The Tour Stop
Check out these featured authors making their way around the blog scene!
We're thrilled to feature the virtual book tour for WILLA'S GROVE by women's fiction author Laura Munson. Scroll down to find out how you can pick up a copy of her latest book!
By Laura Munson Women's Fiction In this powerful and inspiring novel, three women, from coast to coast and in between, open their mailboxes to the same intriguing invitation. Although leading entirely different lives, each has found herself at a similar, jarring crossroads. Right when these women thought they’d be comfortably settling into middle age, their carefully curated futures have turned out to be dead ends. The sender of the invitation is Willa Silvester, who is reeling from the untimely death of her beloved husband and the reality that she must say goodbye to the small mountain town they founded together. Yet as Willa mourns her losses, an impossible question keeps staring her in the face: So now what? Struggling to find the answer alone, fiercely independent Willa eventually calls a childhood friend who happens to be in her own world of hurt—and that’s where the idea sparks. They decide to host a weeklong interlude from life, and invite two other friends facing their own quandaries. Soon the four women converge at Willa’s Montana homestead, a place where they can learn from nature and one another as they contemplate their second acts together in the rugged wilderness of big sky country. 
Amazon → https://amzn.to/2uxmKjHBarnes & Noble → https://bit.ly/2NS3HaM
“You are invited to the rest of your life. You know you can’t go on like this. Not for one more day. You need an interlude.” 
LAURA MUNSON is the bestselling author of This Is Not The Story You Think It Is, which chronicles her journey through her own midlife crossroads. Drawing from the striking response to her memoir, the essay version of it in the New York Times “Modern Love” column, and her speaking events at women’s conferences across the US, Laura founded the acclaimed Haven Writing Retreats and Workshops. After watching hundreds of people find their unique and essential voices under the big sky of Montana she calls home, Laura created Willa, the invitation, the friends, and the town to share what she has learned with people globally. Her work has been published and featured in many media outlets throughout the world.
WEBSITE &SOCIAL LINKS:Website: https://www.lauramunsonauthor.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lauramunson Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/lauramunsonauthor/ 
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By Stephanie F. Tumba Romance 100 Dates & a Wedding recounts Valérie’s love affair in London and shares the lessons she has learned. She tells about her worst experiences and the lessons she learned from them. His disappointments, his joys and his own ambiguities are shared without concession. But the questions that every woman asks herself are the following: how to manage her love life after a divorce? Or how to handle a breakup after a long relationship? How to believe in love again after being disappointed? And between the rules of English love, the long-awaited text messages, the misunderstood messages, the expected loves, the over-interpreted words and the language barrier, Valérie experienced incomprehension and shock. cultural in all its splendor. And finally, somewhere between appointments, Hello / Goodbye and Shots Ass, Valerie finds love. 100 Dates & a Wedding is a romantic diary that will make you laugh heartily; it is full of raw emotions and a testament to the Garbage culture we live in today. But beware! 100 Dates & a Wedding does not criticize men, he spreads an inspiring message through Valérie’s dates: you have to kiss some frogs before finding Prince Charming! 
Amazon U.S. → https://www.amazon.com/dp/1073571890Amazon France → https://www.amazon.fr/dp/1073571890
The film ended, we left the cinema. The atmosphere was still so strained that I allowed myself to take a cigarette (something I have never done upon a date).
Chris asked, "Can I have a cigarette? I need to relax now, I am still fuming." I replied a bit reassured, "Indeed." I gave him one, and we both lit up. A few seconds later, a guy came and asked for a cigarette. He sounded French and really friendly, but I did not even have the time to respond and chat with him. Chris took him by the neck and shouted, spitting in his face, his eyes full of anger, "Do you think that this lady has an off-licence shop?" I couldn’t believe it! Not again! “Leave him alone, please Chris! You’re scaring me. Why do you act like that?”
"This son of a bitch doesn't respect ladies," screamed Chris, his eyes infused with raging nerves, and he kicked the poor French guy, who collapsed head-first on the floor – all for a cigarette. I was horrified and frozen. A few tourists passed by, horrified by the ordeal. The French guy ran away, surely beating Usain Bolt’s athletic world record.
Utterly mortified, I burst, “I'm leaving! You’re nuts! I can’t take it anymore!" I started running towards the road to get a taxi.
“Valérie, Valérie! I am so sorry! Please wait! I like you.” He caught my arm and kissed me awkwardly. The kiss wasn't reciprocated.
Since Stéphanie Tumba’s been a kid, she always had an overflowing Imagination with a slight tendency to hyperactivity. Today, business lady by day and writer by night, she has always read and written songs, poems, or stories sometimes short, sometimes long, sometimes comical, occasionally sarcastic and sometimes dark & suicidal, depending on her mood, the music she has in her mind, the people she met and the amount of alcohol drunk on the day. She strives to achieve a life that is balanced between her business interests, the projects and causes she is passionate about, and her friends and family. Recently, we are thrilled to announce that she has released her first novel called 100 Dates and a Wedding and is now available on Amazon and other platforms. 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/100datesandawedding.com 
By MaryAnn Kempher Romance/Mystery One night, 28-year-old, Katherine O’Brian, decides to walk to an all-night diner. The only problem? It’s midnight, but Katherine lives in Reno Nevada, a city that never sleeps; she can clearly see the diner’s lights in the distance. It’s no big deal, until she passes someone’s garage where a man is loading a dead body into the trunk of his car. And now, she’s in trouble. She outran the man that night, and while she has no idea who he is, he knows who she is. And he wants her dead. As if attempts on her life weren’t stressful enough, Katherine has gone back to college. She’s determined to finally finish her degree, but her lab partner is driving her crazy. He’s hot, but annoying. And she’s not sure which she wants more—a night of mad, passionate sex or a new lab partner. It varies from day to day. Will Katherine give in to her lust for her partner or will she give in to her desire to throttle him? If she’s in the ground before graduation, it won’t matter. Not your typical romance, not your typical mystery. 
Amazon → https://amzn.to/2OkHlii
Monday afternoon, the raspy wind snarled Katherine O’Brian’s long hair and reddened her face as she quickly walked into the building. She pulled her gloves off and blew on her hands for a few seconds before weaving her way through the thick crowd in the college’s hallway. It was the first night of class and she was nearly late. She looked around the classroom self-consciously; she seemed to be the oldest person in the room. Well, that’s what you get for putting off college. You get to take classes with kids barely out of high school. All the desks had been placed in a circle and the professor was moving from one student to another, having them introduce themselves. Katherine’s eyes widened when the teacher got to the man directly across from her. The day before she’d stopped at a nearby Starbucks. After placing her order, she’d casually looked around. Her eyes had met those of a woman sitting across the room. When the woman smiled, Katherine had blushed. She was a he, dressed in drag. Slap on some eye shadow and a pair of high heels and that’s the guy I saw yesterday, minus the dress. Once everyone had introduced themselves, the professor began talking about the term project. “You’ll be working in pairs, and this assignment is worth seventy percent of your grade, so obviously you’ll need to work together to do a good job.” Katherine quickly looked at her syllabus. There it was: the class term project. Very writing-intensive. Even PowerPoint slides were required. This was why she’d put off taking the class—writing wasn’t her strongest subject. “You’ll find your partner listed there,” the professor continued, pointing toward the chalk board, to which a piece of paper was taped. After all the details of the project had been covered, class was dismissed. Katherine quickly looked at the paper on the board. Oh, this just gets better and better. She looked around for her new partner, but he was speaking to the teacher. I’ll talk to him about the project on Wednesday. She hugged her book to her chest and walked toward the exit. When she dropped her purse and stopped suddenly to pick it up, she heard a deep voice. “Hey.” Katherine looked up—and up—to the face that went with the deep voice. “Sorry,” she said, “I didn’t realize you were behind me.” He was smiling. Not that it matters, but of all the men in the class, why do I get the one that wears dresses? “I’m Scott Mitchell. We’re partners on the project.” She turned back and held out her hand. “I'm Katherine.” As he pulled on his coat, he said, “I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go get something to eat or drink, to talk about it.” Katherine stalled by moving closer to the wall, as if to let other students hurry past. Her first instinct was to say no, but then she remembered her resolve to do well in the class. “Sure, where?” They started walking outside together. “There’s a Starbucks near here,” he said. “We could meet there.” Coffee was always the magic word for Katherine, or chocolate. “Sure, I’ll see you there.” As she sat in her car waiting for it to heat up, she noticed her hands were shaking slightly. She looked at her reflection in the rear-view mirror. Jeez, it’s just a guy. Get a grip. They arrived at the same time. The hard part came after they’d gotten their drinks and sat down. Katherine could hardly put two words together; it had been a long time since she’d had a decent conversation, especially with a man. After a few minutes, Scott broke the silence. “So, how about that project?” he said, a little too loudly. Katherine flinched and turned pink. When she answered, the words flew out. “Going to be an avalanche of work: slides and an oral presentation, thousand words each. A monster.” “Yeah,” said Scott, “and not really what I expected from a history course. Doing a biography from birth to death is a big deal, especially with all the details the professor wants. Do you have any ideas who we should do it on?” “How about van Gogh?” suggested Katherine. “He committed suicide, didn’t he?” “So?” Scott sighed. “Well, I don’t know. I’d just prefer to do the biography on someone I can respect. For me, it’s hard to respect anyone who kills themselves. Seems so cowardly.” “That’s very presumptuous of you,” said Katherine. “To assume the man was a coward because he killed himself. And such a generalization. Sometimes people are just in pain, and that’s the only way they see to end that pain.” Scott held his hands up defensively. “Sorry. Didn’t know you were such a fan of van Gogh.” Katherine rolled her eyes. “That’s what you take away from what I said?” Jeez, this guy’s hot, but what an idiot. Scott tipped his cup forward and backwards, side to side. Katherine held her cup to her lips, blowing on the coffee. Judging by the attention their cups received, Starbucks’ coffee had never tasted so good. Scott sat up, leaning forward, his arms folded in front of him. He seemed to take up the whole table. Katherine sat back in her chair. “We should probably plan on getting together at least a few times during the week,” he said. The prospect of seeing him so often filled Katherine with both dread and excitement - dread, because she wasn’t sure she even liked him, and excitement because his baritone voice made her unwilling heart flutter, and his mahogany eyes made her blush. He’s right, though, she thought, if I’m serious about getting a good grade, this project will need a lot of attention. “You’re probably right,” she answered, her eyes avoiding his. “When do you want to meet?” “How about tomorrow at the library,” Scott replied. “The one on Virginia Street near the mall, does five thirty work for you?” “Sure.” After exchanging numbers, Katherine stood. “I should go,” she said. “It’s getting late.” They walked out together, Scott holding the door for her. 
For many years, MaryAnn Kempher lived in Reno Nevada where most of her stories are set. Her books are an entertaining mix of mystery and humor. She lives in the Tampa Florida area with her husband, two children, and a very snooty Chorkie.
WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:
Website: http://www.mkempher.com
How Our Decisions Produce Success in Our Lives
Self-Help
In the Decisions We Make, readers will learn a new mindset that will help make their dreams and goals a reality.
Most of us don’t know how important it is to make the proper decisions. Good decisions can make our lives run smoothly. Unfortunately, we often repeat our mistakes. Even though we know the likely outcome, we hope for different results.
The decisions we make in our lives affect our jobs, relationships, and financial situations. They also affect our mental health. Everything that happens to us in life is a direct result of our decisions we have made. Once we understand the effects of our decisions, we can then reap the rewards of making quality decisions that propel our lives forward instead of holding us back.
Some decisions can be destructive and change our lives in seconds with no chance of recovery. It is important to understand the value of making proper decisions. They can literally mean the difference between life and death.
Praise for The Decisions We Make:
"This book examines some important points regarding decisions and decision-making. The author begins by defining a decision as a choice made after thinking about it. The thinking process required to make any decision will be influenced by our beliefs and priorities. Priorities need to be considered at all times; merely depending on what happens will lead to our being controlled by our environment instead of controlling it....Small, at just 24 pages and almost pocket-sized, his book could be kept in a purse or car to help readers when a tough situation arises, offering a reminder to consider priorities and beliefs and take charge of one’s life in positive ways. It might also be useful in facilitating a discussion group on the subject of making positive choices and decisions." - The US Review of Books
About the Author
Contact Links
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Title: Initiation (Wolfpack University Book 1)
Author: Apryl Baker
Genre: NA Paranormal Romance
Cover Designer: Deranged Doctor Design
Publication Date: February 28th, 2020
Blurb:Clementine Townes is running from a nightmare no one should ever have to endure, a horror of glowing eyes, unspeakable violation…and death.
Her father only ever asked one thing of her—that she attend his alma mater, Appalachia University, fondly known as Wolfpack U. With nothing left to lose, she decides to honor her father the only way she knows how.
The sleepy college town of Jacob's Fork, West Virginia is far from California. But is it far enough away to escape the terrifying darkness that plagues her dreams and memories?
Then she meets Cole Walker.
The quarterback of the football team and all-around campus alpha, he represents everything that terrifies her. But despite her fear and reluctance, she finds she's drawn to Cole in ways she can’t explain.
As if all that weren’t enough, she discovers the people in this small town have a secret, and they seem to know more about her history than she does. What she finds is a past her father hid from her—a past she's not sure she wants to embrace.
But before she can even begin to think about any of that, her nightmare comes rushing back to torment her, threatening the new life she’s trying to build. Can she trust Cole to protect her, or is her only hope to keep running?
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3a8TX4I
So who am I?
Well, I’m the crazy girl with an imagination that never shuts up. I LOVE scary movies. My friends laugh at me when I scare myself watching them and tell me to stop watching them, but who doesn’t love to get scared? I grew up in a small town nestled in the southern mountains of West Virginia where I spent days roaming around in the woods, climbing trees, and causing general mayhem. Nights I would stay up reading Nancy Drew by flashlight under the covers until my parents yelled at me to go to sleep.
Now, I live in a small town in West Virginia where I entertain my niece and nephew and watch the cats get teased by the birds and laugh myself silly when they swoop down and then dive back up just out of reach. The cats start yelling something fierce…lol.
I love books, I love writing books, and I love entertaining people with my silly stories.
Author Links:
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3a8TX4I
Young Adult Fiction
Published Date: 2-11-20
Publisher: INtense Publications LLC
Meet Michael Jordan Duncan; if you say his name fast enough, it sounds like Michael Jordan Dunking—which is intentional. Thanks, Dad. Mike is a sports fanatic who seems to have everything going for him: a recent growth spurt, a best friend who’s even more sports-obsessed than he is, and a (mutual?) crush on Kirsten Howard, the best player on the girls’ basketball team. Yep, everything’s shaping up nicely…. until he gets injured and his friend gets crazy. All the sudden Mike’s life isn’t looking so great, and that’s before a scandal that implicates both Kirsten and her coach, aka Mike’s father.
About the Author
Patrick Hueller lives, teaches, and writes in St. Paul, Minnesota. His YA novels have been selected for several “best-of” lists, including the Junior Library Guild, the ALA’s Rainbow List, and YALSA’s Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers. He’s against instant replay in sports but in favor of it in life. Learn more about Patrick and his books at patrickhueller.com.
Contact Links
Twitter: @PatrickHueller
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Dangerous
-- EXCERPT: “Where do you want it?” I have to keep my eyes on his face or else they threaten to drift over his shoulders, chest, and that obvious bulge in his jeans. Where do I want it? I repeat in my mind, and I know I have to answer quickly or else the obvious innuendo of that phrase will fill the already-awkward space between us. At this point, being in the presence of a man, for the first time in so long—a whispering reminder of the life I used to live, has my body shouting at me to remember what it was like. To feel a man’s touch, his hands on my skin, around my body. Goosebumps erupt along the flesh of my exposed thighs. “Here,” I choke, my voice breaking. I point to the inside of my upper thigh, just above my knee. It’s a strange place for a tattoo, for sure, but there’s meaning there. I notice his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows. With one eyebrow cocked, his gaze drifts down from my face to the puckered skin just below the hem of my purple cotton sundress. A raised scar roughly the size of a dollar and shaped like a fish hook catches his attention. I can see the questions on his face as the room grows silent. Operation scars look different from violent scars. Violent scars are not methodical or neat. They are erratic, loud, and almost weep with memory. This scar, from the broken window of a four-door sedan eight feet under water tells a story that I don’t want in my book anymore. I want it covered. I break the silence, luring his eyes back to my face and not my open legs. “I know it’s difficult to tattoo scars—I’ve done my research, but I want this covered. Is that…possible?” My voice shakes, giving away my nerves. He clears his throat. “I can do that.” Then, he leans forward. With just the expression on his face, he asks to touch it. I nod in return. The fingers of his right hand reach forward, and methodically, as if he’s inspecting the spot, he grazes the raised bump between my knees. Having gone so long without another person’s touch anywhere below my belly button, I jump from the contact. His eyes meet mine. Then, he goes back to rubbing his thumb over the scar, and I feel my pulse quicken, my breath coming out in short spurts as if someone has crushed my lungs and won’t let me breathe. I know he’s touching it for the purpose of the tattoo, but I watch the way he bites his lip, and I can tell it’s just as unnerving for him as it is for me. He swallows again. The room is deliciously silent, and this chemistry between us has changed. It’s dangerously close to something more than just a tattoo artist and his client.
GIVEAWAY!
The Holiday Bride
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Google Play -- EXCERPT: As she watched, her stomach pitched. The sheriff’s logo was visible on the side door, and her alarm bells went off. It had to be her dad! She felt like a teenager again, and her mind went blank as to how she would explain this, her baby. She slammed the door to the cabin, feeling panic lick at the back of her throat as she stared down at her baby, who appeared sound asleep now. Then she did the one thing she’d never expected she’d do: She flicked off the lights, stepped outside, and pulled the door closed behind her. The lights of the truck were in her face, blinding her, and the door was open on the driver’s side. Time had suddenly run out, and she pasted a smile to her face as she took in the tall man in a heavy coat and hat stepping around the vehicle. Then her world tilted. Garrett Franke walked toward her, tall and rugged, and for a second, she had to remind herself to breathe.
GIVEAWAY!
Tough and Tamed
-- EXCERPT: “You go out with these jackasses and then call me when it all goes wrong. Are you seeing a pattern?” She didn’t realize she had been doing that, but she couldn’t deny she’d used Zayden. “You pick all the wrong guys,” he stated. She shivered as he ran the pad of his thumb across her lips. His voice sounded rough. “Let me show you how it’s done.” His low words smeared across her soul, and she felt herself leaning toward him. He lowered his head in increments, his gaze latched to her lips. She wet them, and he growled. “You don’t want to get mixed up with me,” he said. “It’s just for sex.” When his crooked grin hit his handsome face, she laughed, low. “It’s not the worst decision I’ve made tonight to take you home with me.” She tipped her face up to his, almost begging for his hard lips on hers. “Am I sensing some revenge sex here? If that’s the case, I’m your guy. I can show these assholes what they’ve lost.” Zayden moved in, a breath away from nuzzling her just like she wanted. Her heart slammed against her chest, and she could barely drag in a full breath, especially with him filling the car with his masculine scent. She nodded, rubbing her nose against his. “Maybe.” “Then let’s do it right, sweetheart.” Suddenly, he released her, and she slumped in her seat, panting with want. “Drive.”
GIVEAWAY!
Where We Belong
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks -- EXCERPT: I push my glasses up my nose for the millionth time, and while holding my breath and with one eye narrowed, I wipe a tiny smudge of frosting from the silver turntable holding Mr. and Mrs. Robertson’s fiftieth wedding anniversary cake. It may have taken me two full days and most of last night, but I’ve finally finished. Exhaling the breath I’ve been holding for a beat too long, I take a step back to really appreciate my craftsmanship. Four layers of lemon and blueberry perfection, covered in a fluffy whipped buttercream frosting, decorated with beautiful red roses, delicate peonies, and a smattering of baby’s breath, all of which have been hand-piped by yours truly. I place a hand on my hip, smiling proudly. “Alice Murphy, once again you’ve outdone yourself,” I whisper under my breath, mentally high-fiving myself. The bell above the door to the shop jingles, pulling me from my musings, and I walk through from the kitchen to the front of the store, still smiling at the thought of my latest masterpiece. “Welcome to Piece O’ Cake,” I sing in a cheerful customer service voice. “How can I help yo—” Stopping dead in my tracks, my eyes go wide as I gawp at the unexpected figure standing in the middle of the shop. He’s shadowed by the afternoon sun shining in through the windows, backlighting him to nothing more than a darkened silhouette, and I blink hard, unsure whether or not I’m imagining things. But then he speaks. And I would know that voice anywhere. This is definitely not my imagination playing tricks on me. “Hey, Murph.” The shadow takes a step forward, coming in to the glow of the overhead lights, and I’m immediately enamored by that all too familiar grin. “N-Nash?” I gasp. His smile is bright and those eyes. I’d remember those eyes anywhere after spending such a big part of my life dreaming about them. “Oh my God!” I scream, covering my mouth with trembling hands until I finally come to, ripping off my apron before practically throwing myself over the counter. Jumping up, I wrap my arms around his neck, and emotion gets the better of me as I stand there in the familiarity of his warm embrace with tears of happiness streaming down my cheeks. He’s here. The love of my life. He’s home.
GIVEAWAY!
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