Tuesday, July 25, 2023

A Romantic Wish

Welcoming a previous guest back to my blog is always fun, especially when she has an exciting  new novel that was just released. My guest today is M. S. Spencer.


She has worked as a librarian, anthropologist, research assistant, Congressional aide, speechwriter and nonprofit director,  She is a multi-published author who  has lived or traveled in five of the seven continents and holds degrees in Anthropology, Middle East Studies, and Library Science. She has also published sixteen romantic suspense and mystery novels. The mother of two children, she says she also an exuberant granddaughter, and currently divides her time between the Gulf Coast of Florida and a tiny village in Maine. 

M. S.'s newest book is  a cozy Romantic Suspense: The Wishing Tree: Love, Lies, and Spies on Chincoteague Island, and it has just been released.  Before we learn more about the book, let's get some background on the book's fascinating setting:

The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Wallops Flight Facility, established in 1945 on the Eastern shore of Virginia, is the agency’s premier location for conducting research using suborbital vehicles – aircraft, scientific balloons and sounding rockets. Wallops welcomes visiting scientists from all over the world, including some from less than friendly nations like Belarus.

Belarus—a land-locked country surrounded by Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Latvia—is the last Communist country remaining from the USSR. It is run by a dictator-for-life, Alexander Lukashenkov. It is understandable that in The Wishing Tree, the Belarusian biologists are met with some suspicion.

Here's the blurb of The Wishing Tree, followed by an excerpt from the book:

Will the wind whip her token from the Wishing Tree and make her wish come true?

Addison Steele dreams of the day her husband—lost at sea—returns to her. Instead, she meets Nick Savage, whose every word may be a lie. She is soon embroiled in mystery, all related to the top secret science station at Wallops Island, Virginia.

After a Belarusian scientist at Wallops is murdered, the questions multiply. Was it because he caught the person stealing classified documents or because he wanted to defect? Is Nick the spy—or is it his brother? How can she trust the man who is slowly claiming her heart when his story keeps shifting?

Excerpt: Peel’s suspicions

She pulled into her driveway behind a white sedan. The ever-lovable Agent Peel emerged from it. “Do you have a minute, Ms. Steele?”

This is turning into a stellar day. “Sure.” Hoping Nick hadn’t come after her—or do I?—she led the way up the steps. Peel followed her into the living room. She sat on the sofa and, ignoring the massage chair, indicated the wooden desk chair. He remained standing.

She sighed. “What can I do for you?”

“We understand you visited the Wallops facility and tried to force your way in.”

“What! I did nothing of the sort. What a ridiculous thing to say.”

Peel stared down at her, his eyes expressionless. “I have fairly decent sources.”

“Well, they’re wrong,” Addison said crossly. “If they’d bothered to check with Walter Pope, the security guard on duty”—ha! It pays to be on a first-name basis with the staff—“they’d know that I was there with my cousin’s kindergarten class for a special tour. We were stopped because we’d forgotten to bring our guide. It was all perfectly innocent.”

“I heard there was a fracas. Can you explain that?”

A fracas? This G-man has an unusual grasp of vocabulary. “No.” Wait a minute. “Your source may have been confused. A group of foreign scientists had a bit of a dustup at the same time that we were trying to enter through the gate. I’m not sure what the problem was, but the director had to come out and take them in personally.”

“Foreign? Were they by any chance from Belarus?”

Addison’s retort died on her lips. “I don’t know, but I heard them say something about Daniel Savage.”

Peel jerked, his eyes alert. “They did? What did they say?”

“I only heard the name. They were speaking some Slavic tongue. Very harsh.”

The agent rose. “That is very helpful, Ms. Steele. The FBI appreciates your continued vigilance.”

So now I’m a snitch? Addison rose too. “His brother says Daniel fell off a boat, Agent Peel. Do you think he’s still alive?”

Peel’s eyes closed to slits. “We don’t know, Ms. Steele, but if he is, he’d better not be looking forward to a long and happy life.”

She accompanied him to the door. “You mentioned stolen documents. Is he a foreign spy?”

He didn’t look at her. “That information is not yet verified.”

Typical closed-mouth bureaucrat. “This is a small town, Mr. Peel. Very little goes unnoticed, and us locals are quite good at ferreting out news of what goes on in the facility. If Savage wasn’t under suspicion, you wouldn’t be after him, would you?” She put a hand on his arm. “But what do you want with his brother? Even if Nick Savage knew about Daniel’s activities, that doesn’t make him complicit.”

“On the contrary. We have reason to believe he was instrumental in Daniel’s escape.”

To learn what happens next, here are the buy links for M. S. Spencer's The Wishing Tree, followed by her contact information.


Buy Links:


Books2Read

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Bookbub

Goodreads


Social media

Blog  Facebook  Twitter  Pinterest  

GoodReads  Bookbub  MeWe  Amazon


Thank you, M. S. for being my guest today. Any questions or comments for M. S.?

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Magic and Romance in the High Country

It's always great to re-visit an author who has appeared on my blog previously and especially someone who is also from my favorite state!


Tena Stetler is a best-selling, award-winning Colorado author who writes paranormal novels. She says some call her crazy while others call her creative. Whichever it is, she tells us she deals with the voices in her head by writing them down and creating a fantasy world. She also comes up with characters you won’t soon forget. Her books tell tales of magical kick-ass women and mystical alpha males that dare to love them. Her books contain travel, adventure, magic, and a bit of mystery. She also includes a few companion animals to round out the vividly-drawn tales.

Tena shares her life with her own hero of many moons, a brilliant Chow Chow, a spoiled parrot and a fifty-two-year-old box turtle.


Her latest book sounds like another engrossing tale titled Raven's Hollow Spring Magic. Let's get a blurb.


Spring is in full bloom in Raven’s Hollow, a small town in the Colorado Rockies with a population of unique townspeople. Blaze, a dragon shifter, and Wynter, a witch, are neck-deep in wedding preparations, when Wynter’s mother, Jade, goes missing after opening her new antique store, and attending the Simon estate sale where she procured an ancient jelly bean machine. Frantic with worry, Blaze and Wynter track her last movements via the store’s ancient, grainy, security footage. What it reveals is nothing short of shocking. As deputy sheriff, it’s Blaze’s responsibility to find his soon-to-be mother-in-law. But at what cost?


Let's find out more about the characters, starting with Wynter.


What do you think might have happened to your mother?


At first I had no idea, but after finding the jelly bean book and the ancient jelly bean machine, I gotta wonder if she time-traveled inadvertently. 


What do you hope for regarding your future, Wynter?


A nice quiet life in the town that embraces me and a successful business. Of course, I want the marriage to a great man, children and the house with a white picket fence. 


Tell us about your relationship with Blaze.


It was a rough start, but he brings out the best in me. Sometimes his protective nature is over the top. But what can you expect with a dragon shifter who owns his own business, and is deputy sheriff of the small town we live in? 


What attracts you to him?

His caring nature. Willingness to do anything for his friends and family. 

What frightens you about him?

That he’s too good to be true. Not had a luck of luck with men and he is the best I’ve ever known.  Did you know he and his friend a helo pilot rescued my family and friends when the witness protection program failed us? That story is in Meringue Snowflake Magic, if you want to read about it.


The other thing is well, he’s a dragon shifter, sometimes that’s scary in itself.


Now let's hear from Blaze:


Blaze, what do you want for your future?


To settle down with the woman of my dreams and start a family in the town I love.

What attracts you to Wynter?

Her gung ho nature. She’ll find a way to get it done one way or the other.


What worries you about a relationship with her?


Her desire to get things done, regardless of the consequences. 


What concerns you about her mother's sudden disappearance?


Everything. I believe she is lost in time and I’m afraid we won’t be able to find her and bring her back.

  

Very interesting characters. How about an excerpt?


        “Does it work?” He dropped in a penny and twisted the handle. A couple jelly beans rolled out. “Is that all?” He jiggled the handle. It turned another quarter turn and gears whirred.  The glass globe sparkled, etchings of the countries around the world appeared as it tilted and slid to the side. On the opposite side a control panel slid out revealing a panel filled with tokens in the center. The group gasped and silence ensued for several beats.

        “What the heck?” flew out of Wynter’s mouth as she clutched at her chest. With her other hand, she reached out to touch the machine only to have her hand slapped away with a pair of black gloves Blaze had pulled out of his pocket.

        “No one else touch this—or anything in here.” He slipped on the protective gloves and removed one of the tokens holding it up to the light. “It’s inscribed in Latin around the outside.  My Latin may be rusty, but rursus in tempore means a turn in time.” He picked up another token and read the inscription. “Fatum suum aspicientis moderatur - Beholder controls its destiny.” Carefully, he returned the tokens to their slots turning his attention to the control panel. “Look here…”

        Wynter pointed at the panel. “There’s a slot for one token in the control panel. You don’t suppose this is a—


Want more? You'll have to buy the book! Here are the buy links and how to get in touch with Tena to learn more about her and her books.


Buy Links:

Universal Link : https://books2read.com/u/bOPR5E


Amazon:   https://www.amazon.com/Ravens-Hollow-Spring-Magic-Things-ebook/dp/B0C43XYQ5P

Amazon AU:  https://www.amazon.com.au/Ravens-Hollow-Spring-Magic-Things-ebook/dp/B0C43XYQ5P/

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ravens-Hollow-Spring-Magic-Things-ebook/dp/B0C43XYQ5P

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Ravens-Hollow-Spring-Magic-Things-ebook/dp/B0C43XYQ5P

Amazon de - Germany: https://www.amazon.de/-/en/dp/B0C43XYQ5P/ref=sr_1_1?crid=15ASNK7OKYNUV

Barnes& Noble:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ravens-hollow-spring-magic-tena-stetler/1143427010?ean=2940160979014

Ibooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/ravens-hollow-spring-magic/id6448729654

Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/books/raven-s-hollow-spring-magic-jelly-beans-and-spring-things-by-tena-stetler

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/146782568-raven-s-hollow-spring-magic

Social Media Links:


Website: https://www.tenastetler.com

Authors’ Secret’s Blog - https://www.tenastetler.com/category/authors-secrets-blog/

My Say What Blog - http://www.tenastetler.com/category/my-say-what-blog/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/tenastetler.author

Twitter Page: https://www.twitter.com/TenaStetler

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14187532.Tena_Stetler

Amazon:  http

s://www.amazon.com/author/tenastetler

Newsletter: https://www.tenastetler.com/newsletter-signup/

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/tenastetler

Tribber - http://triberr.com/TenaStetler

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tena-stetler

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tenastetler/

Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/tenajean2014

Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tena-stetler-10057978/

Youtube - @tenastetler283

Mastodon - @tenajean@mastodon.social

https://linktr.ee/TenaStetler


Thank you, Tena, for appearing on my blog. Any questions or comments for Tena?


Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Turning the Camera Around


Over the years, every week in my blog I have profiled a different writer and given them an opportunity to discuss their latest books. Recently it occurred to me that while I have interviewed so many other writers over the past few years, I have never done the same for myself. Yes, my short biography is on my blog and website: 

Rebecca Grace is an  Emmy award-winning former  broadcast journalist who currently writes fiction. She has focused on the writing process nearly every day of her adult life. During the week she worked in the news department of television stations from Denver to San Diego to Seattle, though she spent most of her working career at network affiliates in Los Angeles--KABC, KCBS, and KNBC. On weekends, she devoted her time to writing novels as well as books on writing. She has presented writing workshops at national conventions and  taught a wide variety of online writing classes with her frequent co-author, Sue Viders. In recent years she has focused on writing fiction full time.  

Most of the time, I like to ask authors questions about their writing careers and how they got started. For me the answer is simple. I simply loved to write from the time I got into high school. Even before that, the idea of being a newspaper reporter was in my head (thanks to comic strip icons Lois Lane and Brenda Starr). Eventually, when I went to college, I decided to major in journalism, working on the school newspaper which put out an edition every day of the week. That meant I was having to conduct interviews around my daily class work, but somehow it got done. I made a couple of valuable discoveries through that experience. First of all, I made two friends who remain my good friends to this day. Secondly, I learned to appreciate a deadline, which still helps me with my writing. Many writers have days when they simply don’t feel like writing. Having a daily deadline means having to write—no matter what. Giving myself daily goals keeps me going on a project even when I don’t feel like sitting down at the computer. 

Often I also ask about advice for beginning authors. I’ve always felt it was important to help other beginning writers, which was why I got into teaching classes for many years. While everyone has their own way of writing their stories, I’ve also discovered that hearing other authors talk about their road to publication and how they succeeded can be valuable to writers starting out. Even writers who have a few books already finished like to hear the stories of other writers. Other writers have told me--and I agree--learning about the writing process never ends. Every book can teach a writer something new and changes in the world of book publishing are always happening. Just as no two books are the same, the reading tastes of the public continuously change and it is important to keep in touch with what is happening in the publishing world.   

Another question I often ask guest authors on my blog is about their latest projects. That helps to keep up with what people are writing and what readers are buying. It’s important to keep in touch on current trends in publishing, just as it is important to keep writing those stories. 

My current book that I am writing is part three of what I call my Dead Man series, Dead Man’s Secrets. It will be the final installment of a series I started several years ago. Both Dead Man’s Rules and Dead Man’s Treasure are currently available. 


The idea for the series about a fading bloody handprint on the wall came from an old story I heard in college about an old company store (as opposed to the dance hall I invented for the book) which actually did have such a print on the wall. I heard the story in college, and of course, my friends and I had to go see it. None of us knew how it was made. We had to climb inside via a broken window
and then up a set of rickety stairs, but we got into the room and saw the hand print. That faded image stayed with me, and years later I decided I wanted to write about it. Once I had finished the first book in the series, Dead Man’s Rules, I knew I wanted to write another, which is why I developed and wrote Dead Man’s Treasure. Legends of hidden treasure in the southwest have long been such popular topics, there are even guidebooks on hunting for various lost mines or buried caches of old Spanish gold. 

The third part of the trilogy, which I am currently writing, focuses on one of my old favorite character from the previous books, Diego Diaz, but it also introduces new characters as well—a best-selling author, who is the hero and a determined journalist, who is the heroine. Writing the final installment of the trilogy has been a joy, but it is also sad because the characters I’ve developed over the years have been so fun to know. However, new characters and new situations are clamoring for attention in my mind, and it’s time to move on to newer locations and make new character friends. But for now, I hope you enjoy Dead Man's Rules and Dead Man's Treasure. Be sure to watch for Dead Man’s Secrets when it becomes available. It solves forever the secret of the bloody handprint on the wall.  

Here is the blurb for Dead Man’s Treasure:

When free spirit Freeda Ferguson goes in search of her father, she finds intrigue instead. Attorney Patrick Sanchez wants only to close a door in his family's past and has no time for Freeda or adventure. But then a dead man's shadow and secrets from the past bring death to their present. Now Patrick and Freeda find themselves drawn into a dangerous search for truth even as they discover their own growing attraction. As a small town seeks treasure, they seek answers.

Here are the buy links for my second book in the series as well as for the first book:

Book Two - Amazon: Dead Man's Treasure - Kindle edition by Grace, Rebecca. Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Book One - Amazon: Dead Man's Rules - Kindle edition by Grace, Rebecca. Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.


If you would like to know more about me or my books, here is the information for my websites.

Fiction website:

RebeccaGraceBooks

Non-fiction websites:

Writethatnovel.com

Writethatnovel.net


Any questions or comments?


Getting Into The Story

I've said it before, but it bears repeating--one of the reasons I began doing a blog on writing and writers was because I loved the idea...