Living the Dream

Welcome to this week’s Tuesday Tales. Winter still has a firm grip on my little corner of the world. The weather is comfortable, but we’ve had snow again, with more on the way. I can’t wait to see grass again.

This week, our posts are shorter, no more than 300 words and based on an image. I’m continuing with Atonement. here’s the image I chose. Enjoy!

Rachelle reached for her arm. “Anca, be careful. Something feels very wrong, as if we’re heading toward a cliff in a car without brakes.”

Anca smiled, hoping to reassure the woman who believed what she was saying. “Don’t worry. Walt and I will be fine.” Now, if only she could convince herself of that.

Moving as quickly as she could, Anca left the kitchen, went outside once more and down the stairs to the patio where Colby and the others were at work setting up a huge tent to serve as an enclosure for the patio.

“What do you think?” Colby asked.

“It’s perfect. Where did you get it?”

“Matt Rivers bought it for his daughter’s wedding last spring. He found it so handy that he opted to keep it and rent it out for other outside events. He’s let us have it free of charge until we close up for the year. Might be nice to have a roof over our heads. I heard there might be bad weather on its way. We’ll take it down before that happens—if it does.”

“Well, if there’s anything I can do to persuade Hurricane Hester to give us a pass, I will.”

Colby chuckled. “Hurricane Hester, eh? That should be one for the books. Anything else you want us to do? I thought I’d get some more pumpkins and berries from the farm to decorate around the poles and along the top of the stone wall. I was going to set up the cauldron, too. Hester always cleans it before it gets put away. Perhaps you can use it to make some of that hot apple cider—with rum in it to ward off the chill.”

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

No love can ever be as special as your first.
What if you could have the chance at a new beginning with your first love?

Find true love and your happy ever after in the pages of these SIX BRAND NEW, full-length steamy stories from New York Times and USA Today Bestselling, Award-Winning Authors.

TWO HEARTS REUNITED by Tamara Ferguson, USA Today bestselling author: When Lieutenant Eric O’Neill returns to Crystal Rock for a family reunion, he’s shocked to run into none other than Anya Weldon, the only woman he’s ever loved. Learning that her life’s been filled with tragedy, he’s determined to win her back—even if it means assisting with her search for her sister, who she believes was abducted by human traffickers ten years earlier.

BACK TO ME by Natalie Ann, USA Today bestselling author: Cooper Winslow accepted that his first secret love in college was lost to him forever and moved on with his life. Years later, fate brings them together and now he wonders if he is going to lose her again with all the family drama he’s lived with for years.

SWEET SUCCESS by Suzanne Jenkins, USA Today bestselling author: Carly and Jake love each other, but have goals that will place them at opposite ends of the country. When their dreams fall through, will love still be an option?

YOUR DANGEROUS KISS by Alicia Street, USA Today bestselling author: Rafe March considers his career on the big screen a fluke that he isn’t sure he ever wanted. With magazine cover good looks, a near genius IQ and a wealthy family, his options in life are plenty. Too bad the only thing he ever really wanted was Lucinda.

WE’RE ALL WINNERS by Mona Risk, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author: Scheming people and secrets separated them. With help from her toddler and his German shepherd, love may bring them together again.

THE REGAL ROSE by Susanne Matthews, International bestselling author: She’s a princess in distress; he’s her knight in shining armor. Can he rescue her one more time?

With Valentine’s Day around the corner and winter still deeply entrenched, what could be more perfect than six new steamy romances–some steamier than others–exclusive to this set for the next few weeks? At only 99 cents USD or free to read in KU, this set is a great bargain for romance readers.

Here’s a little more about my book in the set, The Regal Rose

She’s a princess in distress. He’s her knight in shining armor. Can he rescue her once more?
Ten years ago, Princess Anna-Rose fell in love with Trucker, a long-haired, bearded American student backpacking through Europe. Her mother’s sudden illness forced her to leave him without saying goodbye or revealing the truth about her identity. All she has is a dried rose and an emptiness in her heart to prove their relationship ever happened.
When her father insists that she choose a husband, she threatens to leave the royal family. Her brother comes to her aid. She has one shot at finding her lost lover. If she fails, she has to select one of the suitors presented to her and wed before the year is out. With the clock ticking, Anna goes to the United States hoping to find Abbot’s Cove and the man she loves.
Bryce Bannon, Trucker to his old friends, is the owner, president, and CEO of Bannon Enterprises, a multi-million-dollar, international logistics company. He’s content to control his empire from a distance and maintain the anonymity he gets living on his stud farm along Lake Erie where he raises thoroughbreds and roses.
When a snowstorm hits, he goes out to check on his animals and hears a horn wailing in the distance. Despite his aversion to strangers, he can’t let someone freeze to death. Something about the woman he rescues is familiar, but when he recognizes his Rosie, he’s elated—until he discovers her true identity and questions her reason for being there. Will they rekindle the love they had, or will duty pull them apart once more?

The Regal Rose is exclusive to this box set until April 2023. Don’t wait. Get your copy now.

Welcome to this week’s Tuesday Tales. We survived the polar vortex with its temperatures of -40 and are back within the normal range today. I’ll be happy not to have any other really cold days this winter. Toay it’s 27F and the sun is shining. I can live with that.

This week, out prompt word is SMOKE. I’m using SMOKY, a variation of the word and I’m continuing with Atonement.

“You don’t have to bother. I have one of Aunt Selma’s amulets which I’m sure will do the trick.” She pulled the amulet out of her pocket. “Unfortunately, the clasp broke last night, and it hit the stone floor in The Taproom. I was going to ask Colby if he could fix it. I’d hate to discover that I’d ruined it.”

Roberta’s eyes opened wide. “Where did you get that?”

“Walt gave it to me last night. He said it was Aunt Selma’s. They had to remove it for the surgery.”

Horror filled Roberta’s eyes, and her cheeks turned a vivid shade of red.

“There’s no way that belongs to Selma, and even if it did, she would never want you to have it. Look at it. Really look at it.”

Anca turned the amulet over in her hand and gasped.

“Oh my God! What’s happened to it? It’s all black and smoky. Is this because it dropped onto the floor when the chain broke last evening. When Walt gave it to me, it was a beautiful, colorful tree of life sheltered under glass.”

“That’s because it’s evil has been released. It must have been glamoured for you not to see its ugliness. How did you drop it?”

“The clasp broke when … when I was dancing with Walt,” she parried. “I thought I heard Hester speak to me.”

“What did she say?”

Anca forced her mind back. “Cheap spells won’t keep me away.”

Roberta nodded. “She’s the one who destroyed it. Know this. Selma would never wear or give you anything made of cheap metal designed to look like iron. This is a synthetic, a poor imitation. There’s no way Selma was wearing this. Iron is a witch’s mainstay. It’s all around us, a gift from the Goddess. It’s stable, protective, inconspicuous, inexpensive, ancient, practical, and enduring, but only those of us who serve the Goddess know how to use it. Whoever gave this to Walt knows you’re a couple now and may have hoped to drive a wedge between you. They’ve tried to block your magic, but you are far stronger than they suspect, especially if Hester could still communicate with you while you wore it. There’s only one explanation. We have a spy in our midst.”

“Or six. It could easily be any of those men. They were around when she spoke to me. I must’ve reacted and given myself away.” Or maybe the person who’d been hiding down in The Taproom had heard her arguing with Hester.

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

It seems the Canadian Groundhog, and a lobster can’t agree this year. Five out of seven have predicted a longer winter, but to be fair, Fred La Marmotte, from Quebec died during the night. Not sure his vote counts, but the child who replaced him, wearing a groundhog hat and carrying a stuffed groundhog, predicted six more weeks of winter in his stead. Check out the CBC post for yourself. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/fred-la-marmotte-dies-1.6734368

8 Surprising Things You Didn’t Know About Groundhog Day Thanks Good Hhouskeeping magazine for the info! https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/g3215/groundhog-day-facts/

The Germans started the whole Groundhog Day thing.

They believed that if the sun came out on Candlemas, February 2, a German holiday, there would be six more weeks of winter. Not sure when the groundhog or that Canadian lobster got in on the action, but I’d bet they weren’t the only ones to see their shadows today.

The groundhog really can predict the end of winter.

Since groundhogs hibernate, the fact that they would come out February 2 probably does indicate that winter’s almost over.

Punxsutawney Phil is just a nickname.

His full name is “Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinary.” Now that’s a mouthful!

The original Groundhog Day involved eating groundhogs.

There’s no accounting for taste, and if you’re hungry enough … in 1886, they all headed over to Gobbler’s Knob to dine on a feast made up of various groundhog dishes and the equally-delicious-sounding groundhog punch. 

Punxsutawney Phil isn’t the only weather predictor.

As seen above, Canada relies on a number of vetted sources for weather prediction.

“Groundhog Day” the movie put Punxsutawney Phil on the map.

This is one of my all-time favorite Bill Murray movies. Whenever bad stuff happens and keeps happening, it’s a groundhog kind of day.

Flipping a coin is more accurate than Phil.

I believe that, especially if you have a two-headed coin.

Punxsutawney Phil may know the secret to everlasting life.

That little rodent has been around since 1886. He’s either the oldest rodent around or he’s really into reincarnation!

But take heart everyone. Regardless of the predictions, the fact is in 2023, the first day of spring will be March 20th. So, smile. There are only 46 days until spring.

Looking for something light to read? Why not pick up one of my Cocktails for You books? Tequila Sunrise is only 99 cents this month! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PCCXH1W

Welcome to the second blog post of 2023. So far, the winter here has been an unusual one with lots of snow and freezing rain, but we’ve yet to hit those frigid winter temperatures I hate. It’s been a case of heavy snowfall, followed by mild temperatures, so the accumulation is much less than expected. Still, I’ve had my fill of it. I’m ready for spring and consistent mild weather.

This month’s question is: February 1 question – If you are an Indie author, do you make your own covers or purchase them? If you publish trad, how much input do you have about what goes on your cover?

Yes, I am an indie author and I purchase my covers. I have a great cover artist and we talk about branding as well as genre and what I’m looking for. She’s current and up to date and her fees are quite reasonable. She makes regular covers as well as vector ones popular for certain genres like romantic comedy.

Here are my two latest covers. These books will be released later this spring. The Regal Rose is a contemporary Romance, Atonement is a Paranormal Suspense/Psychic Romance.

A good cover is important for attracting readers since the cover is often the first thing they see.

When I was with a publisher, I had to fill out a form for the cover, giving details about the hero and heroine, but ultimately, they chose the cover.

To learn more, check out the other posts here. https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html

Welcome to the last Tuesday Tale of January 2023. It’s hard to believe the first month of the year is over. Winter is definitely here, and with it far more snow than I care for. But, on the positive side, all that cold white stuff makes it easier to work. I have a surprise for you today. This book might’ve started as Pumpkin Spice, but it took a darker turn as the supernatural side of it grew. I finally found what I believe is the perfect title, and we have a cover, too.

Since I didn’t want to give away all of Selma’s secrets, I’m moving on with the story, taking you back or rather forward to Walt and Anca. This week’s word prompt is SAFE.

Enjoy!

“Well, I made it clear to Frank that I’m not a witch and that I have no powers.”

“You’re wrong.” He stopped and turned her to face him. “You do have powers. Not only can you absorb people’s negative emotions, but you can also tell when someone’s upset or lying—and don’t say it’s all body language. As a doctor, I’m as observant as they come, and people lie to me all the time without my knowing it. Besides, you bewitched me when you were only eight years old. If you stop to think about it, I’m sure you have skills many people might consider magical.” He chuckled. “Look at the way you swim. You’re like a fish in the water. No one could catch you.”

She nodded, not sure what to say. She hadn’t enchanted him, he’d mesmerized her.

“You taught me to swim,” she laughed, trying to break the tension between them. “It took me a while before I could outdistance you.”

“Anca, you knew how to swim long before I taught you. I know you don’t recall the storm and your parents’ drowning, but you had to have been able to swim to stay alive. When you got here, you were traumatized. All I did was ease your fear and reintroduce you to the water. Once you felt safe in it, your abilities in the water were beyond anything I could’ve imagined. That’s when I first called you squirt. You came out of the water and let out a spurt of water as strong as I’d ever seen from any whale’s blowhole. You could hold your breath far longer than I could, and no matter how far we swam, you were never winded. I wondered if you were a mermaid, but other than your six toes, I never saw any fins.”

Her cheeks burned. “Ralph mentioned that my surviving the storm was a miracle. He claims someone told him about my past, possibly the person behind his film, not that I believe they’re here to make a movie, but what does my past have to do with all this?”

“Nothing, but don’t they say you need to know your past to find your future?”

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

Welcome to this week’s Tuesday Tales. Our word prompt is GREEN and our scenes are limited to 400 words. I’m continuing with Selma’s story.

Anca stood and paced. “Roberta told me about Laticia and the stroke. Why did you rename the parrot? I mean if Hester is still here, isn’t it confusing having two with the same name?”

Her aunt chuckled. “Actually, it makes me look less eccentric to strangers. Hester learned to possess the bird, giving her the freedom to move around that she’d never had. After my mother died, Delphine gave Sapphire to Hester—yes, she knew the ghost lived with us. Like Roberta, she could see and communicate with the spirits … both the good and the evil ones, although she made sure the evil ones could no longer come onto the property. As much as people may think the bird is mine, she isn’t. When I traveled, Hester came with me. Her essence remained inside the bird’s body, but she got to see the outside world. We often cruised, giving her the opportunity to understand why Hezekiah loved the sea and the green palm trees on the islands in the south. She felt closer to him there, as if he were just a breath away. Having her there prevented me from being alone in my exile.”

No wonder the bird could open and close her own cage.

“You said there was darkness in your mother. Did her spirit remain in the cottage?” An angry soul could account for that strange, unsettled feeling she’d had of being watched.

“No, dear. Gabriella, Delphine, and I contained her essence inside an urn with her ashes—we put her in stasis you might say. At Delphine’s urging, we packed up all of Mother’s personal items, not that there were many, burned the furnishings in her room, and then Delphine took her and her things to Black Swan where she released her spirit, hoping she would be happy there. Within a day, the hotel was consumed by flames. Delphine sent a message that Mother was at peace and should experience a timely rebirth. I never heard from her again. While Hester’s spirit was inside the bird, we cleansed the house of negative energy. Gabriella offered to help Hester cross, but she wasn’t ready to go. When she leaves, I’ll miss her, but I have Colby now and you.”

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

One can be smitten by a person but Unforgettable Devotion leaves us truly satisfied, complete… and breathless.

Dedication, support, and loyalty are qualities we all look for in our relationships.

When we add love into the mix, then we’ve hit the jackpot.

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~*~*~*~

Rachelle Ayala: Save Her Heart

A preacher marries a prostitute to save her from human traffickers – or so he tells himself. USA Today Bestselling Author

Taylor Lee – Tara

She’s a brash newspaper editor and declared environmental activist. He’s an arrogant land developer. A broken elevator forces them to confront each other not as diehard adversaries but as a man and a woman. USA Today Bestselling Author

Rebecca York–Title: Found Missing

Jenny Seaver has escaped from her worst nightmare, yet she knows her sordid past will eventually catch up with her. Grant Bradley wants to keep her safe, yet she knows she must flee from him to keep him out of danger. Can they forge the trust they need to claim a future together? New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

Patrice Wilton: A Hero Lies Within

A returning war hero and the woman who once loved him are brought together again – but will they be able to heal the wounds of their past? New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

Mona Risk: Prince Philip’s Cinderella

Running away from her miserable past and trying to protect her nephew, Lydia is whisked away by an appealing jogger who is almost too generous and gorgeous to be real. Attraction sizzles between them, until she discovers he’s the Prince of Rensy Island. If Cinderella stories are just fairy tales, how can someone ordinary like her ever hope to win the heart of a prince? USA Today Bestselling Author

Susanne Matthews: Desert Deception

Seeing is believing, or is it? When someone starts using the murders in his books to stage a killing spree of their own, the novelist may have to reveal his secret identity. Was there another way to prevent another murder?

Dani Haviland: Dances Naked

Fed up with her domineering brother, Rachel and her infant son leave to find happiness with the Cherokee. Two more white folks unexpectedly join her new family group, causing confusion but also providing a novel solution to the one of tribe’s biggest problems: no food. USA Today Bestselling Author

J.L. Campbell – Hardware

Trying to put the nightmare of a violent attack behind her, Camille doesn’t need an oversexed Jamaican male taking interest in her. Life gets complicated when the man dogging her steps is arrested for murder. Suddenly, life in the tropics falls to pieces. International Bestselling Author

Mimi Barbour: High Stakes Gamble

When babies disappear in Vegas, Aurora never imagines that her Lily would be a kidnap victim. New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

Get your copy today! Free in Kindle Unlimited!

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Welcome to this week’s Tuesday Tales. Our prompts this week are pictures, and our posts are limited to 300 words. Here’s the picture I chose.

“Wow! I can’t imagine going through all that,” Anca said. “Your mother was better after Marianne left?”

“In some ways, yes. In others, no. Before she left, Marianne introduced me to a friend of hers, a Wiccan priestess from Boston, Gabriella, who agreed to help with Mother if things got bad again. She saw my potential and taught me about the Goddess. I found comfort and peace with Mother Earth. With her help, I gathered those with similar powers to me and set up the first coven here in Salem. We met in Laticia’s home, another house that dated back to the time of the Witch Trials, and life was good. Colby and I were together once more.”

“But something happened.”

“Yes. By then, I’d learned to garner the Goddess’s energy and could keep Mother comfortable for extended periods of time. After we learned that my brother Russell had been killed in Vietnam, everything went horribly wrong. It took everything in me to settle her again. I knew I couldn’t risk sending her into another tailspin. So, while I still loved Colby, I refused his offer of marriage. Hurt and confused, he turned to Laticia, the one we’d chosen as high priestess. She was my best friend.”

“And he married her instead of you,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion.

Aunt Selma nodded. “Hester did her best to console me, but there was nothing I could do. When my mother died a few months later, it was too late for us. He’d made a commitment, and we honored it. Knowing how hard it would be on both of us, I packed up and left, taking the parrot with me. I didn’t come back until the Goddess ordered me home.”

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

Welcome to this week’s Tuesday Tales and our gorgeous new logo, created by the immensely talented Jean Joachim. I hope the new year is treating you well. I’ll had to admit that Mother Nature seems to be playing tricks on us, but like everything else these days, things could be worse, so let’s think positive. We have a lot to be grateful for.

This week, as promised, I’m continuing with Selma’s story about her past. We are all the product of those who’ve come before us. Enjoy.

“I can understand that. We’ve come a long way in treating mental illness, just not far enough.”

Aunt Selma nodded.

“True, but sometimes what we see or think we see isn’t the whole story. I was eighteen when Delphine, Mother’s nurse, had a friend in New Orleans, a Voodoo practitioner, come to visit her. Marianne claimed to be related to Marie Laveau, the voodoo queen. The moment Delphine introduced us, Marianne commented on the power in me. At the time, I had no idea what she meant, but I’ve come to understand that both my father and I possess strong magic, as do you—if you would only open yourself to it.”

“I don’t want to argue. I’ll admit I can be a good judge of character. If that’s magic, so be it.”

“It’s a first step. Just as Marianne had sensed power in me, she sensed a dark spirit in my mother, one that seemed anchored to something nearby. Although she and Delphine searched for it, they were unable to find it. She tried to expel the spirit from my mother and used almost a whole pot of sacred oil in the process. It isn’t easy to expel a demon if you don’t know his or her name. My mother and I shared a birthday, St John’s Eve, June twenty-third, a significant day in many religions including Voodoo. Marianne thought it was possible that a dark spirit had entered the child at the moment of her birth, which coincided with her mother’s death. The Summer Solstice is the time when the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest. Anything is possible. Marianne believed that my birth somehow changed the balance between good and evil, almost as if I had robbed her of whatever good was in her, leaving only the angry spirit in place.”

“Aunt Selma, I’m no expert, but it sounds to me as if your mother might have had multiple personality disorder, something many people considered demonic possession until we learned more about the diseases of the mind. I’m sorry you had to suffer through all of that. I’m sorry your mother did, too.

“Whatever the cause of her distress, Mother was calmer after Marianne left, spent hours with Sapphire, the parrot, so while Marianne hadn’t been able to dispel the spirit, she’d contained it.”

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.