when things don’t happen the way she plans, the irrepressible young woman takes a sledge hammer to the glass ceiling and shatters it to smithereens. The wise-cracking, irreverent transplanted Californian takes you on a raucous, rollicking rollercoaster ride of her hysterical adventures as a ladies apparel sales rep traveling in the deep South as she ends up finding herself along the way. 
https://www.amazon.com/Rag-Lady-Holly-Swimsuit-Book-ebook/dp/B0CHG62W5V​
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rag-lady-susie-black/1144031749

Goodreads reviews  www.goodreads.com/book/show/198973127-rag-lady#CommunityReviews
Susie Black’s hilarious Rag Lady, is book #1 of the Holly Swimsuit Series. It depicts the trials and triumphs of a very competitive business. The author keeps you on the edge with details so vivid you’ll swear you’re standing right in the middle of an actual trade show. Her attention to specifics, are second-to-none. The reader will be laughing out loud one minute, then taking a sober look at society the next.
The entire series is binge-worthy, and Rag Lady is no exception.
Highly recommended.

And you can follow the author here.
authorsusieblack.com/
https://www.bookbub.com/search?search=Susie+Black
https://facebook.com/TheHollySwimsuitMysterySeries
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57877534-death-by-sample-size
Susie Black (@hollyswimsuit) • Instagram photos and videos
https://www.linkedin.com/in/authorsusieblack-61941011
https://www.pinterest.com/hollysusie1_saved/
http://twitter.com/@hollyswimsuit

 Stonebridge
by
Linda Griffin

Released by The Wild Rose Press, Inc. on November 1, 2023
Rated PG
Paranormal, Historical, Romance

According to BookLife "Griffin's tale abounds in atmosphere, with a compelling supernatural element, a sense of out-of-time mystery, and delicious scheming about bloodlines and inheritances."
 
About the story
 Ghostly notes from an old piano – a welcome and a warning.
After the death of her mother, Rynna Dalton comes to live with her imperious great-grandmother and her bookish, disabled cousin Ted at Stonebridge Manor. Almost immediately she is aware of a mysterious presence, which she believes is the spirit of her mother’s murdered cousin, Rosalind. Rynna is charmed by Rosalind’s lawyer son Jason Wyatt, who courts her, and she agrees to marry him. Meanwhile, Ted and Rynna become good friends. But Stonebridge holds secrets that will profoundly affect her future. Why is Ted so opposed to the match? Why does Rosalind seem to warn Rynna against it? And how far will Jason go to possess Stonebridge—and the woman he professes to love?

I asked Linda what the inspiration for the story was. She wrote back. 
I enjoy ghost stories and always wanted to write one. I also like stories about people coming to live with strangers. When I put the two ideas together, Rynna’s story began to take shape. Then I fell in love with the man who inspired the character of Ted, and he took over the story. One of my favorite books as a child was Karen by Marie Killilea, founder of the Cerebral Palsy Association, and Karen was one of my heroes, so a disabled hero was a natural for me. An earlier version of the story was published by Winston-Derek in 1994. The new version has benefitted by everything I’ve learned about writing since then, and I also pushed the story back to 1958-1959, which seemed a better fit for Rynna’s unliberated attitudes. I spent four months obsessively rewriting the ending, and the only way I could get myself to stop was to start a sequel, which will be published in 2024.
Get your copy today.
https://www.amazon.com/Stonebridge-Linda-Griffin-ebook/dp/B0CGG1TN31
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1000585740
https://books.apple.com/us/book/stonebridge/id6463164419
https://bookshop.org/p/books/stonebridge-linda-griffin/20467808
​

About the Author.
Linda Griffin knew she wanted to be a “book maker” as soon as she learned to read, and she wrote her first story, “Judy and the Fairies,” with a plot device stolen from a comic strip, at the age of six. She retired as fiction librarian for the San Diego Public Library to spend more time on her writing. She has had stories published in numerous journals, and Stonebridge is her 8th book from The Wild Rose Press. In addition to the three R’s—reading, writing, and research—she enjoys Scrabble, travel, and movies.
For more information.
https://www.lindagriffinauthor.com/
https://www.facebook.com/lindagriffin.author
https://twitter.com/LindaGriffinA
https://www.instagram.com/lindagriffinauthor/

Welcome to Around the Fire. Can you all believe it’s November? The chill is definitely in the air here in Northern NJ. So, it’s a great day to light the fire. I have a few things going on this month, including an interview today that I’ll tell you about soon and a signing with a few NJRW authors at Whitespace Art & Event Gallery 47 Route 46 Suite 3, Hackettstown, NJ 07840 on November 18th. Then I’ll be at Christmas Village at the Shoppes On November 2nd from 10:00 am - 7:00 pm. For locals, it will be a great place to pick up holiday gifts. Now, onto today’s guest, who is new to the fire. Please welcome Rosetta Diane Hoessli, a fellow Wild Rose Press Author. Rosetta, thank you for joining us today. It’s a bit early. May I pour us cups of coffee while you introduce yourself to our other guests?
Only one because any more than that wires me so much that I can’t think straight. (I’d be waxing the ceiling instead of working on a book.) Otherwise, pure water is just fine.
 
Coffee is coming up, and I’ll grab some water, too, while you begin the chat with who you are other than your bio.
I’m a military brat, so I struggle with wanderlust to this day. I love to travel. I’m a history fanatic – mainly because my dad wrote world military history, so I cut my teeth on it. He was also an intelligence analyst for the Air Force and Security Service, so I always say that he taught me how to think…which, translated, means that he taught me how to plot logically.
My husband and I have rescued several wolf dogs in our nearly 50 years of marriage, but now we have only one dog – a Beauceron herding dog I rescued from a busy parking lot. We learned early on, through our first high-content wolf dog, that ‘wolf-speak’ is completely different from communicating with a dog, so I began researching wolves. From that research came an obsession with wolves and bison, then the Lakota Sioux Indians, and then the American plains – all of which led to my first book, WHISPERS THROUGH TIME.

This is so interesting. I’m pretty good with dog breeds, but I had to look Beauceron herding dogs up. From what I can see, they resemble Dobermans and Rottweilers in many ways. What else can you share about yourself?
I’m very patriotic and love American history – in particular, the American Revolution, the Texas Revolution, the Civil War, and Native American history (especially the Plains Indians).
My parents were very creative and musical, so I still play the piano (I began when I was 5), still listen to wonderful blues artists like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald on old 78-rpm records I inherited from my parents, and still love to watch old musicals with folks like Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, and Leslie Caron. That’s how I stay grounded. On the other hand, listening to classical music or old-time rock’n’roll is how I unwind.
 
My DH and I love history, too. Our travels usually include historical sites or museums. What do you read, or hobbies do you engage in?
I love to frame original photography, especially my father’s. He passed on in 1985 and left us a treasure trove of landscape portraits from all over the world – which was a skill he picked up while reporting for the Stars and Stripes newspaper in Europe during WWII. I’m still framing his work and want to donate it to museums all over this country. I also love to analyze movies, especially those that I really enjoy and think are unique. My husband and I have a travel trailer that we enjoy camping in, and I love to plan our trips. To me, there’s nothing more relaxing than that.
 
I adore old photos. We don’t have a lot of old family pictures, but a good friend of mine has many, and I love looking at them and asking about the person in the photo. And yay! A fellow camper. I knew I liked you. You’re correct about finding it relaxing. Who is your support system or contributes to your writing career?
My husband would be at the top of that list. He’s not a reader – I used to laugh and say he only read the pictures in Playboy – and he can’t write his way out of a paper bag, but he’s one of the best plotters I’ve ever known. When I first started out years ago, he’d listen while I read stuff out loud (bless his heart) and really tear an action scene apart just because he watched so many action/adventure movies. (He’s practically a weapons specialist as well, which also helps.) He kept me loaded up with paper, ink ribbons, then software, computers – anything I needed. He was (and still is) such a blessing.
My mother was a constant cheerleader, and our loss of her back in 2018 still hurts. My best friend is a writer (she’s also been published by The Wild Rose Press) and we push each other like crazy. I have a few high school buddies who encourage me constantly (and read for me), and my agent, Susan Cohen of Pearlco Literary Agency in Memphis, Tennessee, is a fabulous editor. She goes over the work of her clients with a fine-tooth comb before she ever submits it. I adore that woman.
My daughter and granddaughter help me with my social media/marketing because I’m incredibly technologically challenged, but my daughter is ill right now and can’t help as much as she used to. I really miss her input, but I’m so blessed.
 
Wow, you have a fantastic circle. Prayers for your daughter and her health. Who or what books or authors are your inspiration?
The most inspiring book I’ve ever read was Exodus, by Leon Uris. It completely changed my life. He also wrote Mila 18, QB VII, and The Haj. One of the most beautiful writers I’ve ever read (prose-wise) is Pat Conroy, author of Prince of Tides, The Citadel, and The Great Santini, among others. I think a perfect example of incredible character-building is the classic Gone with the Wind. I hated Scarlett, but I’ve never forgotten her. That’s one great character. So was Rhett Butler, but I think I give Clark Gable more credit for that than Margaret Mitchell.
I love really good historical novels, so I have several favorite writers in that genre. I’ve read everything by Susan Howatch, who wrote Penmarric and Cashelmara, among many others. (She’s prolific and writes wonderful series). I love John Jakes who wrote the magnificent North and South series, Henry Wouk who wrote the fabulous Winds of War series, and, of course, James Michener. My favorite authors of purely gifted story-telling and atmosphere are Daphne DuMaurier, Victoria Holt, and Taylor Caldwell. I also read a lot of true crime, especially if it’s written by Ann Rule, and biographies, but I can’t read horror or science fiction.
If I just want to curl up and chill out, my guilty (and secret) pleasure is reading an unauthorized biography of some ridiculous Hollywood celebrity or movie star.
 
We have many of the same authors in our history. I will confess to not being a Michener fan. I could never finish one of his books. Do you have any fun or outrageous talent?
Unfortunately, no. I’m an only child, so I’m too shy and I don’t like to be the center of attention. Both my parents were entertainers – my mom was a wonderful blues singer and my dad was a self-taught instrumentalist (he could play anything and never had a lesson in his life) – so I was always very content to sit off by myself and let them do what they did. I play piano for myself, and my husband was a very good drummer, but neither of us like to entertain in that way.
 
I’m going to say that playing the piano is a fun talent. I can’t even read music. Talent doesn’t have to be on display. What is your neighborhood like? Are there any places you frequent? What makes them unique?
We still live in the house we purchased in 1979. There were only 9 houses in our subdivision back then, but there are more than 50 subdivisions in our area now! That’s because San Antonio is one of the fastest-growing cities (and medical centers) in the country – not to mention the sad fact that we have a wide-open border only 125 miles away. Consequently, what we like to do is head for either the Texas Hill Country (north) or the Big Bend region (west) to get away from all the crazy if possible. Of course, the Rio Grande River runs through the Big Bend area, so we don’t go there much anymore. I miss it more than I can say.
We have a favorite Chinese restaurant (doesn’t everybody?) that we visit often. I like it because I spent two years in Okinawa when I was young, and the food and atmosphere at ‘our place’ reminds me very much of that island. When we walk in and all those fragrances waft around us (Oolong Tea and fried rice, in particular), I feel the tension just ease out of me. The fact that they know us by name doesn’t hurt, either!
 
One day, I hope to visit the great state of Texas. I have friends there. Oh, and now I’m craving Chinese. Favorite childhood book? Or writing that inspired you to become an author.
My favorite childhood book, believe it or not, was The Diary of Anne Frank. I read it in 1958. That book was the one that showed me how much a person could be touched by words – the words of a 13-year-old girl, no less! I read all the time as a child, and I loved to write stories, but that book turned my world upside down. For the first time I realized that my pitiful little life and complaints were ridiculous and embarrassing because Anne Frank was fighting for her very existence every single day. She had a crush, she had girlfriends, she loved movie stars…she was normal – but look at how much power she had, even after she was dead.
And that’s when I decided I wanted to be a writer. I was about 9.
But when I was 17, in 1967, I selected Exodus to read for an accelerated English final term paper. It was our assignment to dissect our chosen novel and write about how it had been written. I read Exodus in one sitting – over 800 pages! – and my paper was 28-pages long. My instructor wrote this on my first page (I still have it – Lol): If this is your craft, it is superior work.
The truth is, the reason my paper was so good was because I felt passionately about the subject, the Holocaust (which I hadn’t known anything about until then), the characters, the locations, the history, the theme…the sheer power of Leon Uris’ writing.
And that taught me the most valuable lesson I ever learned about my work: If I don’t care about my subject, I can’t write about it.
 
I believe it’s an author’s job to touch people’s hearts and minds. What was your first job?
My first job was in an insurance company. I told the interviewer that I couldn’t do math, but they hired me anyway and it was a nightmare. I lasted one week. On my second day I had a terrible upset stomach and I upchucked on my boss’ brand-new alligator boots in a crowded elevator. I knew then it was time for me to go to college, so that’s what I did.
 
LOL! Let’s chat about writing. What are common traps for aspiring writers?
I don’t know about common ones, but I think that writers who just write for money are dooming themselves – not to failure, but to an internally unsatisfactory career. Through all the years I’ve written – as a co-author, ghostwriter, non-fiction article writer, and finally novelist – my greatest thrill had little to do with the size of a check, but whether or not I’d touched readers and maybe illuminated a subject they’d never really thought about. I also learned that if I don’t care about my subject, I can’t write about it. I think that’s true of most serious writers.
 
What is your writing Kryptonite?
That’s a super question! In my case, I think it’s probably that as much as I love to write and want to make a difference in the world by using my words and experiences, I need to live a more balanced life than that. When my family or friends need me, I’ve always tried to be there for them – even if it meant I had to work myself to death to meet a deadline. But I’ve never failed to meet one, and I’m proud of that. The writers that I admire so much and would love to emulate are writers who never put anything ahead of their writing – not their spouses, their children, their friends. Nothing was more important than their work, and I knew early on that I just couldn’t live like that.
 
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
I have completed two epic historical novels set in Texas after the Civil War, and one ‘fun’ romance set in contemporary Texas, but I’ve never tried to find homes for them. I also have a half-finished western. The two historical novels I want to re-work into one family saga, and the half-finished western I’d like to combine with the fun romance just because I think the story would be phenomenal.
But the truth is, I wrote all of these books when I was first starting out and my major goal was to actually finish a book, then to find an agent, then to find an audience, etc. I actually did all that, so those manuscripts certainly weren’t a waste of time.
 
What does literary success look like to you?
I really love this question because that’s different for every writer. I’d like to make enough money to pay a few bills or to travel, but I have no desire to be famous or wealthy. I just want to make readers think while they’re reading a terrific story, in the same way that Leon Uris made me think when I first read Exodus back in 1968.
That was my goal in WHISPERS THROUGH TIME, which deals with an empathic woman who, along with her former love, goes through the massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890 South Dakota and solves a contemporary mystery through that experience. And it was definitely my goal in my soon-to-be released mystery/suspense novel TIP THE PIANO MAN, which deals with the sexual trafficking of young children by the very system that’s supposed to be helping them. I want people to have lightbulb moments as they read my books. I want them to learn and feel while reading a story they can’t put down. That would be literary success to me.
 
What was your hardest scene to write?
In WHISPERS THROUGH TIME, I used a lot of symbolism in Sierra’s visions and dreams. That was very difficult because the symbols had to make sense, and everything had to connect because there were subplots that were very important to the overall story. Sometimes the visions just came to me and I couldn’t write fast enough to keep up with them, but other times it was like pulling out teeth.
 
Rosetta, thank you for being such an amazing and interesting guest. Before you head out on your next camping trip, please tell us about your book and where we can learn more about it and you.​

WHISPERS THROUGH TIME
BY
Rosetta Diane Hoessli
Rated PG
Native American Literature 
Paranormal & Urban Fantasy

About
The only man Sierra Masters has ever loved appears with a proposition that could alter her future. She turns him down, but then after experiencing a foretelling dream, decides to take a risk in order to uncover the truth. Hunter Davenport realizes the evidence he's shared with Sierra could indeed destroy her—but it could free her as well. The decision is yanked from her hands when the past and present collide through a historical portal on sacred Native American land. Will she take the gift that is offered? And will Hunter do what he didn't do twelve years earlier—stand by her? Only time will give them their answers.
Grab a copy today!
https://www.amazon.com/Whispers-Through-Rosetta-Diane-Hoessli/dp/1509238158
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/whispers-through-time-rosetta-diane-hoessli/1139719243

More about the Author
Rosetta Diane Hoessli (called 'Ronni' by her friends) has been a resident of San Antonio, Texas since 1963. She's been married for 47 years to Kevin Hoessli, her high school sweetheart. They have one beautiful daughter, Michele, and two terrific grandchildren, Kevin and Briana.
Rosetta's father was a military historian and photographer for the Air Force, so she came by her love of reading and writing quite naturally. She's written and edited many articles, as well as acted as Managing Editor for three regional publications, each claiming a readership of 100,000 or more. She's also co-authored a book with socialite Jeanette Jaffe-Longoria (80+ years young!) entitled 'Aphrodite and Me: Discovering Romance and Sensuality at Any Age.

Follow the Author
https://www.facebook.com/RosettaDianeAuthor
https://www.instagram.com/thompd2011/
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58926515-whispers-through-time
https://twitter.com/DianeThomp3419
@DIANETHOMP3419
THOMPD2011@GMAIL.COM.

Rag Lady A Holly Swimsuit Novel
by
​Susie Black
Release Date November 15, 2023
Contemporary Women's Fiction
Recent college graduate Holly Schlivnik dreams of being a writer, but fate has other plans. A family crisis throws her into an improbable situation and her life will never be the same. Determined to make her own luck when things don’t happen the way she plans, the irrepressible young woman takes a sledge hammer to the glass ceiling and shatters it to smithereens. The wise-cracking, irreverent transplanted Californian takes you on a raucous, rollicking rollercoaster ride of her hysterical adventures as a ladies apparel sales rep traveling in the deep South as she ends up finding herself along the way. 

https://www.amazon.com/Rag-Lady-Holly-Swimsuit-Book-ebook/dp/B0CHG62W5V​
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rag-lady-susie-black/1144031749

Advance Reader Copy (ARC) Review
Nanasbookreviews 
Rag Lady by Susie Black is the prequel to the Holly Swimsuit series. This is the story of how Holly Schlivnik became a successful sales executive in the ladies' swimwear industry. In this book, we saw Holly's dream of becoming a writer shuttered and how a new opportunity that was given to her changed her life. If you've read this series then you're familiar with the quirky main character and her family. So the snarky commentary and the hilarious moments aren't a surprise. We also met some new unique characters that shaped Holly's character. What I truly appreciated in this book was the life lessons. My favorite scene was at her birthday. P.S. If you're a sentimental person there is a scene that will make you tear up. If you are looking for an entertaining story then you need to read this book. I will rate it with 5 stars.