Please join me in welcoming author Vicky Burkholder. I’m excited to spotlight her novel The Cane, the Puzzle, and Magic. Paranormal romance readers have a new novel to add to the tbr pile.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: The Cane, the Puzzle, and Magic
Author: Vicky Burkholder
Genre: Urban Paranormal Romance
BLURB:
Facing down an ancient evil, special agent Elizabeth St. John is outnumbered, outgunned, and outmatched. Local cop Kaeden Pike is the perfect choice to help her but letting him—or anyone—into her life and heart is the most difficult challenge she’s ever faced. Kaeden has never found the one person who fit him, until now. But how can he convince Liz that they make the perfect pair, especially when the end of the world is coming? Someone has to gather the forces of good to win this fight, but when Liz accepts the role, she finds that being alone isn’t a choice she has to make. Almost losing Kaeden to the evil who already took the only other person she’s ever trusted convinces her to open her heart and let him in…where he belongs.
AUTHOR BIO:
As her alter-ego, Vicky has multiple homes all over the universe. She looks human – for the most part – but when she starts writing about characters being able to move things or flicking fire from their fingertips, or changing the course of rivers, people tend to get a little freaked out. She found the one guy out there in the universe who loves her for who she is and they’ve been together forever and raised four wonderful (now) adults. Her career includes work as a technical writer/editor, a stringer for the local newspaper, and an editor and copy editor for various publishers. At various times in her life, she has been a teacher, a secretary, a short-order cook, a computer specialist, a DJ, and a librarian. When not editing or writing, she can be found in the kitchen creating gluten free goodies for her family.
I’m excited to welcome USA Today Bestselling Author, Kathryn Knight. Tis the season for a spooky tale that checks all the boxes. The Haunting of Hillwood Farm offers readers a ghost mystery and romantic suspense.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: The Haunting of Hillwood Farm
Author: Kathryn Knight
Genre: Ghost Mystery/Romantic Suspense
BLURB:
After tragedy strikes, Callie Sinclair is left with a gift she never wanted—the ability to communicate with ghosts. But when a desperate widow begs for her help, she reluctantly agrees to investigate the strange occurrences at Hillwood Farm. She quickly realizes she’s dealing with a dangerous presence beyond anything she’s ever experienced, and something else becomes equally clear—the only other living person in the house, Mrs. Turner’s handsome grandson, thinks she’s a scam artist. While she’d prefer to just ignore him, her heart beats a little faster every time he’s nearby.
Luke Turner doesn’t believe in spirits. He’s moved back to restore the family farm, but living on the property serves a dual purpose—he can watch out for his grandmother. He’s not happy about the sudden appearance of a self-described psychic, or his inexplicable attraction to her. His initial suspicions crumble as evidence points to an actual haunting, but he’s still determined not to fall for Callie—the past has taught him it’s best to avoid relationships.
As Callie is drawn deeper into the mystery, she becomes the target of a vengeful spirit, and Luke can no longer fight his feelings for her. Unable to resist their desire, passion ignites…even as the paranormal activity escalates to a final deadly confrontation.
AUTHOR BIO:
USA TODAY Bestselling Author Kathryn Knight writes books filled with steamy romance, dangerous secrets, and haunting mysteries. Her novels are award-winning #1 Amazon and B&N Bestsellers and RomCon Reader-Rated picks. When she’s not reading or writing, Kathryn spends her time exploring abandoned places and searching for ghosts. She lives on beautiful Cape Cod with her husband, their two sons, and a number of rescued pets. Please visit her at www.kathrynknightbooks.blogspot.com.
Please join me in welcoming author Kitty Shields. Her latest novel, Stone Heart, looks like a great pick for historical romance readers. Who doesn’t love a second chance romance? Especially one set during the late 1700s…
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: Stone Heart
Author: Kitty Shields
Genre: Historical Romance
BLURB:
Some love stories are written in stone.
What if the woman you loved gave her heart to you in the form of a perfect red diamond? And what if you were an absolute imbecile and broke that heart into pieces? Edward, the Marquess of Winchester, doesn’t believe in nonsense and he certainly doesn’t believe that the woman he cast aside six months ago was true to him. But when the death of a famous actress leads him to realize he’s made a grave mistake, Edward sets out across 1790s Europe to save his love, battling jewel thieves, demons, and old family foes along the way. The question remains: can he put the pieces back together and heal a stone heart?
AUTHOR BIO:
Kitty Shields (she/her) lives outside Philadelphia, where she writes to overcome the fact that she was born a middle child with hobbit feet, vampire skin, and a tendency to daydream. In her spare time, she binds books, takes bad photos, and tries to avoid the death traps her cat sets for her. She earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Arcadia University in 2015 and has been published in several journals including The After Happy Hour Review, Furious Gazelle, and Sick Lit among others.
Please join me in welcoming Rosemary Kubli as she shares how she brought a long-held goal of becoming a published author to fruition. I whole-heartedly agree with the belief that it is never too late to pursue a dream. Romantic suspense readers are sure to enjoy her latest novel, Gullible.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: Gullible
Author: Rosemary Kubli
Genre: Romantic Suspense
BLURB:
Siena Ricci is shrewd, seductive, and an expert in the art of deception. Masking her identity behind the guise of Marie Lacroix, a specialist in antiques and objets d’art, she swindles her employer’s wealthy clients out of their valuable possessions. She hasn’t yet met the man she can’t manipulate, but then the con she’s playing in Jonathan Woodward has only just begun.
Jonathan proves to be an easy mark, but he’s also enticingly irresistible. As their relationship heats up, her plot to steal his multi-million-dollar trinkets begins to unravel. Noticing a subtle change in Jonathan’s demeanor, Marie questions whether she’s still in control of the con or if she’s blindly become to gullible victim of her own scheme.
GUEST POST:
I know it’s a cliché, and I can envision you rolling your eyes as I say what I’m about to say, but I have always wanted to be a published author. Life, however, got in the way and when I at last got serious about writing, I blundered into the process wearing blinders. You see, I don’t hold a degree in creative writing or journalism and, aside from the occasional how-to manuals I’ve written for my employers and the literally thousands of emails I’ve composed since the invention of the internet, I had never written anything of note. What I did have, though, was a burning desire to one day walk into a bookstore and see a novel sitting on the top shelf with my name on the cover as the author.
So, one night, I decided to get serious. I sat down at my computer and began to write one of those stories that had been rambling around in my head. I joined a local writers’ critique group and entered a few writing contests. I read numerous books and articles about how to improve your writing skills. I received a lot of feedback and, most importantly, I listened to what the professionals were saying. I wrote and rewrote my novel multiple times until I was satisfied with the outcome. Next, I learned what a query letter is and how to write a synopsis. I began pitching my manuscript and bit my nails as the literary agents’ rejections flooded in. Some agents expressed interest but, ultimately, they all took a pass.
After six years, I was about to throw in the towel and chalk the whole process up to experience when an editor from a small press publisher responded to my query by saying, “Your story and characters are riveting.” My persistence had paid off! I’d finally connected with that one person who believed my work was worth sharing with the world. Sixteen months later, when I strolled into our local big chain bookstore and saw my novel displayed on their top shelf, I nearly burst into tears. It had taken close to eight years, but my dream had finally come true!
C.S. Lewis tells us, “You are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream.” So, my question to you is, what’s holding you back? Have you always wanted to play the piano? Sail a boat? Tap dance? Then go for it! You don’t need to become an expert, just do it for your own personal satisfaction. Take it from me, you’ll be happy you did!
AUTHOR BIO:
Rosemary Kubli writes the type of books she loves to read – intrigue and suspense mixed with a pinch of romance and a clever plot twist or two. Her professional experiences run the gamut from Human Resources and training to accounting and banking, with publishing being her most recent endeavor. Aside from the seven years she lived in southern California, she has always called the northeast corner of Ohio her home. Rosemary and her husband of 45 years enjoy traveling – on land to visit family and friends and on sea to any destination a cruise ship will take them. When not working on her next novel, she can be found discussing the latest in literary fare with her book club, playing a rousing game of Bunco with some of her oldest and dearest friends, researching her ancestry, volunteering in her community, burying her nose in a book, or obsessing over the latest binge-worthy TV series.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9×13-inch dish.
Beat together sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add bananas, flour, walnuts, eggs, baking soda, vanilla, and salt; mix thoroughly. Pour batter into the prepared dish.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Cool completely, then frost as desired.