Chatting with author Michelle Godard-Richer

I'm delighted to share an excerpt from Michelle Godard-Richer's spooky novella Avenging Angel. It's one of 13 books in the series. But first, Michelle was kind enough to answer a round of This or That. Let me know in the comments if you have anything in common with her!

Good guys or bad guys? Bad guys

Good girls or bad girls? Good girls

Morning or night? Morning

Favorite food? Roasted Whole Chicken

Favorite beverage? Mojito

Coffee or tea? Coffee

Favorite season? Fall

Favorite holiday? Halloween

Paranormal or Historical:? Paranormal

Beach or mountains? Mountains

Thanks, Michelle, for being her with us!

About the book

Avenging Angel

Author: Michelle Godard-Richer

Genre: horror/thriller

She brings death wherever she goes.

Blurb:

A Friday the 13th Short Story: 13 authors ~ 13 suspenseful stories. Murder and mayhem on Friday the 13th...Find each story in the series on Amazon.

On Friday the 13th, sweet college student and barista, Maya Pendleton, leaves Rowena’s Coffee to walk home alone. The streets of Gideon’s Hollow are empty. The locals believe the spirits of the witches from nearby Salem roam on this cursed night, seeking revenge on the descendants of those who burnt them at the stake.

Maya’s lonely footsteps echo through the empty street in a steady rhythm until they’re interrupted by another pair. They belong to Rand Roosevelt¾an evil man with murder on his mind. But he picks the wrong night, the wrong victim, and he messes with the wrong witch.

Pre-orderyour copy of Avenging Angel!

Check out all the books in Friday the 13th Stories #3

Peek between the pages...

The witch removed her athame from her satchel, sliced open the meaty part of her palm, and coated the blade with her blood. She held it to the sky as she moved to stand beside the girl in the center of the circle. “As above,” she buried the ritual knife into the Earth beside Maya’s waist, “so below.”

She lifted her arms to the clear sky where the orange harvest moon held reign over the night, letting the power of the elements fill her. The tendrils of darkness hung in the air nearby, waiting for her to harness their energy. “Dark God. An act most foul, the murder of an innocent, has been committed upon this sacred land. Lend us your strength to right the wrong.”

The black candles on either side of Maya’s head burst into flame, melting the wax into two small nubs.

“Yes, my lord. Yes.” The witch smiled. “Dark Lord, lend Maya Pendleton your power. Resurrect her from the land of the dead, so she may bring vengeance upon Rand Roosevelt, the one who wronged her, to restore balance to this sacred land.”

A bolt of lightning forked down from the sky into Maya’s chest. The wound on the girl’s hand closed, and her eyes popped open.

The witch outstretched her palms over the girl, who was no longer human, but rather an immortal slave bound to the witch. “Arise, my avenging angel.”

About the author:

Michelle Godard-Richer is an award-winning thriller and romance author living in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada. With her degree in Criminology, she writes edge-of-your-seat, suspenseful stories with strong protagonists and diabolical villains.

Connect with Michelle

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Thanks so much for stopping by! 

Chatting with author C. Becker

I'm thrilled to welcome C. Becker back to my blog. The next book in the Euphoria Trilogy is now available. 

One of my favorite ways to get to know someone is a speed round. Plus, C. Becker shared some photos with us. 

Morning or night? Night

Favorite beverage? Water

eBook, paperback, or audiobook? Paperback

Plotter or Pantster? Plotter

Beach

Cake, cookies, or pie? Cake (chocolate)

Favorite thing to do to relax? Play piano & word games

Beach or mountains? Beach

Myrtle Beach

Night on the town or cozy evening in? cozy evening in

Stilettos or flipflops or sneakers? Sneakers

Favorite song? Piano Guys Für Elise Jam

About the book

Saving Euphoria

Author: C. Becker

Genre: Romance Thriller

Blurb

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.

Saving Euphoria is newly released as of May 9th.

Grab your copy

Amazon  |  The Wild Rose Press  |  Barnes & Noble  |  iTunes  |  

Peek between the pages

He moved closer, his breath warming her face. “I don’t want to be a friend. I want more.”

Her eyes blurred. “It’s only been six months since Mark died.”

“Life goes on, Hailey. Mark’s gone.”

“Six months, Parker.” Tears burnt like acid splashing in her eyes. Six months was not nearly enough time to let go.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say it that way.” Parker reached over and held her hand.

The tenderness in his touch made an instant connection to her heart. Ashamed at her heart’s betrayal, she yanked her hand away and wiped a tear off her cheek.

He held her hand again and whispered. “I love you, Hailey. I always have. Somehow, life or fate, or whatever it is you want to call it, got in our way. I kept my distance when you married Mark, but I never stopped loving you.” He tightened his grasp on her hand. “Now I feel like an idiot because I waited too long.”

“Parker, please. I’m not sure I even wantto get involved with someone again.”

“You’ve become so miserable. You’re a strong woman.” His face hardened. “Mark wouldn’t want you to waste your life grieving. He’d want you to go on—and at least try to be happy.” He caressed her cheek with his thumb. “I think deep down, you know it.”

Few people had her pegged so well. She bit her lip, “I do.”

Click here to learn about book one, Finding Euphoria.

About the author: 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.

Connect with Becker

Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Goodreads

Chatting with Patricia McAlexander, author of Shadows of Doubt

I'm thrilled to have Patricia McAlexander with me today. But first, let's learn more about her new book Shadows of Doubt.

Shadows of Doubt

Genre: thriller-romance

Author: Patricia McAlexander

 

Blurb

Former grade school bully and, later, amateur drug dealer Jeff Hudson turns his life around and is pursuing a degree in agriculture. His future, as well as a budding relationship with fellow student Sandy Harris, is threatened when a former dealer threatens to expose Jeff's past to university authorities if he doesn't rejoin the ring.

Realizing that Jeff is no longer an angry, misunderstood boy, Sandy must take a stand against her family and friends who swear he is no good and will only cause her unhappiness. Together, can they escape the past in order to forge a future?

Get it today

Amazon | Nook | Barnes & Noble | I-book | Target | Walmart

Please help me welcome Patricia McAlexander.


How did you come up with the concept and/or characters for the book?

My characters are in part based on real people—including myself. Sandy, the protagonist of Shadows of Doubt, has some of my traits: I like photography and an alternate career for me would have been as a journalist. I based Jeff and his uncle at least in part on a family who owned an upstate New York dairy farm near my parents’ lake house—an intelligent, strong, practical father and his sons. And Sandy’s mother is partly based on my teacher mother, who turned for support to my sister and me when our father died—and who sometimes did not approve of our boyfriends.


Favorite genre and why?

One of my favorite genres or themes is romance. Why? Because love is something most of us need and hope for in our lives—look at the themes of songs, movies, literature. Also, romance can involve personal growth, something I’m interested in as a teacher. In my fiction, I portray individuals further developing their own values and identities as they discover love. But genres can be hybrids. Both Stranger in the Storm, my first published novel (actually a novella) and Shadows of Doubt combine romance with the thriller genre. There is also often romance in works of historical fiction, as in Wallace Stegner’s Angle of Repose or Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoi’s Dear Hamilton--to mention just two.


Tell us something about yourself and how you became an author.

I think being a writer was in my genes. My father, a teacher, let me type on his typewriter when I was five years old. He never got it back. My sister and I co-authored stories as children, and my high school and undergraduate college friends read stories that I wrote for fun. Then I went to graduate school, earned a PhD in English, and taught in college. I had no time to write fiction during those years, but when I retired, I wrote Stranger in the Storm. Not wanting to go through a possibly lengthy process of finding an agent, I went the small press route, submitting it to the Wild Rose Press. Editor Kaycee John thought it had potential and suggested I read James Scott Bell’s Revision and Self-Editing for Publication and revise. That book gave helpful advice that I took—and my next draft was accepted. I learned much about writing fiction during the editing process with Kaycee. So I guess all these stages are how I “became an author.”

Shadows of Doubt Excerpt

Sunday night in Bill’s sports car, Sandy found him intense. “I want you to stop going out with Jeff. I want us to be a couple.”

“He and I are a couple now.”

“Give me a chance. I’ve known you so long, and this summer I realized you’re the only girl I’ve ever felt anything for.”

“Surely you’ve been with girls at the University of North Carolina.”

“It wasn’t the same with any of the girls there. When I first saw you again after those four years away, I knew you were the one…the one I should marry. But I want to wait for marriage before…you know…sleeping together. That’s special to me. It’s the guys who don’t want to wait that you have to watch out for.”

“I don’t think that’s necessarily true.”

“So have you and Jeff…?” He did not finish his question, but she felt he knew the answer. He finally said, in a choked voice, “You’ve just met him. You don’t know anything about him.” He looked over at her. “You know it won’t last, don’t you?”

Sandy’s heart skipped a beat at that, but she made herself answer in a calm voice. “Right now, I just know he’s the one I want to be with.”

“Sandy—I need to tell you something about him.”

“I don’t want to hear it. You’d better take me home.”

Bill abruptly turned around in a parking lot he was passing and headed back toward her house. His expression was grim, almost angry. “I’d be better for you, Sandy. Your mother thinks so, too.”

Anger replaced her anxiety. “How do you know what my mother thinks? I hope you and she didn’t discuss this!”

“Just a little, last night before you came downstairs. She didn’t say much, but I could tell how she felt.” He pulled up in front of her house. “We both worry about you with Jeff. It’s not just that we think this won’t last…”

“Why else should you worry?”

Bill hesitated. “For one thing, he has a temper. He may physically hurt you. Remember how he was even as a kid.”

Her anger notched up higher. He was sounding just like her mother, expressing unfounded, outdated fears. “It was years ago that he got in those fights. He’s not like that now. I’m sorry, Bill, but I think it would be better if you and I don’t see each other for a while.” She got out of the car and slammed the door.

Bill started to pull away, then stopped, lowered the window, and called out to her. “Just remember, if you ever need me, I’ll be here.”

About the author:
Patricia McAlexander earned a bachelor's degree from The University of New York at Albany, a master's from Columbia University, and a doctorate from The University of Wisconsin, Madison, all in English. After moving with her husband to Athens, Georgia, she taught composition and literature at The University of Georgia. Now retired, she has edited local newsletters and enjoys hiking, travel, and photography. But most of all she enjoys writing novels. Her first thriller-romance, Stranger in the Storm, set in upstate New York, was released by Wild Rose in June 2020. Shadows of Doubt, set in Athens, Georgia, is her second.

Keep in touch

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A Quick Chat with C. Becker author of Finding Euphoria

 Hi everyone!

Today I have C. Becker, author of Finding Euphoria. 

 

What research did you do before writing this book.  

I spent many hours researching acetylcholine and dopamine receptors in the brain when I wrote this novel. I researched not only the addiction aspect, but also how neurotransmitters are linked to OCD, depression, and other psychiatric disorders. Research brings new information every day, and scientists have found many new discoveries since I had gone to college. Although the research was time consuming, I enjoyed learning. I also studied how pharmaceuticals design drugs from different plants. I was surprised when I read some spices like nutmeg contain a drug called myristicin, which in higher doses will cause adverse effects on the sympathetic and central nervous system. Deciding it was best not to target a certain plant or spice, I made up a shrub from the Amazon Rainforest and had Euphoria refined from the plant. 

Another part of the research was Parkinson’s disease. My great-uncle had Parkinson’s and died in the 1970s. I feel this disease is often forgotten, so I created a character with Parkinson’s, too.

 

Can you tell us about a book that stayed with you long after you finished reading it. 

I read Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett twenty years ago. Although he added a lot of graphic violence in the medieval story, it was believable because of the historical setting. I’ve never seen a book with so many subplots woven in a story. I later watched the mini-series and read one of the sequels. It still rates as one of the best books I’ve ever read. 

What is your favorite comfort food? 

Anything Chocolate

Any exciting news to share? 

Finding Euphoria is available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Losing Euphoria, the second book in the Euphoria series is under contract with The Wild Rose Press. This story takes place 6 years after Finding Euphoria ends. I’m currently writing the third book in the Euphoria trilogy.

Finding Euphoria

Genre: Romantic Thriller

A spicy PG13 read

Blurb

Hailey Langley refuses to be a victim and has moved on from her traumatic past. But her marriage problems worsen when a deadly illicit drug threatens to draw her into the life she left behind.

Mark Langley has allowed his job to interfere with his marriage, but he never suspected the secrets in Hailey’s past might hold the key to solving both of his current investigations.

Together, they must unravel the mystery of the drug called Euphoria and find a way to save not only their marriage, but countless lives, before it’s too late.

Buy links

Apple iBooks  |  Amazon | Kobo  |  The Wild Rose Press  |  Barnes & Noble

Add to your Want to Read list on Goodreads

Excerpt

They hurried to the wall and began sliding books across the shelf. One of the books would open the latch, but which one? She worked swiftly.

A whiff of his aftershave stirred her senses. It was an earthy scent. Their gazes met, but she broke it off. She tested another section of books across the shelf and felt him studying her. Her heart fluttered. Focus, Hailey. Why had he kissed her the previous night? She was a married woman. “We need to work fast. Security cameras are all over this place.”

A soft click sounded near Parker and she rushed over, following him through the doorway.

He turned on a light. “Hurry.”

The small chamber smelled like leather and cigars. A computer rested on top of a writing desk. Parker headed straight to the computer and turned it on. He began rifling through the files in the filing cabinet next to the desk. “It’s booting. Find what you can. We’ll only have a few minutes.”

Hailey hurried to the rear of the room and rummaged through a pile of letters spread across a cherry wood desk.

Parker turned back to the computer and typed on the keyboard. “I’m in!” He shoved a hand in his pants pocket and pulled out a jump drive.

“Already?” She glanced up. “How did you figure out the password?”

He inserted the jump drive in the computer. “I took a shot at Euphoria.”

She searched through a stack of files. A large desk calendar shifted, exposing a tan envelope. “This might be what we’re searching for.” She pulled a packet from the envelope. On the top corner of the cover page was the word EUPHORIA. The page below had an image of a chemical structure. “Bingo!”

“What did you find? Can you identify the drug?”

“Give me a minute.” Hailey flipped through the packet. “I need to study this.”

“There’s not much time.”

She opened her purse. “Stefan gave me a camera. I’ll take some photos of the…Oh, shit.”

“What?”

“The camera’s missing!”

“What do you mean?”

“It must have fallen out while I was in line for the bathroom.”

“Dammit!”

“It’s okay. I’ll use my cell phone.” She took out her phone and pressed the button.

“Keep snapping.” Parker typed on the keypad. “The files are downloading.”

Quickly, she worked, turning page after page of the packet. Her phone beeped. A text message appeared on the screen: ABORT MISSION.

“Oh, no. Parker, we have to get out of here.”

“I need a couple more minutes.”

She tilted her head. Footsteps thudded down the hall. “Now! They’re coming.”

Dammit! Parker jerked the drive from the computer and shoved it in his pocket. He grabbed Hailey’s arm, and they darted from the room. With his free hand, he drew a semiautomatic from his pants.

“Hurry. They’re almost here,” she whispered.

They raced to the sitting room window. Parker climbed out the opening and stepped on the stone ledge. He offered a hand to Hailey. “Careful.”

She lifted the bottom of her dress and swung around. As she grabbed his hand, the cell phone dropped. “My phone!”

“Leave it. They’re coming!”

Ignoring him, she leaned over and stretched her fingers. The door swung open, and she raised her head. Two men bolted into the room. She left the phone on the floor and turned. A strong hand grabbed her arm and threw her on the floor. She kicked as a wet cloth pressed over her face. Gunshots blasted, and the darkness consumed her.

About the author:

A native of western Pennsylvania, C. Becker earned a B.S. degree in Medical Technology and MT (ASCP) certification. She has worked in clinical settings analyzing body fluids and testing drugs of abuse. As an author, C. Becker has published multiple stories in various genres.



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