Living the Dream

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.

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Finding love is not easy as we’ll see with these NINE tales of intrigue, suspense, and adventure our wonderful New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Authors have created. Whether the Pain and discomfort are caused by terrorists, criminals, the deranged, or inhospitable environments, these heroes and heroines discover that what is most important is having people nearby to trust. When Passion develops, too, the Devotion is Unforgettable

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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.

JUST RELEASED!!!!

Not to brag, but the awesome and amazing authors at the Authors’ Billboard have done it again. Unforgettable Devotion: Passion and Pain (The Unforgettables Book 29) is available on Kindle and in KU. Get your copy today!

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

Finding love is not easy as we’ll see with these NINE tales of intrigue, suspense, and adventure our wonderful New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Authors have created.

Whether the Pain and discomfort are caused by terrorists, criminals, the deranged, or inhospitable environments, these heroes and heroines discover that what is most important is having people nearby to trust. When Passion develops, too, the Devotion is Unforgettable.

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

You can preorder Unforgettable Devotion today for only 99 cents USD https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BRWSSYG3

Where did 2022 go? It flew by despite a rough beginning and now it’s 2023 and here we are once more.

January 4 question – Do you have a word of the year? Is there one word that sums up what you need to work on or change in the coming year? For instance, in 2021 my word of the year was Finish. I was determined to finish my first draft by the end of the year. In 2022, my word of the year was Ease. I want to get my process, systems, finances, and routines where life flows with ease and less chaos. What is your word for 2023? 

My words for 2023 have to be hope and faith. This year, I hope to accomplish many things including traveling to Norway to see my son and his family. The pandemic has made that impossible these last few years, and I have faith that all the hard work and effort on behalf of doctors and researchers have finally paid off, and we’ve turned a corner on this.

On that same trip, I hope to take a cruise around the British Isles with stops in England, Ireland, and Scotland. I hope to see Stonehenge and finally publish the novel I started thirty years ago when I wanted to be a writer. Believe me, it needs a lot of editing, since I didn’t understand that head-hopping was a bad thing back then. LOL. I have faith in myself that I can do it and turn out one of my best books yet.

Finally, I hope for peace in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, and all of the other war-torn countries. There isn’t much I can do to make that happen, but I have to have faith that cooler heads will prevail and that the powers that be can focus their attentions on healing this planet rather than destroying it. Lofty goals, probably impossible, but you’ve got to have faith!

Check out other posts here. https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html