It's no secret that autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the rich colors and all the yummy treats. I've already bought apple cider donuts from the pumpkin farm near me and pecan taffy apples from my favorite candy/ice cream parlor. Have you treated yourself to something special this year?
In book news...
As some of you know, Friends to the End, my middle-grade ghost story, is now available. But did you know you can order signed, personalized copies on my website and get an exclusive postcard from either Zach or Ghost Girl?
Want more books? I teamed up with some awesome authors to bring you a wide selection of paranormal reads. Click the banner images below to peruse the selection. Plus (in case you missed my previous post) N.N. Light Book Heaven is hosting their annual Trick or Treat Book Bonanza. One lucky person will win a $75 gift card.
I'd love to hear from you. What's your favorite fall treat? Reading anything good?
Discover more books...
Have a safe, spooky, just a little wicked, and happy Halloween!!
I'm excited to have Liz Crowe, award-winning author and fellow Rose, with me today, chatting about herself and her newest book What Happens in Denver. Plus, she shared a tantalizing excerpt. So without further delay, please help me welcome Liz.
Hi Liz! We'd love to hear what inspired you to write What Happens in Denver?
The heroine’s inciting incident (being “fired” From both her marriage and her job owning and running a bar that was just voted The Best Beer Bar in America) came from a situation I found myself in. While I wasn’t married to my business partners, the whole thing felt like a messy divorce. So I channeled my feelings that I’m just now getting past on some levels to create Andi Rigby’s experience with her bar that launches her into her new life as part of What Happens in Denver.
My experience owning a brewery and running all aspects of sales, marketing, and distribution for it, plus I ran the small tap room bar that become so popular we had to expand inside of our first year. It was all-consuming and I learned everything I didn’t know about beer. I’m now a certified expert.
What are you reading?
I’m currently reading CIRCE by Madeline Miller. I’m a huge fan of hers and really enjoyed The Song of Achilles. This one is even better as it really digs into the myth of a much-reviled “witch” who, it turns out, could’ve been merely misunderstood.
I read across genres, and usually alternate them. Since I’m about to finish this, I’ll turn to a romance novel next. I’ve got a backlist Beverly Jenkins novel and a new-to-me author to try Sarah Adams and her book The Off Limit Rule. Then I’ll probably turn to Stephen King’s Billy Summer.
What are you passionate about?
Animals. I am a marketing and fundraising consultant to a regional humane society which allows me to use my skills to help shelter pets find homes. I have such respect for the animal care staff that works with our pets every day, it’s emotionally draining for them but they come back every day to make sure the fur babies are fed, socialized, walked, and loved. I just raise money to make sure their salaries get paid but I love it.
#adoptdontshop
And now for a quick speed round...
Favorite song? La Vie En Rose
Chicken or steak? Chicken (I haven’t eaten red meat in years for health reasons)
Cake, cookies, or pie? PIE especially apple!
Favorite junk food? Anything salty but especially salt and vinegar chips.
Favorite thing to do to relax? Reading while drinking a delicious IPA
About the book
What Happens in Denver
by Liz Crowe
Genre: Rom Com
Blurb
Meet Andi Rigby. She and her husband own a famous bar. Andi can mix a cocktail, change a beer keg, soothe ruffled customers, and drink you under the table. Life is good until the day she finds herself divorced and unemployed. After a suitable period of ice-cream and whiskey infused mourning, she heads to a beer conference in Denver on a mission to rediscover her joy and find a new job.
Between fielding gossip, saving a drunk woman from herself, and dodging a hot but ill-advised boozy hookup, the weekend leads to a few surprises. She ends up employed with an unexpected bonus—a new friend. Oh, and the guy she kissed? Turns out her new job includes selling his brewery's beer. No big deal. Except the bit about him being practically perfect for her at a moment she's determined to focus on her own success.
A story of new friends, fresh starts, and a side order of romance served up with a nice cold pint.
I opened one eye, already knowing who it was and figuring it for some kind of effed-up karma. “If you must.”
I moved my shoes down to the sidewalk and shifted as far to the left armrest as I could. James Burke plunked himself right in the middle of the thing.
“Do you mind?” I crossed my legs to avoid having our thighs touch. I wasn’t in the mood for flirting or otherwise. I’d just done something great for myself for the first time in over a year and didn’t feel like sharing the victory.
No matter how good-looking said potential victory- sharer might be.
Or how close he was sitting to me.
“Don’t you have a Burke Brothers beer dinner to handle?” He didn’t. I knew, thanks to my new-found stalkerish behavior. I’d discovered the brothers weren’t hosting one this year. Odd. This would have been a great way to showcase their new quality-problem- solved brews to their fellow professionals. But it was their brewery, not mine.
“Nope,” he said, putting his hands behind his head and stretching out his long legs.
“Nice manspreading, dude,” I said in my prissiest voice.
“Nah, not really.” He glanced at me, then bent his knees and opened his legs out to each side, jamming me even farther into my corner. “Now this is nice manspreading.”
Without even thinking about it—and thanks to my three martinis—I twisted around and plopped my legs on his lap. He grinned, grabbed my left foot and dug his knuckle into my arch. I tensed, until my poor battered foot relaxed.
“Oh...my God...yes.” I closed my eyes and let him do what he would, no longer caring that we were making a spectacle of ourselves.
After a few moments, he switched to my other foot. I shivered and sighed again, stretching out like a cat until I realized my hips were practically on his lap.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said, shifting away until only my feet were there. He shot me a look that made my face flush hot. “Okay, I’m good. Thanks much.” I rotated and put my feet back on the sidewalk where they belonged.
“My pleasure,” he said, his voice soft and low.
I glared at him. “Don’t flirt with me, pal. I’m not in the mood. And you’re not my type.”
“So quick to judge,” he said, stretching his arms back and his legs out again.
When he closed his eyes, I allowed myself a quick, up-close assessment, which was a bad idea, in my weakened state. I’ve established that the guy could pass for an NFL player with his wingspan, immense shoulders, and ever-so-long legs. His beard was neatly trimmed off his neck and cheeks. The matching dark brown hair was thick and a bit on the long side, which made me have to curl my fingers into fists to keep from touching it. Oh boy. Where did that come from? It came from the bottom of your third martini glass, you silly girl.
I jumped to my feet. James opened his eyes, slow and easy, as if knowing I was about to make a panicky bolt for it and figuring he should go slow, to treat me as if I were a rabid animal trapped under his front porch. Forcing myself to relax and smile, because I was in control of this, after all, I picked up my shoes and made a point to look at my phone screen.
“Don’t stare. It’s rude,” I said, my finger poised to call for a ride.
“Can I buy you a beer?”
I sighed and looked at the darkening sky, never more aware of how badly I did want to sit with him, to have a beer and a chat. But I was determined not to develop bad habits, like the one that had landed me with Matt in my post-grad years.
I would not—could not—allow myself to do anything more than drink and enjoy his company, then I’d get my sorry tail back to my hotel and pack. I had a lot of things to do after all. I had a move to plan.
“Andi?”
I flinched. I’d been standing here too long, not answering him. My inner polite young lady kicked in. “Sorry. Um, sure. Okay.”
“Don’t get too excited about it.”
I glared at him. “Fine. I won’t. Catch you on the flip side, Jimmy.”
I was a solid fifty steps down the sidewalk before he caught up and fell into step with me. He kept his hands to himself, which I appreciated. I was too jumpy by half and needed my personal space honored. I gave him a mental half-point. He stuck his fingers in his jeans pockets, and we walked a while in comfortable silence.
About the author: Liz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville living in Central Illinois. 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 social media consultant and humane society development director, in addition to being an award-winning author. With stories set in the not-so-common worlds of 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, at times frustrate, and always linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.
Halo’s life changed the day she flew up to study with the angel academy. Now she has wings of her own, and so does Midas, the big golden dog and her best friend. They are ready for their first real mission--a dangerous one that could cost them everything.
Arriving at Camp Esther, Halo and Midas become the target of a killer after helping an injured man. But they are determined to fulfill their mission, even if they are not sure what it is. Could it be helping Marie, a lonely teenager confined to a wheelchair?
Marie’s dreams often come true and foreshadow the danger surrounding Halo and Midas. Things are further complicated when Halo questions the sincerity of Marie’s new crush. Could he be the person who hurt Midas? Halo doesn’t know who to trust.
At the camp, accidents, sabotage, and death threats happen, and everything points to the new girl and her dog. Someone wants them to fail their mission and will kill to get rid of Halo and Midas. Will they survive return to White Feathers Academy as failures, or will this mission cost them their lives?
WHAT IF - Somewhere in the galaxy there is a school taught by angels? WHAT IF – A young person with no special talent finds the one perfect gift? WHAT IF – Youngsters who failed to survive their first life are given a new life? WHAT IF – One evil young girl threatens talented students with her greed?
Halo Havens didn’t know that angels had special talents and different jobs.
She’d never met an android, talked to a giant fish or met an angel.
Her life changed the day she skated in front of a car trying to rescue a puppy and was transported to the fantastic world of White Feathers Academy. There she makes new friends, accepts the challenge of a seemingly hopeless job and embarks on the greatest adventure of her new young life, if she can survive the tests.
“Are you a ghost?” she whispered with a wicked smile.
“Are you kidding? I am standing here in front of you, talking to you. Do ghosts follow you around?” Our conversation was getting out of hand.
She lowered her voice as if hoping no one was around to hear. “Because I see ghosts sometimes. They have a light around them, and you have a light around you, and so does Midas. Sometimes I see things before they happen.” She stopped talking long enough to look directly into my eyes. “You don’t believe me. I bet you think I’m silly, don’t you? Well, don’t worry. You don’t have to be my friend.” She turned her chair to roll away.
“Marie, I would like to be your friend. I don’t have friends my age, either, but listen to me, you cannot go around starting rumors about ghosts if you want to make friends.” She looked so unhappy, I felt mean all over again, but she needed to know it was bad to start rumors about other people.
Phyllis Cherry loves to write about her imaginary friends who remind her to tell their stories. She likes to paint watercolor pictures, participate in Bible Studies, and has studied culinary arts and winemaking both in America and abroad.
Phyllis and her husband live on the west coast of Florida where they enjoy the beautiful sunsets and watching the moon rise above the bay.
Phyllis is a member of Florida West Coast Writers, Florida Star Fiction Writers, SCBWI and Florida Writers Association.
I'm delighted to welcome fellow SCBWI author Donna Beasley to my blog. Her latest book My Mama is Flying that Plane is now available, but before we learn more about this delightful book, let's meet Donna.
What inspired you to write this book?
I was inspired by an article I read about the contributions of African Americans in the early days of aviation as pilots, parachutist, and an airplane manufacturer. In my book, I tell the fictional story of a Black woman who wants to be a pilot in the early days of aviation. She goes for it when she gets the chance with the support of her two daughters. It takes grit, sacrifice, and courage to reach her dream. You’ll also meet some of the aviators that barnstormed in airshows and inspired my story. The beautiful illustrations by Edwin Harris Jr, really bring the story to life.
What are you working on now?
I am currently revising my middle-grade adventure novel. To prove his worth through his family’s rite of passage challenge, a twelve-year-old Chicago boy races to find the legendary treasure of his ancestor in Timbuktu, while being pursued by both mercenary soldiers and Tuareg rebels for the treasure. I enjoyed writing the story and putting my young hero in plenty of danger, excitement, and challenges he had to overcome. Now however, I find the revising to be tougher because you have to break it down and look at every element, (character, plot, theme, dialog, world-building, pacing) to see what’s working, what’s not and figure out how to fix it. It will truly make for a better book, but I’m not having as much fun as I did when writing it.
What are you reading?
I am big fan of adventure novels. I usually read adult books, but this fall I am reading a lot of middle-grade adventure novels seeing how the pros handle it. It keeps me encouraged while I work through the revision phase of my story.
I have read some really good ones. If you have children ages 8 to 12, I highly recommend, Explorer Academy by Trudi Trueit. It is published by National Geographic so you know you’ll learn about science and the planet in these adventure stories. Another great middle-grade series is Defender of the Realm by Mark Huckerby and Nick Ostler. They are both Emmy award-winning screenwriters so you know they can tell a great story.
The book that inspired me the most this year was Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert. It really changed my perspective on sending my creative work out into the world from trepidation to joy.
What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about creating greater diversity in children’s books. I believe every child should people like themselves, their family, and their community in the pages of a book. When I started KaZoom Kids Books four years ago only 5% of children’s books featured a child of color. You could barely find a multicultural book on the shelves of bookstores. I decided to do something about it. I love being a publisher as much as I enjoy being a storyteller. Helping first-time authors and illustrators break into the field gives me a lot of joy.
We need more diverse writers to tell these stories. That’s why I encourage mothers and grandmothers to write children’s stories about their culture. To get them started I teach a course showing them how to write a multicultural children’s story they’ll love in 40 Days. And if they’re interested, I coach them to self-publish their work.
What do you do to unwind and relax?
I play games like Words With Friends, Word Chums and way too much Candy Crush. Don’t judge me.
What is your favorite comfort food?
A hot cup of ginger peach tea and a slightly heated Madeleine petite cake is an ideal combo when I need to lift my spirit.
Donna's favorite quote:
“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” ― Toni Morrison
About the book
My Mama is Flying that Plane
Author: Donna Beasley
Genre: Children’s Book (ages 5 to 8)
Blurb
Celebrating the little-known history of African-American aviation pioneers, this inspirational book, set in the early 1930s, shares the story of Janet and her older sister Bess.
The girls learn the meaning of courage and determination when their Mama loses her job but seizes the opportunity to chase her dreams of becoming a pilot.
Mama and the girls go through some tough times trying to make ends meet in their new home. But all their sacrifice is worth it when Mama finally gets to fly a plane in a first-of-its-kind Air Circus, giving Janet a huge surprise that makes her 9th birthday simply unforgettable.
Donna Renee Beasley is the author of the children’s books Kason’s Kite, Blaze Barton’s First Cattle Drive, Mystery at Zig Zag Zoo and My Mama is Flying That Plane. Sparked by the monthly Dr. Seuss subscription that her mother used to teach her how to read at age 4, Donna has had a life-long love affair with books. Donna is passionate about creating diversity in children’s literature. She hopes her stories inspire a love of reading in children. Donna is also a writing coach encouraging mothers to write their first children’s book.
When she’s not working on her upcoming children’s adventure novel, you can find Donna hitting the ski slopes in winter, indulging her passion for photography or playing “way too much” Candy Crush on her phone. www.donnabeasleyauthor.com
With all the excitement over the release of Friends to the End, I forget to let you know that my holiday paranormal romance MERRY LITTLE WISHING SPRITZ is on Goodreads and Bookbub. Plus, you can pre-order your copy so that it's delivered to your favorite eReader the day it comes out.
What readers are saying...
Merry Little Wishing Spritz made me smile, grin, giggle and thoroughly entertained me.
~ Long and Short Reviews
A perfect holiday romance that will make you laugh, smile, and perhaps even swoon.
~Sydney Winward, author
A warm and enchanting holiday romance… Just perfect for curling up by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate, and maybe a cookie or two!
~ Laura Strickland, author
Blurb
Modern-day witch Cassie Moore’s cozy life turns upside down when her friend foresees the wrecking ball that threatens to destroy Cassie’s home and workplace. But Cassie isn’t giving up without a fight. She casts a well-intended spell meant to save her apartment and her job. But magic is unpredictable, especially when her friend casts a little charm of her own that has Cassie lusting after the man she desperately wants to despise.
Jack Quinn has had his eyes on Lakeside Books for years, and he couldn’t be happier the owner is finally ready to sell. He has big plans for the cozy waterfront property, but he didn’t expect to care about the store or its employees. And he never imagined he’d be drawn to a certain brown-eyed saleswoman.
Congrats to Songju Ma Daemick, award winning author, on her new release Tu Youyou's Discovery: Finding a Cure for Malaria. Songju is a Chinese American children's book writer. Her book, illustrated by Lin, is an own voice Women in STEM book.
Please help me welcome Songju.
Songju, can you tell us what inspired you to write this book?
My inspiration to writing this book was from a TV show. In the beginning of 2019, I watched a BBC program called Icons: The Greatest Person of the 20thCentury. Tu Youyou, along with Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, and Alan Turing, were the four candidates in the scientist category. I was excited that Tu Youyou had been selected. I also realized that most Americans had never heard of her, even though Tu Youyou had saved millions of lives and had won the prestigious Nobel Prize. As a proud Chinese American, I had to share her remarkable journey.
Tell us about the research you did before writing this book?
There is very little material about Tu Youyou available in the US. Luckily, I can read Chinese and found a lot of Chinese books and material about Tu Youyou on the Chinese internet. During the process of researching the book, I was deeply touched by the personal sacrifices Tu Youyou had made for this project. She volunteered to be the first human tested with the extract of the sweet wormwood to prove it was safe before clinical trial. It was truly a selfless and brave deed. I wrote this incredible fact in my draft as I wanted to show how a courageous scientist she was. An editor suggested that talking about this personal medicine testing by Tu Youyou was not a good idea for young readers as it could be dangerous for them. So after doing research, it is crucial for a writer to choose just the right factual material to include in the manuscript.
Who is your favorite author?
Chris Van Allsburg is my favorite author and illustrator for his incredible children’s picture books. He is a master of plotting. His work is full of mystery and suspense. His illustrations are also so beautiful, detailed and original. I love all his books. Jumanji ; The Polar Express; The Mysteries of Harris Burdick; just to name a few.
For middle grade authors, my favorite is Lowry Lois. Her work is just phenomenal.
Giver is one of my favorite middle grade novels.
Where were you born/grew up?
I grew up in the small town of Jilin, China during the Cultural Revolution. At that time, China was a cultural desert. There wasn't a single library in our town. All Western and Chinese traditional arts and literature were considered without virtue and were forbidden. We had no TV, only radio, and occasionally, Russian movies. We had eight national Beijing opera shows, but that was it. Chinese people read Mao's little red books at school and in their workplaces. Workers in the factories and farmers in the village would vote to decide who would go to college. Reading was my escape. I not only read Mao's book and text books, but every single book I could get my hands on. I was fascinated by the beauty and power of a good story and appreciated good writing. I was a good writer when I was little girl. Every so often, my writing assignments were read to my class. I dreamed of being a writer when I grew up.
Peek between the pages and the beautiful illustrations
Tu Youyou was interested in science and medicine since she was a child. When malaria started infecting people all over the world in 1969, she went to work on finding a treatment. Trained as a medical researcher in college and healed by traditional medicine techniques when she was young, Tu Youyou experimented with natural Chinese remedies. The treatment she discovered, Artemisinin, saved millions of lives, earned her a Nobel Prize, and is still used all over the world today.
About the book
Tu Youyou's Discovery: Finding a Cure for Malaria
Author: Songju Ma Daemicke
Illustrator: Lin
Publisher : Albert Whitman &Co.
Targeted age(s) of reader: 4-8
A compelling introduction to a passionate and tenacious Chinese researcher – Kirkus Reviews
Blurb
Tu Youyou had been interested in science and medicine since she was a child, so when malaria started infecting people all over the world in 1969, she went to work on finding a treatment. Trained as a medical researcher in college and healed by traditional medicine techniques when she was young, Tu Youyou experimented with natural Chinese remedies. The treatment she discovered, Artemisinin, saved millions of lives, earned her a Novel Prize, and is still used all over the world today.
Songju Ma Daemicke, a former software engineer with Motorola, grew up in China and is an award-winning children’s book author. Her picture book Cao Chong Weighs an Elephant was a Best STEM book, the Winner of 2018 CALA Best Juvenile Literature. When she’s not writing, she loves attending to her flowers and vegetables in her garden and shooting her next special photograph. Songju lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and their daughters. She invites you to visit her at www.songjumadaemicke.com
I'm delighted to tell you about C.B. Clark's new book Twisted Lies and to share an excerpt.But first, she's agreed to answer a few speed-round questions. Shall we begin?
Favorite beverage? Red wine
Coffee or tea? Tea
Plotter or Pantster? Pantster
Dogs or cats? Dogs
Cake, cookies, or pie? Chocolate chip cookies
Favorite junk food? Poutine (I’m Canadian)
Favorite vacation? Jordan
Favorite book? Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel
Favorite season? Fall
Stilettos, flipflops, or sneakers? Sneakers
Now for more on her book. Enjoy!
Twisted Lies
by C.B. Clark
Blurb
Athena Cooper’s tragic past drives her to seek solace in a bottle. The addiction threatens her legal career, and she risks spiraling out of control. When her dog engineers a meeting with an all-too-handsome hunk, it’s lust at first sight…until she discovers his identity.
Businessman Russell Crawford is desperate to find the woman who cheated him out of his inheritance. His shock when she turns out to be the gorgeous red head he had a brief encounter with is only surpassed when she claims his father was a murderer.
Athena and Russ declare a truce and join forces to investigate the mystery of her parents’ disappearance from an isolated island off the rugged Northwest Coast of British Columbia. Russ promises to be her safe harbor as they uncover long-buried secrets that rock her very foundation. Can she overcome a lifelong distrust and open her heart to love?
How was it possible? After all these years? The past she’d been running from had found her. The nightmare was back. The envelope fell from her shaking hands. Her legs wobbled as she rose and stumbled out of the living room and down the short hall to the kitchen.
Afternoon sunlight streamed through the window above the sink. The cozy kitchen, with its walls painted a cheerful butter yellow, and the well-scrubbed laminate countertops, gleamed. The steady hum of the refrigerator and ticking of the antique clock on the wall were the only sounds in the silent house. The pungent smell of fried onions and roasted garlic from last night’s homemade spaghetti sauce hung in the air.
The efficient kitchen, with its breakfast nook and view of the tidy, fenced backyard and the rolling, grassy foothills and snow-crested Rocky Mountains beyond, was the reason she’d bought the small rancher. This was her favorite room—the place she sought refuge when life overwhelmed her. How many times had she sat there in the evenings after work, sipping a glass of chilled white wine, watching the birds at the feeder on the back porch, breathing in the sweet smells of flowering Saskatoon bushes, regrouping until she was ready to face the world?
These days, her drink of choice was a cup of herbal tea or unsweetened apple juice. Alcohol was off the table…had been for twenty-one unendurable days.
But today, all bets were off.
About the author: Twisted Lies is award-winning author, C.B. Clark’s seventh novel published by The Wild Rose Press. When she’s not busy traveling around the globe or hiking and camping in the wilderness near her home in northern British Columbia, she can be found in front of her laptop plotting the next story.
‘Tis the month to celebrate all things paranormal, supernatural, suspenseful and mystical. If you’re like me, you’ll want to accept this very special invitation to join the festivities at N. N. Light’s Book Heaven’s 3rd annual Trick or Treat Book Bonanza. 27 authors share what they’d dress up as for Halloween as well as 32 books featured plus a chance to win one of the following:
One lucky reader will win a $75 Amazon (US) gift card.
I’m thrilled to be a part of this event. My book, Damned When I Didn't, will be featured on October 29th. Wait until you read what my Halloween costume would be. You won’t want to miss it.
