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A Peek Through the Window With Karen Guzman

5/26/2021

Who I’m Karen Guzman, and I write fiction and essays primarily. My first novel was published in 2014, and my new novel is forthcoming this fall.

Interests My faith and my family are at the heart of my life. I’ve been writing fiction since childhood. My tastes run toward literary fiction and upmarket women’s titles. I’m also an animal lover and an avid horseback rider with a special interest in dressage training. I also love to hike and swim.

Network I’m lucky to have my MFA program roommate, Cathy Cruise, as the number one reader of my works-in-progress. Besides being an amazing writer, Cathy is a truly gifted editor. I also trade chunks of manuscripts with a group of writer friends. This summer I am fortunate to have received a 10-day Fellowship from the Collegeville Institute, where I will work one-on-one with author and editor Michael N. McGregor.

Desk I wish I had just one. With a busy household and a 12-year-old son, my writing desk is a very mobile laptop, fully charged, and ready whenever—and wherever—I am. I do work as much as possible in a little wooden cabin at the edge of our backyard.

Other talents I’m a budding pastry chef. I’m taking my first class at a cooking school this month, focusing on eclairs and crème puffs. Yum!

Window Our backyard just outside my window, lovely at the height of summer.

When the recipe for a new life is bittersweet…
by
Karen Guzman
“Arborview is a tender and nuanced tale, compassionately told and woven with truths and insights. Karen Guzman’s characters are finely rendered, their challenges, joys, confusions, and triumphs honestly portrayed.” —Judith Teitelman, award-winning author of Guesthouse for Ganesha

When the recipe for a new life is bittersweet…

Ellen Cahill’s financial future rides on the success of her new pastry shop. A bruising divorce has drained her bank account, along with her spirit. A man enters her life promising love, but Ellen, haunted by the past, questions whether she can pull off this new beginning.

College student Rosa Escamilla has her own culinary dreams—and a difficult mother who’s dead set against them. Rosa won’t be deterred. She scrapes up the money to enroll at a prestigious culinary school, setting out to prove everyone wrong.

When hidden betrayals by the people they love most surface for both Ellen and Rosa, can they overcome the blows they never saw coming on the road to where they want to go?

Take a Peek Through J. Arlene Culiner's Window

5/19/2021

W: My name is J. Arlene Culiner, I live in a small village in France, and I write about unconventional, lighthearted heroes and heroines, people who refuse the roles society sets out for them. No super-heroes or super-heroines in my stories. No impossible rescues, no ideal families—just real life and real characters. For me, what’s important in a romance is that first, very tentative gentleness, those early stirrings of love, and all that terrible doubting.

I: I am an amateur musician and play several instruments: Oboe, baroque oboe, baroque taille, English horn, tuba, flute, piccolo, recorder, and Breton bombarde. However, the lockdown has meant no rehearsals and no concerts and playing alone just doesn’t have the same kick as playing with others! So what am I doing instead? Growing my own vegetables in a little patch of land beside a tiny river. I’m having a great time.

N: I am a secretive writer. I don’t want anyone to read what I’ve done until I’ve finished. After that, I’m open to comments from editors and publishers. No, I have no one around me who reads enough English to look over my manuscripts, but that’s fine. I rewrite so many times, I’m pretty confident that my stories hold together.

D: Okay, I’ve tidied it up for this photo of my writing space, but my desk is usually a horror with heaps of books, papers, coffee cups, toy animals, pens and pencils, notebooks, photos, and anything else that doesn’t have a set place in the house. (Please don’t look inside my closets, drawers, or pockets.) You can also see that I keep my desk far from my window, otherwise I’d be looking out all the time, dreaming.

O: Outrageous talent? Well…I’m rather scatty and I get lost a lot, but only in cities. Even if I’m three minutes from where I’m supposed to be, I’m lost. When I lived in Paris, I was lost for most of the time, and I had to call my partner and describe where I was. He knows his city inside out, so he would direct me back through the streets. However, in the country, out in fields or in deep woods, I’m never lost. Strange, huh?

W: What do I see outside my window? I’m very lucky. Right across the village square is a thirteenth century (but much modified over the years) church. All around the square are the stone buildings from the 1700s and 1800s. Just a street away, are open fields. My own house is a former inn built in around 1700 and you can see it in this photo.

A Swan’s Sweet Song by J. Arlene Culiner
The air sizzles when a country music star and renowned playwright meet, but can opposites fall in love?

Smart-talking Sherry Valentine has fought her way up from poverty to stardom as a country music singer. Ever surrounded by clamoring fans and paparazzi, her spangled cowboy boots carry her from one brightly lit stage to the next. But Sherry's been on the star circuit for too long, and she wants a change: is it too late for an acting career?

A renowned but reclusive playwright, Carston Hewlett cherishes his freedom, the silence of the deep woods surrounding his home, and his solitary country walks. So why is he fascinated by a flashy country music singer? Perhaps a short passionate, fling will resolve the problem.

When their names are linked in the scandal press, and Sherry's plans to become an actress are revealed, Carston feels betrayed. Is their budding relationship doomed?

A Peek Inside
Perhaps she could avoid meeting Carston Hewlett again and circumvent disaster. Yes, she had enough on her agenda. A fling at a conference like this? That was positively banal.
“There he is,” said Charlie, ripping into her thoughts. “On the left. You see?”
Of course, she saw. How could she miss him? Mighty easy on the eye, he leaned against a plaster pillar, listening to the people surrounding him.
“Don’t make plans,” she warned Charlie. Yet she couldn’t avoid looking in Carston’s direction again. Didn’t he look delicious in that brown silk shirt and elegant tweed jacket; how those jeans hugged his long legs. He was just the way she’d always imagined a successful playwright should be: cool, intelligent, strong, and sexy.
As if aware she’d been watching him, Carston turned, caught her eye. She tried forcing herself to look away. Failed. For an eternity, their gaze held. Then detaching himself from the group, he headed in her direction.
She commanded herself to pretend indifference, but her heart thumped a sensual jungle beat. She swallowed, tried to summon up some zen-like calm… realized she didn’t have any available.
Why come over anyway? They had nothing in common. Here he was, tiny inches away, his jaw a definite line, his body that tight, sinewy stretch she’d thought about too often during the night. But it was the expression in his eyes, warm humorous, that confirmed her instinct: the immediate, deep reaction was mutual. Try as hard as they could to avoid it, something would happen. It was inevitable.

Peek Further
Teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFEUrxqdVs8
Web site: http://www.j-arleneculiner.com
Blog: j-arleneculiner.over-blog.com
Storytelling Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/j-arlene-culiner
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7158064.J_Arlene_Culiner Twitter: https://twitter.com/JArleneCuliner 
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/jarlene.culiner 
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jarleneculiner
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jarleneculiner/

Get your copy here ⬇️
https://www.amazon.fr/Swans-Sweet-Song-Arlene-Culiner/dp/1628307439
https://www.amazon.com/author/jarleneculiner-quirky-romances
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-swans-sweet-song-j-arlene-culiner/1121102464
https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/a-swans-sweet-song/9781628307443
https://play.google.com/store/books/details/J_Arlene_Culiner_A_Swan_s_Sweet_Song?id=06BVBgAAQBAJ

May 11th, 2021

5/11/2021

Where Camping season is open! Huzzah! That said out my window recently has been campers of all sizes and shapes. Horses pulling buggies had Hali going alil cray-cray. She even barked once. She doesn't bark. Well hardly ever. And Clock Tower Cheese shop didn't disappoint. The weather was a bit off. Chilly and rainy for much of it, but who cared, we were at camp.

Interests One of our the favorite things to do is visit antique and collectable shops. Among the favorites are Cackleberry Antiques Mall cackleberryfarmantiquemall.com/ 272 Antiques www.272antiques.com/ and The German Trading Post. This is all in or near Adamstown Pa. www.antiquescapital.com/ is a link where you can check out a lot of other places too.

Networking Campers love to talk, especially with Pete who is much more outgoing than me, and share their favorite spots, camping adventures and the men? All things truck and hitch related. Since I'm much more introverted, he does recon and reports back about dogs, campers, and people.

Downtime Well as an author, blogger, and cooking maven ( and searching for internet signal) I keep quite busy, though open fire cooking was not in the cards this trip. Storms and rain passed through and the only night we had without rain was spent with local friends. I prepped and Pete cooked on the Blackstone. Other times we played cards. DH and I have a running Rummy game that is around 270,000 points. We're usually with in 150 points of each other. Kings in the Corner is another favorite we play.

Outlook for the next couple of months is exciting. This weekend missionary friends from Webster County Christian Workcamp in West Virginia are visiting. Several will be driveway camping in 2HOOTS (our camper). Others will be nearby in the church manse. It's also our 27th Anniversary on Friday. I retire on May 28th (I wonder if I'll get a gold watch...lol). Then it's off on many adventures. I hope to see other Wild Rose Press authors, writing friends and some of my favorite writers at the Florida West Coast Writers Conference. Then across the state to see some cousins I haven't seen in 27 years.

What's on the Horizon? In June I'm looking forward to hearing back from Elf my editor on Jazz House. I missed the deadline for the Christmas Cookie submissions. Covid and elderly parent issues put me way behind so I intend to work on Christmas Cookie Chaos. I'm also slogging through edits on Aimhirghin, Kingdom at a Crossroad. What else? Not sure but the road and many more books are calling.

Books I'm Working on
Jazz House
Book two of the Impact Series
Romantic Suspense/ Sweet
Tagline: One woman’s choices. One man’s impact.

Blurb
Jordan Vasilakis is on the run, living under the assumed name of Madeline Cielo. After a disastrous marriage to a notorious Greek business tycoon, she’s rebuilding her life as a jazz singer.
Police officer Michael Machau is friends with the House family, who have welcomed him into their lives. But their family is in danger from a woman who has already injured them.
Jazz House, a modern throwback to jazz music’s heyday, brings together a dedicated police officer and a woman living a lie. Can lives be rebuilt after so much destruction?

Aimhirghin, Kingdom at a Crossroad
Fantasy Romance
160,000 words (Oh My! I may have to split it in two but this is what editing is all about) Do you want a laugh? In 20147 I labeled it with "Final Draft".
Blurb
On a cliff overlooking Alleen, Kíeran, Prince of Ath Dara, stares out over the farming village of Alleen. A clear night with everything is as it should be in Ath Dara. Until in a flash of light, magic is born. An Tsolais, one which will change the world he thought he knew.

Haana Elethia is a pariah to the humans of Alleen because she is different. Even her own family believes she harbors darkness in her soul. But Haana isn’t drawn to darkness and suffering, except to heal it. She is Mender an Chroi–Healer of Hearts. Cast from her family, she grows up alone in the forests of the kingdom.

Worlds collide the day she is chased through the woods by a gang of human boys crossing paths with Kíeran and his patrol. The world of Elves and Humans are thrown together in a war against a necromancer, Revenant, and former Mender an Chroi.

And before I go here's what happens outside my window in N.J. Poor guy's a little scrawny from winter and tough love by a mama bear who kicked him out of the den, but I'll bet he'll be fat and glossy by the end of the summer. BTW the garbage had been taken outside for a trip to a locked garage about ten minutes prior.

May 05th, 2021

5/5/2021

Who I am Maggie Blackbird, an Ojibway from Northwestern Ontario, who now resides in the country with my husband and our fur babies—two beautiful Alaskan Malamutes. I write contemporary and historical romance starring Canada’s Indigenous People for eXtasy Books and Devine Destinies.

Interests besides writing: Golf. I love playing and I love watching. I picked up the game way back in 1997. The first shot I managed to hit hooked me from the start. Although I don’t play nine holes every evening, and then 36 holes on Saturday and another 36 on Sunday (yes, I was a total junkie), I try get out to the links whenever I can. Naturally, I had to include golf in my Matawapit Family Series, that Sanctified is book three of. Haha.
The Mals have slowed down hubby and I, along with many other responsibilities that go with living in the country. Writing also keeps me way too busy, such as marketing and promo, which I’m doing right now by finally setting aside time to write my blog posts. However, I feed my golf tooth with tournaments broadcast on TV. I’m a big fan of the European Tour. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, and the Netherlands’ Joost Luiten are my fave pro golfers.

Network or support system: My husband and Mals, of course. And I can’t forget my family.

Desk description: There isn’t much here LOL. It’s an old desk because I’m waiting on the husband to finally finish my home office, but at this rate, I could be waiting for years haha. Here is a pic of my desk!

Outrageous talent or something fun like that: I’m super-organized and operate by a very strict schedule. Yes, I am pathetic that way. I apply this to everything in my life.

Window What's outside yours. The west side of the lawn with gorgeous trees.

I love this face

Sanctified – Book Three in the Matawapit Family Series
by Maggie Blackbird

In the midst of a battle for leadership at their Ojibway community, two enemies of opposing families fall in love…

A Peek at Sanctified
After suffering a humiliating divorce, infuriated Catholic Jude Matawapit bolts to his family’s Ojibway community to begin a new job—but finds himself thrown into a battle for chief as his brother-in-law’s campaign manager. The radical Kabatay clan, with their extreme ideas about traditional Ojibway life, will stop at nothing to claim the leadership position and rid the reserve of Western culture and its religion once and for all, which threatens not only the non-traditional people of the community, but Jude’s chance at a brand-new life he’s creating for his children.

Recovering addict Raven Kabatay will do anything to win the respect and trust of her older siblings and mother after falling deep into drug addiction that brought shame and anger to her family. Not only does she have the opportunity to redeem herself by becoming her brother’s campaign manager for chief—if he wins, she’ll have the reserve’s backing to purchase the gold-mine diner where she works, finally making something of herself. But falling in love with the family’s sworn enemy—the deacon’s eldest son, Jude—will not just betray the Kabatay clan. It could destroy everything Raven believes in and has worked so hard for.

Multicultural, contemporary, inspirational, romance, adult
Heat Rating: Level 3

Amazon
Kobo
Barnes and Noble
Google Play
iBooks
Smashwords
eXtasy Books

A Peek Inside

Frost nipped at Raven’s exposed skin, the kind of frost that burned. At least there wasn’t a wind chill, or minus thirty-seven would become minus forty-seven. She scurried from her sister’s truck she’d parked, dashed up the shoveled walkway, and into the school.
All was quiet, classes for the kids having finished for the day. The scent of pine cleaner permeated the squeaky-clean hallway. She hurried to the adult education classroom. Since her vehicle was the lone truck in the lot, she might be the only one here. Even the new principal wasn’t present, unless he’d foolishly walked over.
She entered the classroom to Jude Matawapit sitting at the teacher’s desk, hunched over, writing on some paper.
“I was beginning to wonder if any of my students would arrive.” His strong fingers gripped a pen. His jet-black hair with blue undertones was slicked off his face and tapered to a short-trimmed back. Dark irises richer than a moonless night, so dark his lashes gave the illusion of a generous coating of mascara and liner-rimmed eyes, stared at her.
Not gawked, not ogled, not leered like every other guy did. He simply stared. His plump lips didn’t form into a flirty smile, either.
Jude stood. A white dress shirt hugged his pumped biceps and shoulders that formed into the size of baseballs. A black belt wrapped his ultra-slim waist. And a gold clip kept his line-striped burgundy tie secure. “Have a seat. It looks to be you and me tonight.”
Raven inched up the aisle. Her boldness remained at the door, where she’d probably dropped her tongue. She clutched her books and sat at the desk directly in front of him.
“I’ve been reviewing your file.” He closed the folder, and just like Deacon Matawapit, crossed his strong arms. They even shared the same rich baritone—direct and full of authority. “You were an A-plus student, but as of late you haven’t been handing in assignments. Once you get behind, it’s difficult to catch up. I’ve seen this happen too many times during my years educating others. When a student falls behind, most give up.”
A flame of annoyance flickered in Raven’s stomach. Never mind Jude Matawapit’s handsome white teeth, flawless red-toned brown skin, or run-her-nails-along-his-muscles build. Who was he to talk down to her like a kid? He was worse than her siblings and Mom.
Raven stared up at the white stucco ceiling. “I’ve been extremely busy. Not all of us make big money and do what we please. I’ve been pulling extra shifts at the diner.”
“Did you review your last three assignments, then?” Jude stuck the end of the pen into his mouth.
There was something about the way his red lips and white teeth nibbled on the cap. And she hadn’t witnessed a man in his late thirties gnawing on one like a hungry beaver.
Jude popped the pen cap between his rich lips, as if sucking on a lollipop, and released it. When he rounded the desk, his thick fingers glided across the top. He stopped in the middle, the fingers of his left hand still lingering on the desk’s surface. He rested his buttocks against the edge while crossing his sturdy thighs.
His stance, a get-down-to-business sort of manner, should have intimidated Raven but failed. His brows-bunched-together stare and drawn-in cheeks seemed to coax her to lean in closer and rest her elbow on top of her own desk. She set her chin on her knuckles. “I’m completing them here tonight.”
“Do you have any questions?”
She shook her head, still holding his stare. “I guess I should get comfy, huh?”
“Comfy?”
“Remove my toque and coat.” She sat back, hands brushing the edge of her desk and arms spread wide.

A Peek Through the Window With Karen Guzman

Take a Peek Through J. Arlene Culiner's Window

May 11th, 2021

May 05th, 2021

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