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Achoo! Excuse me. Yep it's springtime in New Jersey and the pollen is brutal. I've been busy around the house as well as with writing and editing. I'm also getting ready for a few personal appearances. If you want more info on those head over to Insider Looks by tapping above.  I'm excited to welcome today's guest to the fire. I read her first book, Finding Euphoria and reviewed it. Here's an out take- 5-Stars I highly recommend Finding Euphoria by C. Becker As a fan of medical thrillers, Finding Euphoria reminds me in many ways of Michael Crichton. Many turns and twists lead the reader into a world of drugs and crimes and navigate us without losing any of the relationships in the book. C., while I stoke the fire please tell our visitors who you are other than your bio? I’m a wife and mother of four, and I love spending time with my family. My kids are all in their twenties. I’m a music director at a local church where I lead the choir and accompany the Sunday services, and I’m also active in my own church singing and playing piano/organ every week. I like to compose songs and some have been sung at different churches in my area. I lead a bi-monthly writer’s group (since 2015), which hosts a talented group of serious writers. Even during COVID we met twice a month using video conferencing. You sound like a very busy woman. I can't read music or follow at tune to save my life. What interests besides writing do you enjoy? I spend a lot of time on my music. The best gift my parents gave me was piano lessons! LOL! I love to garden. I enjoy baking desserts, and I can’t get enough of stamping cards. It’s like therapy to sit, relax, and create cards for all occasions. My Jack Russell dog and I have a fondness for walking, him more so, but I do like to exercise. Reading is always a pleasure—all genres, as I love absorbing information. Hali says, "Woof." That means hello to your JRT. And other than your doggo, who is your network or support system? I’m fortunate to have a supportive writing network. My family is extremely supportive. Without their patience and support, I don’t know if I could continue. Some evenings, dinner doesn’t get on the table, and we do take-out. I belong to the best writer’s group on the planet. Each member brings their own talents to the critiques and discussions, and we help each other with ideas and writing. They aren’t afraid to tell me if they don’t like something or if a character’s actions seem off. And I have a small beta group of readers who are awesome, too! Who or what books or authors are your inspiration? The authors at The Wild Rose Press are an inspiration. Their support is unbelievable and truly make me feel a part of the Garden of Roses! We help each other with marketing and so many have blogs to help spread author’s works. My editor ELF is the especially the best and inspires me to want to do better. Love her to pieces! ELF is my editor too! TWRP authors are an amazing diverse group of writers. Do you have any fun or outrageous talent? My biggest talent is singing and playing piano, but I’m also decent at home improvement projects and word games. What is your neighborhood like? I live in a rural area in West Virginia. Rural by most people’s standards though I live in a small city that has plenty of restaurants. Before COVID, my writer’s group used to go to Panera for the meetings. My family and I enjoy eating at all the major chain restaurants. Plus there are plenty of locally owned restaurants in town. The local libraries are supportive and I’ve had book signings there. My town just opened up The Bridge, a gigantic recreational center which I love going to. The town is small enough that I can walk two miles to the schools and small shops downtown, but yet I’m far enough away to have my privacy. I'm familiar with Webster Springs WV. It's a gorgeous state. What books took up you childhood? I couldn’t read enough Trixie Belden books and other mysteries when I was young. The younger teen age of Trixie meshed perfectly with mine. My goal was to read the entire series, but the first and last book in the series was always missing from the bookmobile. I lived in the middle of western Pennsylvania farm country and didn’t have a library in my town. Thank goodness my mother walked my siblings and me a half-mile to the local church to sign out books at the bookmobile. 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 love a lot of songs, but as of today, I’d choose Für Elise Jam by the Piano Guys. Classical, and jazzy. Worst household chore? Emptying the dishwasher. I’d prefer to handwash dishes after every meal and let them airdry instead of waiting for a large load of dishes to unload. Do you play board games? Oh my yes! There were nine kids in my family growing up, and we played a lot of games. Now my kids like them, too. Bananagrams, Big Boggle, Scrabble are my favorites today. Scattergories, Chameleon, Scotland Yard are also fun games. Dictionary Dabble/Balderdash, Chinese Checkers…I could go on forever. What was your first job? I boxed letters for a mailing service company specializing in high-volume marketing. Basically, I boxed the junk mail that most people tossed immediately in their trash. I didn’t like the job at all, but it helped pay for college. Worked three days a week 6am-6pm during my summer year before college. Let's talk about writing. What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book? For the Euphoria trilogy books, I couldn’t begin to calculate the hours of research I’ve spent. When I began Finding Euphoria, I researched brain disorders and narcotics. For this second book, Saving Euphoria, I’ve researched burns, burn therapies, PTSD, mail-order pharmaceuticals, Colombia, and FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia military group). Although I research material beforehand, I like to see where my story is going and then research as the plot progresses. For example, by having a drug lord live in Colombia, I needed to research the setting, animals, vegetation, foods, clothing, housing materials, colloquial language for curse words, occupations, town structures, and jungles. Then I spent days—days—on watching YouTube videos to see how coca leaves are made into cocaine. What was your hardest scene to write? The first intimate scene in Finding Euphoria, knowing that my father and kids might read the book. (We can stop now because my face is flushed.) C., thanks for sharing my fire today. Before you head out, will you leave us a peek at your new release and where we can find it and more about you? Oh, and to our other guests, make sure you keep scrolling. There's some pictures below.  Saving Euphoria by C. Becker Hailey Langley and her children struggle to cope with the shocking and mysterious death of her husband Mark. Her teenaged son is rebelling, and Hailey is dealing with physical and mental challenges as well. Tom Parker, Hailey's former partner from the Special Crimes Agency, comes back into her life. He warns her to trust no one even as he tries to rekindle the flame that connects them. Everyone has secrets, even Parker, and some of those from the past threaten to destroy the present. Hailey fights to move forward after losing Mark, but she needs to figure out if she can trust Parker and risk taking another chance on love. Get your copy today. Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09SVMXYZT The Wild Rose Press: https://www.thewildrosepress.com/bookauthor/c-becker B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/saving-euphoria-c-becker/1141022852 iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/saving-euphoria/id1612065577 More about the Author and where to find her. Becker is the author of Finding Euphoria and Saving Euphoria. She is currently working on the third book to the Euphoria trilogy. As a medical technologist in a former career, Becker has never outgrown the attraction of using science in everyday life. Becker enjoys hanging out with her family and Jack Russell, playing the piano, reading, and gardening. https://cbeckerauthor.wixsite.com/cbeckerauthor Twitter https://twitter.com/cbeckerauthor Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CBeckerauthor/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beckercee/ Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60471332-saving-euphoria BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/books/saving-euphoria-by-c-becker Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/C.-Becker/e/B07NRWPWX3 Get to know C. Becker better by signing up for an email newsletter https://mailchi.mp/7a51fa024f7a/cbeckerauthor Around The Fire announces a New Release Alert Just In Time For The Derby! Win, Place, Show by Liz5/7/2022
Who besides me read all the horse books? Since I was a kid horses fascinated me. I got my first horse Cocoa a chestnut gelding when I was about nine-years-old. We'd moved from Brooklyn to Whitehouse Station NJ and onto a 12 acre "hobby" farm. My next horse was Carrie. She was a bay mare and owned me heart and soul. On my 40th birthday oh so long ago, Pete aske me what I wanted to do. "Go horseback riding," was my immediate response. Last year we visited Assateague Island and got to see one of my favorite book locations from being a kid. I still remember being glued to the TV when Big Red stretched his legs. Does anyone else remember Secretariat flowing over the ground and winning the Belmont by 31 lengths? Well today's guest uses the race as a back drop for her story. So pour yourself a Mint Julip and pop on a big hat while you get a peek into Liz Crowe's latest release.  Win Place Show by Liz Crowe from the author- Heat rating: 3.75 out of 5 Win Place Show: All bets are on! Start with a perfect spring weekend full of pretty dresses, high heels, fancy hats, horse races, and bourbon. Combine with a friends-from-childhood couple whose ongoing misunderstandings have led Lucy Granger to swear she’ll never move back home. Mix in a splash of combined family pressure for Lucy and Nate Hawthorne to be The Golden Couple. Pour over crushed ice and garnish with plenty of hot, secret hookups. Win. Place. Show. A funny sort of romance chock full of dressing up, mint juleps, an axe-throwing bar, and a huge winning bet at the big race. A look between the covers... Lucy dropped the phone to her side, wishing she could sleep another three hours to skip the whole still-a-tad-drunk part of the hangover. She had, indeed, made some poor choices the night before. Beginning with thinking she could slide back into easy, sexy time with Nate. She’d already more or less decided against it before he’d gotten there. But, of course, he’d shown up looking so flipping edible in a pair of dark jeans and a form-fitting purple polo with the Trifecta logo stitched where the little polo guy usually sat. Damn the man. He had no right to go around being so...hot. He’d always been vain about his hair, something he’d discovered was a featured benefit about the same time he decided she no longer deserved his friendship. It was a wavy strawberry blond, cut just short enough so he didn’t have to use any products while it was full and tempting to female fingers. His eyes were so green, people accused him of wearing contacts to make them that way. Someone had obviously told him the trick about green eyes, that wearing purple made them even more striking. “Some woman, I’m sure,” she said, lying flat on her back a few more seconds before hauling herself up and limping toward the shower. Maintaining her anger at Nate was easy. She’d been ready to outright reject him. But when he’d shown up looking like some kind of a male model, turning every damn female head in the place, she’d stumbled. He was such a good dancer, not to mention a top notch kisser. So she’d gone with it, fueled by too much booze, ready to leap back into bed with him as if no time had passed since they last hooked up. Thankfully, he’d given her an out by going all talkative. That was the last thing she wanted from him. So she’d walked away. And subsequently had a lot more to drink, hence her current condition, ergo she planned to lay blame for her pounding head and queasy stomach at his feet, too. So there, Mr. Perfect. The shower transformed her from being a woman with a hangover into a clean woman with a hangover and many regrets. She glared at her bloodshot eyes in the foggy mirror, hating herself for being here, in her stupid bathroom where she’d spent so many hours as a little girl and later a teenager, second guessing herself and her relationship with Nate. She slapped on some rudimentary makeup, dried and styled her hair enough to pass her mother’s scrutiny, then stood in front of the dresses hanging in her closet. A line of matching shoes were on the floor beneath them. Several hatboxes stacked on the shelves to one side. The floral-patterned one made her headache worse, so she chose a light blue option, with a halter neckline, tight-fitting bodice and skirt. It was a beautiful choice, as they all were. One thing she could never accuse her mother of was shopping poorly. She slid her feet into a pair of cream-colored high heels, then pondered the hats with a sigh. When they were little, she and Mimi loved this weekend more than any other. The opportunity to put on a pretty new dress, hat, and shoes had been the highlight of their year. The hours spent at the track over the course of Derby weekends were some of her best memoires. Get your copy today... Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09FH7BMCG Universal buy link: https://books2read.com/winplaceshowromance Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60143414-win-place-show Trailer: https://youtu.be/Y0OGI-iGVTc About the author... Liz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville living in South Carolina. She's spent her time as a three-continent expat trailing spouse, mom of three, real estate agent, brewery owner and bar manager, and is currently a digital marketing and fundraising consultant, in addition to being an award-winning author. With stories set in breweries, on the soccer pitch, inside fictional television stations and successful real estate offices, and even in exotic locales like Istanbul, Turkey, her books are compelling and told with a fresh voice. The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight and linger in the imagination long after the book is finished. Follow along with Liz online: TWITTER: https://twitter.com/LizCroweAuthor FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/lizcroweauthor FACEBOOK CHAT ROOM: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Lizcrowefans INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/lizcroweauthor/ TIKTOK: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeQoUHjD/ BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/authorsliz-crowe AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.amazon.com/Liz-Crowe/e/B00573TC7M GOODREADS PAGE: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4350864.Liz_Crowe WEBSITE: http://www.lizcrowe.com SIGN UP FOR THE LIZ NEWSLETTER & GET A FREE BOOK: https://www.subscribepage.com/getlovegarage EMAIL LIZ: lizcroweauthor@gmail.com  Sometime authors create something called a mood board. It helps with inspiration and gives us visual cues. Liz shared hers with us.
 One of the big discussions going on in the author world is oh wait there's two. Let me work my original thought first. Reviews. Easy there, don't be afraid. I can't tell you how many people tell me, "I loved you book." Now, don't get me wrong. I'm thankful that they do. It bolsters me to continue even when things are hard. But, do you know how much more I'd be lifted up? Yep. A review. What do reviews do for readers an authors? Well, they help sift the reader through, I don't know, a gazillion books. The information helps other bookworms to find stories that will matter to them. And for authors? Did you know if a book has only a few reviews, even if they are all five star, the selling agency won't show them to potential readers? It kind of like they tell everyone what to read instead of letting intelligent people choose for themselves.
So, how do I write a book review? It's not that hard really, especially with technology. First of all, a review doesn't have to be long. Actually you can just click a star on most sites but if you want to help other readers and writers out, here are some pointers. A couple of sentences describing what the book is about and why you liked it is perfect. Here’s an example of a quick review I did on Goodreads for Edge of Collapse. I gave it 4 stars A fast-paced, chilling read. The main characters are both damaged but survivors. You root for them. There’s even a damaged yet courageous dog. The world-building is excellent, and you feel the cold seeping into you while you read. The antagonist is horrendous, and I only wish the end was tighter. I’m already reading the second book. See how I answered most of these questions in seven sentences?
Happy reviewing! Greetings and salutations from my writing cave. I barely poke my head out with so much on my plate. One of these days I'll talk about formatting your own novel. I have little dots before my eyes. My DH and I have managed to squeeze in a couple of firepit burns but next week I'll be camping with the grands! Huzzah! There's nothing better than sitting around a fire, sipping on a beverage, and catching up. Today we'll be catching up with one of my fellow Wild Rose Press authors. Beth Henderson writes romantic suspense, a bit of paranormal and seasons her work with humor.  So, Beth, while I pour us some refreshments, please let our other guests know Who you are other than your bio? Well, this could be answered in more than a couple of ways because I go by many names and write in more than one genre. While the Henderson name covers romance, I’m J.B. Dane for urban fantasy PI mystery comedy, and Nied Darnell for Weird West Steampunk adventure, 1920s Dieselpunk adventure comedy and Victorian Gaslamp Fantasy mystery comedy. Under my real name, Beth Daniels, I’m a genre fiction writing online workshop presenter for SavvyAuthors.com and several RWA online chapters, too. I hail from Ohio, spent 22 years living between southern California, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Tucson, Arizona as I followed first one husband then another from one job to another. Returned to Ohio when I shed husband #2, was a 24/7 caregiver to my parents and moved to Kentucky after their passing. I have a BA in American History and an MA in English Composition and Rhetoric and did time teaching Comp at the college level. Had stepsons but no children otherwise so no one calls me for babysitting, thank goodness. I have no hobbies unless you count creating graphics for my social media posts and covers for the things I release as an Indie publisher. Otherwise, I’m a voracious reader of both fiction and history and plan to be an even more voracious reader when I finally put my pen aside and retire from being a novelist in the future. I currently belong to two writers’ groups where we get together once a month to critique. Love Marvel movies and The Minions. Currently I live in a small town in a neighborhood of small houses, but all my friends, be they local or in Louisville (nearly an hour’s drive away) are writers these days. Otherwise, I’m really rather boring. Wow, I had no idea you did so much under so many pennames. I love Marvel and Minions too. Guardians of the Galaxy are my favorite. The sound track to both GOTG movies is fantastic. Speaking of music, 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? Lennon and McCartney’s “Paperback Writer”, of course! LOL! Worst household chore Any household chore qualifies but the one that gets done infrequently is the floors. One of my friends hasn’t written in weeks because she’s been doing a thorough Spring cleaning. Honestly, I’ve never ever done that! Totally lacking a domestic gene. I can relate. I despise housework. If you could time travel, where would you go and when? Why? The post-Civil War US and Britain would be my time period and countries of choice, but I’d have to get back in the time machine to head back to my own time period to eat. They ate some really weird stuff back then and refrigeration was next to non-existent. But that’s the time period I’ve settled into for my stories, and it would be nice to do jaunts to visit for research on the spot rather than read about it. Who is the most interesting person you’ve met and talked with? Well, I married a disc jockey first time out the marriage gate and then dated a few others. Through them I met Ann Margret in Vegas and Dolly Parton in Tucson. But at writer’s conferences I’ve shared elevators with Sandra Brown, a taxi with Janet Dailey, met Nora Roberts, none of whom would remember me, and have been holiday card exchanging friends with Mary Jo Putney for decades. I've only met one famous person and didn't even know who he was. I'd love to meet Dolly. What was your first job? Considering my mother told me I broke her heart my senior year in high school when I announced I was sick of school and didn’t want to go on to college (I waited until I was in my late 30s and early 40s to get my two degrees), the only thing I knew how to do after graduation was type. My first job was incredibly boring. I worked for the Dayton Daily News in the classified ad department where every day, other than answer phones for people who were out of the office, I had to count how many ads were under each category. It really made me more interested in training for something much better, though that training was as a key-punch operator (data entry clerk is what it’s called today) and that wasn’t much better excitement-wise. Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones? Absolutely! I only quote the good parts in social media postings though. Readers often don’t agree on things. One reader gave a book 1* with the very short “Boring” as the review. The same book has gotten 5*s, one claiming, “One of the gentlest, most tender romances I've ever read." It’s all a matter of a reader’s taste. What was your hardest scene to write? It’s always the love scene because my characters are giving me the stink eye for watching them and jotting down notes. You are so funny. Before you head out, could you leave a bit about your latest book. I'm sure reader would like to know where to find out more about you and your work.  GHOST NOTES
by Beth Henderson BLURB: Jace Hastings, rising music star, is presumed dead in a vehicle collision, courtesy of a stalker with deadly designs. Ten years later, P.I. Gaelen Wyndom can’t believe someone wants her to find him. Pelham Flannery rejoined the world from ICU, fully aware someone had tried to kill him. To live, he went under the radar, distanced himself from music, and disguised everything that would give away his identity as Jace. After a decade, is it safe to come out of hiding? Gaelen, delighted to be trained as a professional investigator by her new husband, continued in her new career after he was killed. Assigned to locate Jace Hastings, she isn’t told who wants to find him, but she puzzles it out. If she’s right, it’s the man who tried to kill him before. Which means she needs to find Jace Hastings and save him. BUY LINKS: Amz getbook.at/GhostNotes https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ghost-notes-beth-henderson/1141022856?ean=9781509241798 https://books.apple.com/ro/book/ghost-notes/id1612001433 SOCIAL MEDIA: Website: www.4TaleTellers.com Twitter: @Beth__Henderson Facebook: http://bit.ly/2GvFyog BIO: Beth Henderson has been a published novelist in romance since 1990 when her first romantic suspense/romantic comedy novel was published. Since then, she's had a long list of titles released through various publishing houses, and also under a variety of names. In 2021 she launched a 4-volume paranormal lite cozy mystery romantic comedy series, the Whichur-Wolfe Detection novels, all of which swept up 5* reviews. Her latest release is GHOST NOTES, a romantic suspense released by The Wild Rose Press. She also writes Old West historical romantic mysteries. Hello, everyone! I'm back in New Jersey just in time for my second pollen season of the year. Huzzah! We left Florida in the high 80s and arrived in NJ in the 40s. In between I felt like a mail carrier Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. We hit it all especially in Virginia where we had snow, sleet, and rain. It's good to be back though. The daffodils, hyacinth are in full bloom and Pete got to mow the lawn. We already had a fire in the firepit as well as on the deck with the propane one. I'm excited to introduce you to today's guest. Her sweet inspirational book asks and answers this question. Can the comfort of campfires, hayrides, and sweet kisses bring these two lost souls together?  Hi, Liz welcome to the fire. While I grab us some warm beverages, why don't you introduce yourself and tell us Who you are other than your bio? Thanks for having me around the fire. There’s a cool pavilion built on the footprint of an old tobacco barn in Life’s Too Short for White Walls that has fireplaces on both ends. I swear I got warm just writing scenes that took place there. I’m a wife, a mom, a nana. I’m more political than I ever thought I’d be, less social, and…settled. I love my life. That fireplace scenario sounds wonderful. What interests besides writing do you enjoy? For instance, what do you read or hobbies you have? I sew, and I quilt. However, the only time I can really do that is when the writing isn’t going well, which means, blessedly, that I haven’t been doing much of it lately. I travel whenever I get a chance, with very little concern about where I’m going. Ah, a fellow sojourner through life. Who is your network or support system? It’s so funny that long after I thought the time for developing deep friendships had passed, writer Nan Reinhardt teamed up. We travel together, share writing days together, roll our eyes at our husbands together, and depend on each other for all kinds of brainstorming help. In addition, I’m part of a few writing groups with whom I share much coffee and commiseration. Nan sounds like a great companion to share the road and writing with. Who or what books or authors are your inspiration? I wrote because of Louisa May Alcott. Like many before me, I AM Jo March. Kathleen Gilles Seidel’s writing voice has always been a force for me. Not that I sound like her or even want to, but I want to give a reader the kind of feeling I get from reading Ms. Seidel’s stuff. Do you have any fun or outrageous talent? Well, I wish… I do make really good chili. Yum, chili is one of my favorites to cook in a Dutch oven over the fire. I'll have to get your recipe. What is your neighborhood like? Are there any places you frequent? What makes them special? We live in the cornfields. The nearest neighbors are a quarter-mile away, but we’re all friendly when we see each other. My church, however, is right across the road, so if I play hooky, there’s no hiding the fact even if I wanted to! There is a nearby coffee shop, the Black Dog, that we frequent a lot. My husband is a musician, and they play there, plus Scott Johnson, the owner, and a few of us created a writers’ group that is so much fun! Gallery 15 is another place we go, where Sarah and Ron Luginbill support all the arts. I’ve read aloud an open mic a few times there, something I never even thought of doing but is really kind of fun. I think applause is somewhat addictive, whether you deserve it or not. Those places sound great. Years ago, there was a commercial that talked about a “Kodak Moment.” It’s a moment in time you catch in a picture. One you never want to forget. What is yours? At my younger son and daughter-in-law’s wedding, my granddaughters and some other little girls were standing around the bride—they got married in our backyard—and they had stripped nearly every bloom off my snowball bush. Just as someone snapped the picture, they threw the petals into the air over the bride. I could still cry over how beautiful Laura and all those little girls were in that moment. Do you have a favorite childhood book? I have a lot of favorites, but my sister had a whole set of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy books. I read them over and over. Just as with Kathleen Gilles Seidel’s voice, I remember how they made me feel. What is your worst household chore? Dusting—it always comes back! Do you play board games? What games do you like? I love board games. I never win, but I still love them. I don’t even have favorites. I think it’s because I like sitting around the table with people and laughing a lot. What’s the most amazing natural occurrence you’ve witnessed? Watching my oldest grandchild be born. What was your hardest scene to write? In a book long ago, a beloved character died. It was easily the hardest thing I’ve ever written. I grieved right along with everyone else in the book. Years later, I still think about her. Our characters are often like our children. We create them. Nurture them. Learn about them intimately. So losing them can be quite difficult. Liz thanks so much for sharing my fire. Before you leave would you tell our reader where they can find out more about you and your book?  Life’s Too Short for White Walls
by Liz Flaherty Still reeling from her divorce, Joss Murphy flees to Banjo Bend, Kentucky, where she'd been safe and happy as a child. The family farm is now a campground. Weary and discouraged, she talks owner Ezra McIntire into renting her a not-quite-ready cabin. With PTSD keeping him company, Ez thrives on the seclusion of the campground. The redhead in Cabin Three adds suggestions to his improvement plans, urging color and vibrancy where there was none. Neither is looking for love, yet the attraction they share is undeniable. Can the comfort of campfires, hayrides, and sweet kisses bring these two lost souls together? Buy links: B & N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lifes-too-short-for-white-walls-liz-flaherty/1140917290?ean=2940160796727 Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09QXPBGG2/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i4 Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/gb/book/lifes-too-short-for-white-walls/id1606569657 Bio and social links: Retired from the post office, Liz Flaherty spends non-writing time sewing, traveling, and doing whatever else she wants to. She and her husband Duane live in the old farmhouse in North Central Indiana they moved to in 1977. They’ve talked about moving, but really…40-plus years’ worth of stuff? It’s not happening. It would require removing old baseball trophies from the attic and dusting the pictures of the Magnificent Seven, their grandchildren. She’d love to hear from you at lizkflaherty@gmail.com or please come and see her at: http://lizflaherty.net/ http://www.facebook.com/lizkflaherty https://twitter.com/LizFlaherty1 http://wordwranglers.blogspot.com/ http://windowoverthesink.blogspot.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Liz-Flaherty/e/B001J919R4%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3336348.Liz_Flaherty https://www.bookbub.com/authors/liz-flaherty https://www.instagram.com/lizkflaherty/?hl=en  Hi, everyone! After almost four months in Perry, Florida, I’ve returned to the north. If you follow me on social media, you know we left camp in the 80s wearing shorts and t-shirts. By the time we hit the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, things were a tad different. Like the postal carrier creed—neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night. Yep, we were in it all. Pete did a great job navigating 2HOOTS while I followed in Snowball. During the trip, I listened to Jan Karon’s Mitford books. Many years ago, I read and loved them. Listening is a whole different thing. I recommend both print and audio series if you like inspirational books. Arriving home in The Garden State gave me a chance for a second spring. We left Perry as it was turning to summer. Pollen, bugs, and humidity were slipping in. I don’t do well with either of those. Not that New Jersey doesn’t’ have exactly that during the summer. If you read Rainbow Sprinkles, I wrote about the three Hs—Hazy, Hot, and Humid. Florida was good for my work and reading. I finished several books and enjoyed the local life. Fests happen all the time in the Sunshine State. We went to the Manatee Fest and the Fiddler Crab Fest. The Bluegrass Fest was rainy, so we decided to stay at camp. Crystal River gave me an up-close with manatees. If you didn’t eat Somewhere, you could eat Nowhere. Pete’ enjoyed Grumpy’s Diner while I plowed my way through seafood at the Crazy Crab. The downside was pizza. You just can’t get a straight-up pepperoni pizza in the area we were. Also, believe it or not, there wasn’t any ice cream parlor to be had. Not even a DQ. Tragedy nearly ensued when we couldn’t find a Dunkin closer than forty-five miles. Say what you want about Walmart; at least we could buy the coffee there and make it at camp. Flea markets, vintage stores, and antique shops were in abundance, and you know Pete, and I, enjoy poking through those. I post some of my favorite finds on Facebook for #whatsitwednesday, so follow me and check it out. Leaving Perry, Florida, KOA was bittersweet. We made lots of friends and spent many nights around the campfire with people from all over the US and Canada. So many are coming back next year, and we look forward to returning as well. We dropped our landing gear at home on Monday, the day after Easter. Hali leaped from the truck and sniffed and prowled, reclaiming her homestead. My sixteen-year-old cat, Baby, stretched and yawned before assuming her regular sleep spot. To my surprise, she made a great traveling and camping cat. One of the reasons for us returning in April was the Wine, Romance, and More event held at the brookhollowwinery in Columbia, NJ. There were fifty authors from all different genres signing books and fellowship with other writers and especially readers. Agent Carter and the first edition of Felice moved off my table at an amazing pace. I even had an author assistant. Thanks, Desi M., for pitching in and pitching my stories. NJ is putting on a show with foliage. The forsythia is blazing yellow. Bulb plants like daffodils and hyacinth are coloring my yard with yellow, pink, and purple. Tulips are ready to pop, too. After collapsing from travel exhaustion, one of the first things we did was set up our deck. The second was a fire in the pit, and then Sunday, a propane fire on the deck. You can take the girl out of the campground, but you can’t take the campfire out of the girl. I will wrap up by letting you know what I accomplished this winter. First Jazz House went to the final-final galley. I wrote and submitted another story along the lines of Rainbow Sprinkles and waiting to hear back. Felice has been re-edited and will be released as a second edition this fall. Kisa will be going to the editor on August first. A top-secret book I’m cooperating with other authors will be going to another editor in October. So as you can see, I’ve been sitting on my laurels eating bonbons. I enjoyed catching you up. If you have any questions or comments, leave them in the sections labeled um… comments. Or you could always email me if you’re shy. Here's a few highlights from our time...  I love that today’s special guest wrote about St. Augustine. Hubby and I returned just last night from Florida. We visited St. Augustine last year. My cousins live there. While I pour us a chilled beverage, why don’t you get us started, M. S., by telling our visitors who you are other than the official bio. Thanks so much for letting warm myself at your fire! I was—until I’d had enough—a perennial student (did you ever watch the movie The Librarian? That was me). I hold a BA from Vassar College, a diploma in Arabic Studies from the American University in Cairo, and Masters in Anthropology and in Library Science from the University of Chicago. Among other posts, I’ve been a librarian, a nonprofit president, a Congressional aide, and a speechwriter. I’ve lived or traveled on five of the seven continents. Antarctica is not really on my bucket list, but Australia is! I finally came back home to DC in 1980 and landed a temp job on Capitol Hill which turned into a professional staff position. While it was thrilling to be involved in creating legislation, it was the brushes with celebrities that blew me away. Charlton Heston graciously allowing this breathless legislative assistant to have her picture taken with him. Or standing in the Rose Garden when Margaret Thatcher came to visit Ronald Reagan. There were embarrassing moments as well, as when Paul Newman called my husband and I answered the phone, “Joe’s racetrack and speedway, place your bets.” I distinctly remember the puzzled pause at the other end of the line. I started publishing in 2009 and have released fifteen romantic suspense or murder mystery novels, with two more on the way. I have two fabulous grown children and an incredible granddaughter and currently divide my time between the Gulf Coast of Florida and a tiny village in Maine. Huh, I’m sort of speechless. That rarely happens to me. Ask my husband. Wowzah! What an exciting and unique life. I’ll bet you have tons of stories to tell, and this was only the iceberg. What do you like to read? Which books or authors are your inspiration? I don’t read as much now as I did before I started writing—mainly thrillers and mysteries. As a child and adult I was a voracious reader—especially of those books called “classics,” figuring it was a classic for a reason. I devoured English writers—Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy, Evelyn Waugh—for their delicate, precise prose, and the mystery writers—Christie, Sayers, Allingham, and Marsh—for their deceptively simple puzzles. I loved biographies as well—a more interesting way to learn history. I’m a voracious reader and also enjoy biographies. One of my favorites was Gracie A Love Story by George Burns. What is your neighborhood like? My husband died in 2010, and after hours spent staring at my bedroom ceiling, I picked myself up and moved to Florida. My complex—on a Gulf coast key—is full of fascinating characters retired from all walks of life. It is an intellectually diverse population with one common element—we love the constantly blue Florida sky. My neighbors perfectly blend the art of being socially welcoming while sensitive to one’s need to be alone. I’m so sorry for your loss. I am, however, in awe of someone who is able to put their life together and find their place again. Do you have any fun or outrageous talent? The ability to wiggle out of any public speaking engagement. Oh, also: I had vegetable, fruit, and herb gardens at my house in Virginia, and learned to make all kinds of pickles, relishes, jellies, and preserves. Here in Florida, I’m experimenting with recipes from my Meyer lemon, my Beautyberry, my fig and maybe someday my passionfruit vine and my grapefruit tree. I think of it as free food 😊. I love gardening. When I was in Perry, Florida, tomatoes went into containers and traveled back with me in the shower of the camper. Herbs in the front of my DH’s truck. 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? Sitting on my desk is a ceramic statue of the Hindu elephant god Ganesh. Underneath him runs a mouse. It depicts the Indian tale of the mouse who became so proud he made the gods angry, so Ganesh sat on him. It had pride of place on my father’s desk while he wrote his books, and on mine now. Not sure why. Favorite childhood book? I loved the Oz books & collect them now. When I finished my BA thesis at Princeton I went to the library and borrowed all the Oz books they had. If you could eat anything in the world right now, what would it be? A tin of the finest Russian beluga caviar, with toast points, chopped boiled egg, and sweet onion. Washed down with a bottle of Bollinger brut. Did you ever win something? I suffer from a strange malady—I can have a thousand chances to win $2 and still fail. I once spent three hours in a charity bingo event. Several hundred people attended. There was only one person who never got a bingo. Guess who. I have only won one thing—a sixteen-pound Butterball turkey. The day after Thanksgiving. Lol, I won a turkey once. My aunt dropped it on her foot and broke a toe. So, it really was a loss. What was your first job? If you don’t count the lifeguard gig and research assistantships in the Library of Congress, National Academy of Sciences, and the American Museum of Natural History, then I’d cite the first real job with benefits: a publishing assistant for the magazine Electric Light & Power. How do you select the names of your characters? That’s one of the more entertaining aspects of writing. Sometimes—not often—the character chooses her own name and I can’t dislodge it no matter how many “find & replace” I insert. In many books I choose a theme related to the story. In Whirlwind Romance, every character had a 17th-century English name. In Hidden Gem, the heroine is named after an obscure island, because her father loved maps. Usually the names are in place by the third chapter. M.S., thank you so much for joining me today. You are such an interesting person. Before you head out to either the garden or another adventure, will you leave us with some information about your new release and where to find more about it and you?  Hidden Gem
The Secret Of St. Augustine by M. S. Spencer Barnaby and Philo’s story begins with very bad chili and a dead body. Barnaby is in St. Augustine, Florida, to teach a college seminar, and plans to use The Secret—a treasure hunt book—as a framework for his class. He enlists Philo Brice, owner of an antique map store, to aid him in seeking clues in the historic sites of the ancient city. Together they face murderers, thieves, thugs, and fanatics, heightening their already strong attraction to each other. Can they solve the puzzle and unearth the treasure before the villains do? Philo and Barnaby pursue several twisting paths and false leads before arriving at a startling conclusion. Specs Hidden Gem: the Secret of St. Augustine The Wild Rose Press, April 4, 2022 Cozy mystery/Romantic suspense 418 p.; 96,570 words Buy Links Books2Read Amazon Barnes & Noble ITunes Rakuten/KOBO GooglePlay Indigo Angus&Robertson Social media Blog: https://msspencertalespinner.blogspot.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msspencermysteries Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/msspencerauthor GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/msspencer Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/msspencerauthor/ Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/m-s-spencer  Sitting around the fire is for both old friends and new. We're on our way back home after living for 4 months in Florida. Pete and I shared many fires with new friends. Now heading home, we look forward to catching up with our old friends. Today's guest returns to us with a new release. Judythe, please introduce yourself while I pour us a nice beverage. The the folks who you are other than your official bio. I’m a mother to three, grandmother to eleven, and great grandmother to two (another due next month). They are the joy of my life. Wow! You need a big table for those holiday get togethers. So, other than grands what What interests do you enjoy? For instance, what do you read or hobbies you have? I’m a gardener, singer, and I love doing jigsaw puzzles and playing bridge. My garden is portable this year. Started the tomatoes in Florida and hope they make it back to NJ. The have support stakes helping them. Who are you're support stakes? My husband is my chief cheerleader, copy editor, and plot partner. I am also blessed to have several ultra-supportive writing friends who inspire me and help me burst through the writer blocks. Who or what books or authors are your inspiration? JoAnn Ross’s books have always inspired me. Mary Buckham and Donald Maass have grown my craft skills and been encouragers. Do you have any fun or outrageous talent? I’ve long been called a jack of all trades, master of none. And it’s the truth. Not sure it’s a talent, though. I love trying new things and will always say yes to a challenge. It's absolutely a talent. What is your neighborhood like? Are there any places you frequent? What makes them special? We live in a small community of farmers that is rapidly becoming cityfied. Trees are disappearing, replaced with subdivisions whose houses sit on postage stamp lots. It’s sad and exciting. Our little group of homes sits on a hill in a grove of oak trees. We’re far enough from main roads that our immediate area will remain unchanged. I’m so glad, too, because our home is a designated Wildlife Habitat, and the animals will have a safe place to come. I call them house farms. I'm glad you have your little oasis in the midst of it. 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? I am an antique dealer as well as an author. The Victorian era (1837 until 1901) is my favorite era. The Victorians were sentimental, and acrostic rings were popular during the era. The rings used the initials of gemstones to stand for letters. Put together, the gemstones would spell a word. These were basically little love letters full of passion and affection. An acrostic ring hallmarked 1830 that I found has become a precious keepsake. My ring spells DEAREST. D – Diamond, E – Emerald, A – Amethyst, R – Ruby, E – Emerald, S – Sapphire, T – Topaz That is very cool. I had no idea. Do you play board games? What games do you like? Board games like Scrabble, Monopoly, Chutes and Ladders, and Parchisi are favorites with the grands. Personally, I love adult card games, especially Bridge, but I’m always up for a game of Go Fish or Battle with the wee ones. Hubby and I enjoy grownup cards. My grand are getting older and now we play UNO with them. What was your first job? My first job is almost embarrassing, considering all the robocalls we all receive these days. I worked in a phone pool soliciting for charities and fundraisers. LOL! I had that job too. It's the only job that fired me for not generating anything. I'm a fan of research on my books. What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book? I usually have a solid base knowledge of the background for all my stories. Things that pop up as I write tend to be the ones that lead me down the rabbit hole of research. I can spend hours finding the perfect restaurant or house plan, or dress. How do you select the names of your characters? My character’s names come from family and friends…with their permission, of course. Sometimes the personality of the character matches their name, and sometimes the character’s personality is more how I see the family member or friend than how they see themselves. So far, no one has protested. It’s a sneaky way to get family and friends to read my books to see how their characters turned out. Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones? I do read reviews but rarely dwell on them. If a bad one has good points, then I, for sure, take the criticism under consideration. I just wish more readers wrote reviews. What was the best money you ever spent as a writer? I’ve spent lots more on workshops, and craft writing retreats with outstanding authors, editors, and agents. I prefer the small setting to the larger conference arena. The investment was worth it. I’ve never regretted all I learned or the friendships I made. Judythe, thank you for stopping by the fire today. Before you head out on your next adventure will you leave a bit about your new book and where to find you? And I hear you have a picture of the "Dearest" ring you described.   When Love Trusts
by Judythe Morgan HEAT LEVEL: Clean and Wholesome, PG-13 A second chance at first love Growing up together in a small Texas town, Josh Fitzpatrick and Mara Burke always had each other’s backs, right up until Mara dated—then dumped—his best friend. A relationship built on love and trust… until it wasn’t. Now, an Army sniper home on medical leave, Josh’s wounds go deeper than the shrapnel dug from his thigh. Nightmares torment him. No one knows he’s responsible for a senseless tragedy and the death of his fellow soldiers. While his body recovers, he wrestles with guilt and waits for news of possible disciplinary action. Mara’s a single mom and administrator at a home for boys, still hiding the terrible secret that created the ten-year chasm between them. When the boy’s home needs volunteers after a fire, Josh steps in. The sparks from their youth soon ignite a new passion, but will sharing their secrets be enough to overcome the pain and hurt that lies between them? REVIEW for When Love Trusts 5.0 out of 5 stars 5 stars for When Love Trusts! Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2021 I’m a huge fan of Ms. Morgan’s Fitzpatrick series!! Well, of all her books! And When Love Trusts is another winner. I love how her characters are so real to life with problems, with pasts, with a love of family, and sense of honor. Josh and Mara shared their childhood together and have never forgotten what they meant to each other. But when they reunite, SO much that has happened since they parted ways holds them at bay. I found the patience of these characters to be something everyone should aspire to possess. I enjoyed all the characters, seeing characters from the other books, and meeting a few new ones. Heartfelt and gritty I really enjoyed this story and can’t wait for the next. Get your copy today Amazon Kindle: https://amzn.to/3pdkqrN B&N: https://bit.ly/3hdxaKM Paperback: Amazon: https://amzn.to/37EnlUj B&N: https://bit.ly/3NYLqpI For more about the author follow her on social media Website https://judythemorgan.com/ Blog https://judythewriter.com/ Twitter https://twitter.com/Judythe2 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JudytheMorgan/ Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6450879.Judythe_Morgan BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/judythe-morgan  What can one person do? There was a story I heard years ago. A man walked along the beach. He spotted another man picking up a starfish and putting it back in the water. The first man looked around. Hundreds of starfish were beached. He shook his head in disbelief when the second man picked up another of the creatures and walked back to the shoreline. The first man called out to the second man, "What are you doing? You can't save them all." The second man place the starfish in the surf and went to retrieve yet another. "But I can save this one." He lifted one into the air. The second man paused. Then he too scooped up a stranded animal and returned it to the water. My guest today is like the first man. Will you be like the second? Please? Thanks. D. I’m so thrilled to be a guest on this blog. Thank you so much for hosting me. |
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August 2022
Your Host D.V. StoneAward winning multi-genre author and blogger. Fantasy, romance, mid-grade. Nothing better than a campfire, book, and glass of wine. Okay maybe there is.📚 I either use these or want one. It's an affiliate link.
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