Book Tour/Giveaway - Reaper by Jonathan Pongratz

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jonathan Pongratz will be awarding a 15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Five years have passed since the Reapers invaded Earth and tore it asunder. Gregory, his mother, Trent, and their group of scavengers hunt the decimated wastelands for survival.

But when a sudden Reaper attack forces Gregory through a Reaper door, he finds himself in a bizarre place, one that may provide answers to the Reapers’ past and where they came from.

Can Gregory put together the pieces of the past and find his way home, or will he just become another human casualty in the lost war against the Reapers?

Read an Excerpt

Inside the grocery store was just as run-down as it was outside. The late afternoon sun did little to illuminate the space, but our flashlights revealed uneven aisles with busted shelves, dirt and litter-caked tile floors, and thick layers of dust everywhere.

There was a foul stench like rotting flesh that I attributed to the Reapers that had been hiding here. They’d most likely come charging out because we’d unearthed their nesting spot, but their bravery to reveal themselves in daylight was still unnerving. I’d never seen that happen before.

Mom had me stay with the noncombatants while she and the other sharpshooters scoped out the store for signs of Reaper offspring. Female Reapers laid large basketball-sized eggs in nasty gray-veined sacs. The slightest sound could awaken them, and they were formidable due to their size and speed.

Luckily, Mom and the sharpshooters came back momentarily and gave us the all clear. She had us split up in pairs of two, and we each took an aisle to stash supplies. I got paired with a mousy girl named Meredith who pretty much lived at the library back home. We rounded the corner of aisle four, canned goods, and I groaned when I saw its meager contents.

Cans sparsely populated the slanting shelves in tiny rows, a few dozen or so on each side. This was it? After risking our lives to get in here? I wondered how much of the food would still be good. Preservatives or not, it had been five hellish years. Nothing was exempt from that.

“I’ll take the right side,” I told Meredith. I walked ahead of her to my side of lopsided racks as I unzipped my large supply bag. I shone my light on the first can I saw. Sliced Beets. I recoiled. Grandma food. I begrudgingly threw the can and a few identical ones behind it into my bag, then moved on to the next row.

Dinty Moore beef stew. I chuckled to myself. More like dog food. After a couple minutes of scrounging I was done with my side, and boy was it depressing. Turnip greens, diced rutabaga, menudo. What the hell happened to carrots and green beans, peaches and pineapple? I didn’t even want to think of what monstrosities the cooks would make out of this stuff back home.

I glanced back at Meredith. She was looking over the cans meticulously, taking her time before placing each one in her bag. Geez, what was her damage? Our job was simple; put the goods in the bag and go. At her speed, we wouldn't get out of here until nightfall when the Reapers came out in droves.

I tried waiting for her, but my patience wore out. In my frustration, I noticed the back aisle of the store. Several rows of knickknacks laid virtually untouched, and I weighed my options.

What was the harm? The others weren't that far away, and with Mom's birthday just weeks from now I had to find a present for her. I walked ahead in slow cautious steps, entering the back aisle. No one else was here. In front of me and panning to my left were the racks of trinkets I’d seen. This side of the aisle ended in a back room separated by tall, thin sheets of plastic. To my right was a freezer section. Whatever was in there had long since spoiled without electricity.

I rummaged through rows of untouched doodads, clouds of dust rising as I went. Most of it turned out to be junk: small stuffed teddy bears, fake jewelry, pinwheels, and other cheap crap. When I unearthed a small globe-shaped object, I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but as I brushed it off I couldn’t help a small squeal of excitement.

Mom always had a fascination with snow globes. I guess she just thought they were beautiful. This one said Billings, Montana and had a small, insignificant skyline. When I shook it, little flurries inside stirred to life. I smiled. She was going to love it.

I set my supply bag down on the ground, shuffling cans around to make room for the trinket down below so no one would see it. As I sorted through my supplies, one of the cans fell out and rolled down the dirty tiled floor to the entrance of the back room before settling. I groaned to myself and walked over before picking up the can. Sliced beets. I shook my head and chuckled. Fucking beets, man.

Suddenly, all the hairs on my body stood on end. I jerked my head up just in time to see a tall dark silhouette lurking behind the thick lines of plastic. Fuck, fuck, fuck!

As I backed away, the Reaper emerged from the back room into the aisle. This one was just like the other two we’d killed, boils, teeth, foul odor, and all. But unlike before, there was nothing between it and me.

“Reaper!” I spun around and bolted, only to catch my feet on my own supply bag. I went plummeting to the ground, cushioned by trash and dirt.

The monster gave a horrendous howl of rage just feet away, and I scrambled forward futilely. It was all over. At this range, there was no way I could esca--

Several thunderous gunshots sounded ahead of me, followed by a wail of pain from the Reaper. I looked up. It was Carlos, one of the only noncombatants with a gun.

“Get behind me!” he shouted.

I double-timed my crawl to him as he fired several more shots at the Reaper, the last one ending in a click from his gun. Carlos’s face went white. Oh shit, he was out of bullets! I closed my eyes in defeat, expecting the Reaper’s long claws to rake into my back and through my body at any moment. Instead, all I felt was a rush of air as the Reaper leaped over me and charged Carlos.

He punched and kicked fruitlessly as the Reaper grabbed him and lifted him into the air. It gave a hideous screech as it shoved Carlos headfirst into the glass door of the refrigerated section, keeping its grip on him. As it removed Carlos, I fought the vomit that lurched up my throat.

Large glass shards embedded in his face jutted out in all directions, blood flowing freely from each wound. He gave a gurgled cry before the Reaper threw him down to the floor.

Loud footsteps echoed closer to us.

“Over here!” I called out.

As Mom and several others entered the aisle, the Reaper lifted its razor-sharp claws, bringing them down on Carlos.

A deafening hail of bullets pounded all around me. I sank to the ground, covering my ears and closing my eyes until the carnage quieted. When I opened them again, the Reaper was in front of me, lying on the floor in a pool of its own black blood. As I set my eyes on Carlos, I gaped in horror. We were too late. Carlos was dead.

About the Author:

Jonathan Pongratz is a writer and author of captivating horror, fantasy, and other speculative fiction stories. When he’s not writing, he’s busy being a bookworm, video game junkie, and karaoke vocalist. A former resident of Dallas, he currently resides in Kansas City with his Halloween cat Ajax. By day he works magic in finance, by night he creates dark and mesmerizing worlds.

Website: http://www.jonathanpongratz.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jonathanpongratz
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/jonathanpongratz
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jonathan-pongratz
Tumblr: https://jonathanpongratz.tumblr.com/

Reaper: Aftermath Universal Ebook Link: https://buy.bookfunnel.com/3asmrg39g7
Amazon Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578827441
Barnes and Noble Paperback: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reaper-jonathan-pongratz/1138649891

Reaper: A Horror Novella Universal Ebook Link: https://buy.bookfunnel.com/yaar1pv37e

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Book Blast/Giveaway - Love Has No Limits by Armine Papouchian

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Armine Papouchian will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

At sixteen, Armine fell in love for the first time and lost that love for the first time. She was the youngest daughter of three in Armenia and the only one underage when her parents decided to immigrate to the United States. She had to go with and leave her beloved Alex behind. Her parents saw a land of opportunity while Armine saw heartbreak. It wasn’t the end of her story with Alex and certainly not the end of her life,as it had felt at the time, but there was more pain to follow. Sixteen-year-olds are resilient, but even when losses and hurt came calling repeatedly throughout Armine’s life, she had the strength to love and to rise again and again. Even as life moves on for Armine and Alex, their lives intersect again and again over the course of thirty years. Through deaths and divorces, their lives never quite line up from their opposite sides of the globe. Love Has No Limits is Armine’s story of keeping faith in oneself and in love despite heartbreak, betrayal, and loss. It reveals the joy available to those who rise and rise again.

Read an Excerpt

While drinking a glass of red wine, I watched the blazing fire roll down the hill. I got the second emergency alert call to evacuate immediately. I couldn’t believe this was happening again. Last time this happened my son still lived at home, my parents lived with us, and Peaches, our sweet dog was still alive. Back then, I had to get everyone organized, packed, and ready to evacuate. Back then, I’d been more nervous, concerned about my aging parents, my teenage son and our dog, who could sense the tension and had anxiously paced back and forth with her tongue hanging out. This time, it was just me. I thought about what I should take with me. After all, I had already lost so much in life, yet at the same time, I felt I was blessed with all that I still had. After all, my parents had moved me halfway around the world when I was a teenager, leaving my love behind. I had grieved losing two husbands by the time I was 50, another husband in between who betrayed me at my most vulnerable moment, and I’d struggled with my father’s cancer, which ended in suicide. Just as I was catching my breath, I had to put my dog to sleep followed by my mother’s long-term illness and her painful death. At the same time, I was so grateful for all I had. I was so happy that I was not angry and resentful. I was not bitter; I was content. I had love again, and I was stronger than ever before. I was still standing. As I packed a change of clothes, my laptop, few photo albums that my son requested and my small metal safe deposit box with important documents, I reflected on how little all our possessions really matter to us. As I was packing the albums, the memories started to come back, old wounds flared up and I started to feel the pain and the deep sadness. I ached for my son who had lost his father at age ten. I felt lonely; I missed the people I had in my life that I’d loved and lost. I missed all they brought to my life. At times, I could not believe I had survived all that had happened in my life in such a short time. Tears rolled down my cheeks. I realized the effects those pictures had on me and why I did not even want to take those albums with me. I had the memories in my heart and that’s all I could ever have, the rest of my life. I realized that’s why I no longer made photo albums. I realized how simplistic life had become for me. I did not need much. I cherished the moments I was with the people I loved and that is all I ever needed.

About the Author:

Arminé was born in Soviet Armenia and immigrated to United States with her parents when she was 17. She worked in the health care industry for 33 years and held key leadership roles in various health plans. Most recently, she retired from a senior executive position to pursue service and paying forward.

She is currently involved in various volunteer roles. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hiking, gardening, art museums, concerts, dancing, and spending time with family and friends.

Love Has No Limits is her first book.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56512392-love-has-no-limits
Buy Link: ttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08RJ6152L/ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin

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Book Blast/Giveaway - Courageous Birth by Dr. Laura Sims D.C.

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Dr. Laura Sims will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

In building her family, Dr. Laura Sims has experienced joy and loss. This is a mother who has been through the worst and best of pregnancy, birth and family life and she won’t shy away from telling the truth of it. Dr. Sims shows that, as the mother, you have the first say in how your pregnancy and the birth goes. You get to decide how you want to bring your baby into the world. Home births are rising and there is more and more understanding of how putting the mother’s comfort first results in better birthing experiences. Within days of knowing she was pregnant for the first time, Dr. Sims knew she wanted a home water birth. She took the reins right from the start, but was disappointed in the lack of literature available to her about the kind of pregnancy and birth she wanted. Courageous Birth is her offering to women like her, women who want to know the truth of the experience and who want someone to show them what is possible for them in pregnancy, birth, and post-natal life. Dr. Laura Sims opens up her family’s joys, losses and hopes for mothers looking to understand. With an intimate and honest window into her life, Dr. Sims empowers expecting mothers and post-birth mothers to find what’s best for them and their babies.

Read an Excerpt

Being a professional and having a new baby is possible. I dedicated an entire chapter to this because I feel it’s an important part of my life and I know that many times, a person’s career can get in the way of having children or vice versa. I’m a driven person by nature, however, I know many men and women who have a baby and become even more motivated to succeed and provide. With conceiving Grace and starting our business simultaneously, we were taking the leap in all regards. We dove all in. Ready to do whatever it took to make it work in as smooth and effortless a way as possible. Given that I felt so amazing immediately after birth, I got right back into being a chiropractor, working side by side with my husband while Grace was in the baby sling. She was constantly attached to me or her daddy. There were little if any times she was not in contact with us—unless our patients were holding her. She was in the office whenever we were. There were many benefits to having her there, as well as some challenges.

I encourage you to discover what works best for your situation. This is my experience and what worked for our family. It may look completely different for you. The main thing here, is that it is possible and you can do it!

About the Author:

Dr. Laura Sims has been helping people reach optimal health since 2006. Along with her husband, they founded 2 of the largest chiropractic practices on the western slope of Colorado.

She believes the body is capable of healing itself when free from nerve interference. In 2019, she completed a 2-year Master's class in Soul-Centered Living from the University of Santa Monica.

It is her heartfelt mission for everyone to step more fully into their courageousness and trust their inner knowing!

Website: http://www.drlaurasims.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlaurasims
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20492127.Dr_Laura_Sims

Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08CQ2WWTZ/ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin

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Film Review - Trafficked

Trafficked is the story of Allison Riley (Sophie Bolen - THE HORSE DANCER, RODEO GIRL), a beautiful young girl with a bright future and a dream of becoming a veterinarian. On the eve of her 16th birthday, she sneaks out of her house to meet a handsome boy she met online, and disappears. Her parents, Joanna (Kristy Swanson - BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF) and Case (Mark Boyd - WHIP IT, “12 Monkeys”), contact the police who assume that Allison is just out with a boyfriend. They reluctantly hire Private Investigator John Belton (Dean Cain - Lois and Clark, GOD’S NOT DEAD ) who has a reputation for making his own rules. Belton quickly discovers that Allison had likely been trafficked by a handsome young man she met online, and that he’s on a race against time if the Riley’s hope to see their daughter again. 

 Quote from Joel - “Human trafficking is reaching epidemic levels in the US, yet so many people don’t believe that an atrocity like this could happen in the US. I wanted to shine a light on this issue, and help viewers realize this could happen to any family, any where.” TRAFFICKED: A Parent’s Worst Nightmare will release January 26, 2021 on DVD and all major VOD platforms. #TraffickedFilmMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork  

 

My Thoughts: This was an amazing film that I stayed glued to from start to finish. The acters did a wonderful job on such a sick unthinkable topic but sadly a topic that is real just one that nobody wants to think or talk about because it is so sickening and nobody thinks it could ever happen to anybody in their family or friends circle but it happens every single day to somebodies child, somebodies friend, mother, or other loved one. It's an eye opening film that makes you want to grab and hold your loved ones close and never let them out of your site. 

 

 

Disclosure: Many thanks to Collide Distribution for providing this product/product information for review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Book Tour/Giveaway - Wired By The FBI by Glenn Painter

 

 

Wired by the F.B.I. by Glenn Painter 

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GENRE: Mystery/Suspense, Thriller

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BLURB: Christian Romano lives his life as a con-artist, burglar, drug dealer, and a ladies' man, using his good looks to con wealthy women out of jewels and money. When he is arrested and jailed in one of the most violent jails in the U.S. (Cook County in Chicago), a steamy affair begins with a nympho female jail guard. When he loses control of the romance, Christian must end the affair by reporting her to Internal Affairs. It turns out that she is already under suspicion for supplying drugs to various gang members inside the jail. He has to decide if he is "rogue" enough to help set her up for arrest. Meanwhile, the FBI wants to recruit Christian to gather information against a sadist ex-cop, Scott Mason, who has been arrested for murder. The risk? Christian must wear a wire and testify. The reward? Witness protection for Christian and his girlfriend and a modification of his prison sentence. Will Christian risk his life for a chance at freedom? Will the female sheriff "get even" with him? Or will his life end at the hands of the jail's drug lords or a lunatic former cop? 

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Excerpt: Something’s wrong, my intuition told me, as I stepped out of the stairwell and into the chaotic frenzy of the main hallway running under Division One of the Cook County jail. 

Sergeant Ricky Walsh opened the heavy, rusted steel door leading to the death trap—that is A-B stairwell—then turned to me. “Romano, take the stairs down four flights to the bottom, I will meet you there.” 

There are four sets of stairs that lead to the main boulevard on the first floor. They are legendary for the infamous men who have been butchered there, the bloodstained walls are a testament to the violence that is the norm in this building. As I begin my descent down the narrow and poorly lit stairwell, the thought hits me: At least half a dozen men have been stabbed in this exact place. The words taunt me as I step slowly down the stairs so that Walsh will have time to beat me to the first floor in the old, decrepit elevator. 

When I finally make it down, I breathe a sigh of relief. But it is not Walsh waiting at the huge, steel door I am to exit. Instead of the old mick—who looked and walked like a bulldog with his perfectly groomed hair and mustache—it was one of the lackey guards. They would often hang out on the main floor waiting to proposition some poor woman coming to visit her man. I open the door and step through quickly, not wanting to arouse suspicion. But my heart hangs in my throat. 

During my trip down the stairwell, the heavy steel recorder slid down my pant leg, stopping on top of my right foot. The ACE bandage, meant to hold it in place, was also dangling and ready to pop out for everyone to see. Panic set in as my mind processed a million thoughts, but I couldn’t break my stride. 

It was common knowledge that this is where inmates often came out stabbing when sent to attack a guard by one of the gang bosses. Looking past the guard, I saw Sergeant Walsh bearing down on us as fast as his stubby legs would carry him. 

“Hey Walsh,” I said, “the food poisoning is getting worse, I’m gonna puke all over this guy.”ng around to see what was going on. These guards tolerated zero bull, especially from a smart-ass like me. 

 I decided that it was quicker and easier to shove the recorder under the waistband of my jail pants and pray it would stay. After splashing water on my face, I poked my head out. 

Walsh fell right in line with my cover. “We’re going to the hospital, come with me!” he bellowed. 

I exited the closet, pushing the recorder into my torso as we walked past another guard. We traveled down the long hallway. Once we were far enough out of earshot, Walsh found an unoccupied attorney visiting room. As he opened the door, I scurried to the far corner. 

“The hallway is clear!” Walsh yelled. I pulled the recorder from my waistband and looked at it with disdain. Then I wrapped it tight with the ACE bandage. Although the long recording wires had to be reconnected and it only took a few moments, it felt like forever. 

Then it hit me: I’m wearing a wire against one of the most violent hitmen Chicago has ever known, and this prick had been a Chicago cop. He probably knows every person who works in this jail. Getting whacked in a place like this costs less than a carton of cigarettes. What the hell have I gotten myself into? But there was no backing out, and I still had to get back to my tier. 

 Walsh looked at me, his brow furrowed. He quietly asked, “You alright, kid?” 

“I better be. I signed a deal with the devil, and it’s time to pay up.” 

I drew in a deep breath as we headed to the hospital, so we could sign in and make it look legit. How did my life get to this point? I wondered as I followed Walsh. Growing up in Chicago, I was exposed to police corruption, murder, drugs, gangsters, and sex, oh yes, lots and lots of sex. I had no clue of what awaited me, but my unsavory legacy was about to go down in history like crap down a toilet.

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From The Author:

INTERVIEW 10

 

Q/What would you find under your bed?

Carpet!

Q/What was the scariest moment of your life?

When I was coming down from the attic, I missed a step and fell to the concrete floor below.

Luckily, I landed on my ‘butt’ or I really would have been hurt.

Q/Do you listen to music while you drive?  If so, what?

Yes, I have a CD player in the trunk of my Jag.  I have several Sinatra and Michael Bublé CD’s.  Does that give you an idea of what kind of music I like?  There are not too many songs out now that I would not even think of buying or listening to.

Q/What is something you’d like to accomplish in your writing career next year?

I would hope that one of my books would get picked up by a movie producer

Q/How long did it take you to write this book?

After I finished all the research and travel to Chicago, the actual writing of the book only took about 6 months. 

 

 

 AUTHOR Bio and Links: Glenn Painter is single and lives in Central Florida. He became interested in writing at an early age but did not make it his career until 2014 when he published his first book, Beyond the Sentence. Glenn has written this story from the notes by the man who actually lived it. However, extensive research was also require in order to make the story factual. Glenn has also founded a company, ‘Prisoner Civil Right Services.’ He is an advocate for incarcerated individuals who have had their rights violated. He is in constant contact with these individuals, their families and the council. Most of his stories are inspired by ‘factual events’ that have happened to these individuals. This makes his stories both fiction and non-fiction. Glenn says that writing is very challenging, and you must love the trials and tribulations that come with it. He believes that patience, perseverance and determination are required essentials to see a book through to being published. The journey is just as important as the destination. 

Website: http://www.gapainter.com 

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Glenn-Painter/e/B00NETNKU6%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9875593.Glenn_Painter 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/author2663

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One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 or $100 Amazon/BN.com gift card. 

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Book Tour/Giveaway - ALL BAGS GO TO CLEVELAND by CS Hale

 

 

ALL BAGS GO TO CLEVELAND by CS Hale 

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 GENRE: paranormal romantic comedy 

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BLURB: Angela Grimalke appears more blonde bombshell than the gremlin she is. But there is no denying her supernatural truth after her clumsiness gets her fired from her modeling career. Forced to work for her family’s upscale airline, she spends her days slinging luggage and wishing her parents would get off her back about finding a nice gremlin guy to settle down with. 

Relationships were the last thing on her mind, not that her family would accept that. 

For Dave Ford his frequent business travel made it next to impossible for him to find a woman who could tolerate his chaotic schedule. Which is why he appreciates Angela. Neither of them are looking for love, but Dave feeds Angela's addiction for chocolate while she provides him with the chaos to keep him on his toes. 

However, as Angela’s parents bombard her with a parade of "eligible" gremlin men at their weekly family dinners, she finds herself torn between who she longs to be and her family’s expectations. Will she give in and live the life of magic they want for her? Or risk it all by to confessing to Dave that she isn’t human? 

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Excerpt: “You owe me.” 

Angela glanced up from her computer screen. Dave Ford stood in front of her. The blood drained from her face. “Do I?” She raised her “helpful” smile. 

“Yes.” Dave handed over his passport and put the Louis Vuitton garment bag on the scale. “Last time, you sent my bag to Cleveland.” 

“The system isn’t perfect,” Angela said, punching Dave’s information into the computer. “Things do happen sometimes.” 

“You control the system. I think you owe me a glass of wine for having to find a tailor at six a.m. I had a nine o’clock business meeting and just my jeans and sweatshirt.” 

 “Hmm. By that reckoning, I think I’d owe the tailor for having to get you a functional suit so quickly at that early hour.” 

 “I tipped him £100. Least you can do is buy me a glass of wine in return.” 

Angela lifted her gaze. Dave—all six feet of him with his fabulous hair— had a hopeful expression on his face. 

“I’m not in the habit of buying strange men alcohol.” 

 Dave stuck his hand out. “Hi. Dave Ford. Business traveler.” Angela laughed. “All I’m asking for is a glass of Malbec. Or maybe pinot noir. Small price to pay in comparison to my having to fight off jet lag via acupuncture.” 

“Acupuncture?” 

Dave shrugged. “It was early for the tailor. His aim wasn’t quite what it could have been.” 

Angela dipped into Dave’s mind. The tailor had stabbed him a couple of times. And Dave was playing with her. He wanted to see what she’d do. 

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From The Author:

If you could apologize to someone in your past, who would it be? Hmm. That’s a tough one. I’ve been bullied most of my life so I have always tried to be kind to others. I can’t think of anyone in particular that I’ve left hurting. If I have, I’m sorry!

If you could keep a mythical/ paranormal creature as a pet, what would you have? I have always been jealous of Diana Bishop’s firedrake Cora in Deborah Harkness’s All Souls Trilogy. I don’t know that I would have been able to release her like Diana did.

How do you keep your writing different from all the others that write in this particular genre? I think most authors have their own voice. I guess that can become difficult in a really popular genre so I’m lucky that paranormal rom com is fairly new. I’ve always tended to be more of a genre blender than someone who follows the trends.

What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received? I think the best and worst advice were one and the same. I had a beta reader on All Bags Go to Cleveland tell me that I needed to write more scenes like one particular one. She was absolutely right, but I had no idea what had made that scene so engaging in the first place and neither did she. After sitting in the drawer for five years, my writing skills improved, and I realized that what made that scene so engaging was its deep POV. Hopefully there’s a lot more of that in Cleveland now.

Are the experiences in this book based on someone you know, or events in your own life? I borrowed a lot from myself and others for Cleveland. Angela has pieces of me and CJ Redwine (we’re both total klutzes). Dave was based on the Dave who originally gave me the idea and a friend from high school who has worked as the head of international HR for several global companies. I also sprinkled in lots of real places I have been to in New York, London, Paris, and even Heidelberg. 

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links: Catherine “C.S.” Hale has been writing fantasy since she could hold a pencil. When not holed up in a comfortable corner writing all her books out by longhand, she can be found somewhere by the sea, enjoying tea and pastries. 

Website: cshalebooks.com 

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CatSHale 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorcshale 

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FVDJL54 

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 A randomly drawn winner will receive a $50 Amazon/BN GC: 

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