March 11, 2024 · 9:47 am

Author Interview with Tina Fausett ~ #NewRelease!! Unrequited #WomensFiction #WRPbks #Blog

I am thrilled to welcome my dear friend, Tina Fausett, with a fun interview and her fantastic new release…

Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?

I was born in Oklahoma City and currently live there in a historic neighborhood with my best friend, Draco (minpin/chihuahua mix). My home is a 107 years old…I sometimes like to refer to it as my life in ruins. My main focus is on my children and granddaughter.

Was there anything unusual, any anecdote about this book, the characters, title, process, etc, you’d like to share?

This book is a work of fiction, however, most of the characters are based on people I know. I don’t care how old you are, I think everyone can agree that dating is hard, but I truly believe it gets harder the older you are. We change, we know what we want and don’t want, and I know for myself that I’m not willing to settle…we get set in our ways. Women in my age range (Baby Boomers) have typically spent a lifetime working and being caregivers…to our children, our husbands, our parents, our spouses’ parents, to grandkids…now a lot of us don’t want to do that with the years we have left, and I think that’s difficult for a lot of men… So, in discussing men and dating and sharing experiences, my friends and I decided that newly widowed and divorced men, bless their hearts, really needed help learning how to live again as well as how to date a contemporary older woman and the idea for a Widower Whisperers’ business was conceived. Though we didn’t actually form a business, I decided to write about it.

What do you want readers to come away with after they read Unrequited?

Deep down, I’m a hopeless romantic. I would like people to come away feeling good and understanding that it’s never too late…never to late to fall in love, never too late to pursue writing, art, a business…your dreams. And to know that on the inside, most of us seniors still feel young on the inside.

What actors would you like in the main roles if your book were made into a movie?

Susan Sarandon, Steve Martin, Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren

What is your favorite quote?

“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” I mean who hasn’t said it…or at least wanted to say it?

If you could spend time with a character from your book, whom would it be? And what would you do during that day? (PG-13 please 🙂

It would have to be with Thomas Fitzsimmons. I’d be picking his brain, cooking and/or baking. He’s intelligent, well read, has a sense of humor and he likes to get in the kitchen and stir things up. I just find it such a joy when a man likes to cook…for a multitude of reasons.

What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author?  

I was told by an agent that I wasn’t commercial enough. What has been the best compliment? I was told by the same agent that she couldn’t put my manuscript down all weekend, and I wrote like the classics. That being said, I still wasn’t commercial enough. That was years ago!

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

Ha! Almost all the main characters are based off people I know. The idea for the book came from my 50th reunion. People kept coming up to me saying they remembered me and my red hair. I have high school amnesia and didn’t remember most of them. My graduation class had almost 1,000 people. A couple of different men kept asking if I remembered them and showing me their badges with their graduation pictures on them. Young or old, past or present, their faces didn’t ring a bell. One man was a bit tipsy and actually got upset (I figured he must have been a big deal in high school and expected everyone to know who he was). Later I asked a friend (Betty in the book) if I had dated him or something, because according to her, I don’t recall going out with a couple of guys that were really cute. She didn’t think so, but out if it all I thought what if…what if there was really a story between them and a reason she doesn’t remember him. Except for his looks, Thomas is one hundred percent fantasy…much to my chagrin…he’s almost too good to be true! Darrell on the other hand…

What do your friends and family think of your writing?

That’s a mixed bag. I have such wonderful, supportive friends. Sometimes, I’m not sure if they’re excited if I base a character off them and/or something that’s happened to them or they’re terrified what I might write. But they are always so sweet. As for my family…they’re supportive of my endeavors, but my granddaughter has helped me a lot. She taught me about different writing apps and is great for getting a young opinion. I’ve been writing most of my life, and I feel that people who don’t write, don’t really don’t grasp what we do… It’s like they think if you’re not a best seller and a household name, you’ve just got this little hobby that you piddle around at.

What character in your book are you least likely to get along with?

Absolutely Darrell! He is a culmination of some of my worst dating memories.

How did you come up with the title?  

If the story was based on a relationship that Sally and Thomas had in high school, and he was disappointed that she didn’t remember him and didn’t return the crush he had on her…the one word that came to mind was Unrequited.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Yes, definitely. I think it was said by one of the bachelorettes in The Golden Bachelor. She said something about when you get older, people don’t see you anymore. There isn’t a lot of respect for elders these days…it almost feels like people are just waiting for us to pass on and quit taking up space. I would love for the younger generations to understand that we still have the same feelings and fears…that we’re capable of falling in love again…and we’re not dead till we’re dead. I started this book prior to the pandemic then health issues and 4 surgeries caused me to quit writing for a couple years…I can’t tell you how happy I was to see The Golden Bachelor and the chance those beautiful women had to be seen and to shine.

How much of the book is realistic?

Probably way too much. A lot of conversations and a few of the scenes actually happened…I’m positive a man will now think more than twice before asking me out.

Getting Old isn’t for sissies…and neither is falling in love

Blurb:

After a coffee date from hell, Sally Estes and her friends come up with an idea for a business-The Widower Whisperers, LLC. They train Newbies, recently widowed and divorced men, on how to start living again and to do the things their wives used to do for them. The hardest part is teaching them how to treat and court a contemporary woman. Little did Sally know this new venture would change all their lives forever, bringing back a man from her past she can’t remember and a history she wants to forget. What started out as a promising enterprise now threatens to destroy her friendships and everything she’s worked so hard for.

Excerpt:

His head was bent but Elaine could see the trace of a tear escape from the corner of his eye. She stretched forward and ruffled his hair. “Could we get back to Sally?”

“Yes, let’s,” he mumbled without looking up.

“I was just reading an article about her and some of her girlfriends starting a business called the ‘The Widower Whisperers’. Ghastly name I know and doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but catchy.

“They evidently help widowed and divorced men…newbies, they call them, get back into the swing of life and train them how to do the things their wives did for them, as well as getting them ready to start dating…I think they even have a course called ‘Women 101’. When I first saw their ad about four months ago, I kind of thought it was a ridiculous idea and had no clue Sally was involved. But it looks like they’re doing really well and have so many male clients that they’re going to branch out to females soon.”

“That’s charming and I wish them all the luck in the world, but it has absolutely nothing to do with us.”

“Well, if you think about it, it really is a good idea. It’s hard for most people to start over. You know what it was like after you and Gayle divorced. I remember what it was like dating after Jake died, before I met you. It was horrible. Men were absolute idiots, thinking they were suave and debonaire. You’d go to dinner, and they’d be putting down the ex, drinking too much, start trying to hold your hand and talking about back rubs…” She shivered and ran her hands over her arms. “It was creepy, and I don’t imagine it’s gotten any better as we’ve aged.”

Buy link(s): Amazon.com: Unrequited (The Widower Whisperers Book 1) eBook : Fausett, Tina : Kindle Store9781509252992 – Walmart.com

 Unrequited by Tina Fausett (booksamillion.com)

Unrequited a book by Tina Fausett (bookshop.org)

Unrequited by Tina Fausett, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

Unrequited eBook by Tina Fausett – EPUB Book | Rakuten Kobo United States

Unrequited by Tina Fausett (ebook) – Apple Books

First off, I want to say that I never pictured myself this old writing about people this old. But we’re not dead yet and I realized there’s definitely a market and a need to tell our stories. (I think the fascination with the Golden Bachelor proved that). My favorite place is New Orleans where I once lived. A native of Oklahoma City, I grew up with a southern mom and she used to tell me I had swamp water in my veins. I’ve owned an antique store and art gallery, been a pickle pusher (I had a company called Red Hot Mamma’s Pickles), I’ve sold real estate in the Big Easy and OKC, yet I am always drawn back to writing. I’ve written mainstream, a children’s book that’s not published, some mystery and suspense with romantic and paranormal elements and even erotica. I can say, quite proudly that I have two Raunchy Read Awards. A rather haughty an unimaginative woman once asked if I regretted not focusing more on my intelligent side. woman. In response, I quoted Einstein. “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” 

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/tinafausettauthor/  Facebook Personal Page: https://www.facebook.com/tina.fausett   

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/tinafausett   

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/tinafausettauthor/   

TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@tinafausett   

 Blog: https://lifehappensthenyouwrite.blog/

Website: HOME | Tinafausettauthor

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March 6, 2024 · 7:30 am

Author Interview withRosemary Kubli ~ Gullible #RomanticSuspense #Blog #WRPbks

Please help me welcome author Rosemary Kubli…

Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?

I was born and raised in northeast Ohio in the industrial city of Youngstown. After receiving my degree in Communication Arts, I was hired by a major retail chain to conduct new hire training. One day, at an inter-departmental meeting, I met this handsome guy with gorgeous blue eyes who, eighteen months later, became my husband. A few years into our marriage, a job transfer sent us to southern California where both our sons were born. Seven years later, that same job sent us back to northeast Ohio where we’ve lived ever since. Our older son and his family now live in Wisconsin, and our younger son and his fiance live in the Los Angeles area. Thank goodness for the luxury of keeping in touch through video calls and for the convenience of long-distance traveling! Until a few years ago we always had a cat or two wandering around the house, but we are currently a pet-free household.

Where did you get the idea for Gullible?

The idea for Gullible came to me as I was walking home from a neighbor’s house one summer evening a few years ago. Although my original idea was much different from the novel I ended up writing, the two main characters remained the same. I wanted the story to be about a female con artist and the target of her latest scheme, a wealthy man who collects valuable antiques. As I was researching the types of antiques the male character would have in his collection, I came across a YouTube video about the Singing Bird Pistols and knew immediately that I wanted these extremely rare treasures to be the focal point of my story. The ideas started snowballing after that, and before I knew it, Gullible was born.

Why did you choose this genre (is it something you’ve written in before)?

Suspense, crime novels, and mysteries are my favorite genres to read and, as it turns out, they are also my favorite genres to write. I’ve tried my hand at writing other types of stories, such as women’s fiction, but I didn’t have the same interest and enthusiasm for those projects. That’s not to say that, if I come up with a great idea for a story, I won’t write something in a different genre in the future. For now, though, I’ll stick with romantic suspense.

What do you want readers to come away with after they read Gullible?

I want readers to have found Gullible to be one of those books they couldn’t stop reading but, at the same time, didn’t want the story to end. Those are the novels that occupy a permanent space on your bookshelf.

Would you rather have a bad review or no review?

Let’s be realistic—not everyone is going to fall in love with Gullible, and I’m okay with that. We are all entitled to speak our minds and I firmly believe that everyone’s opinion counts. However, for those who didn’t find Gullible to be an enjoyable read, I would appreciate receiving an insightful critique telling me why they didn’t like the story. My experience so far has been that poor ratings are accompanied with a snarky comment, or no comment is given at all. Perhaps these unsatisfied readers don’t realize that their honest feedback might serve to help me become a better writer.

What genre have you never written that you’d like to write?

I like to laugh and to make people laugh, so one of these days I would love to try writing a romantic comedy or a tongue-in-cheek women’s fiction novel.

If you could be a character in any of your books, who would you be?

I would be Louise, the retired kindergarten teacher who cares for the widower Patrick’s four-year-old son Oliver. What a perfect job she has! She’s great with children, so caring for Oliver is more a pleasure than a chore, and she has full rein to manage the household for Patrick in the absence of his deceased wife. She’s performing a job she loves, she’s treated like a member of the family, and for her dedication she receives generous compensation. That’s what I call a win-win situation.

If you could spend time with a character from your book, whom would it be? And what would you do during that day? (PG-13 please 🙂)

I don’t need to think twice about this answer! I’d love to spend a day in the kitchen with Carmella Ricci, Siena’s grandmother. Carmella would give me lessons on how to make her favorite Italian dishes—and maybe teach me a few Italian phrases at the same time. I’d also pump her for details on what Siena was like as a child.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

All my characters are unique, but they all have snippets of personalities and traits I’ve borrowed from family and friends. What better way to make my fictional characters jump off the page than to model them after people whom I’ve known for years?

What character in your book are you least likely to get along with?

Definitely Veronica! Her constant need for attention, her backstabbing, her habit of making everything about her, and the way she manipulates Jonathan would drive me crazy after only five minutes. She’s that character you love to hate.

Who is the most famous person you have ever met?

When we lived in Southern California I brushed elbows with a few TV personalities, but the most famous person I ever met is Bill Clinton—although it was more of a shake of his hand in greeting than truly “meeting” him. While campaigning for Hillary in 2016, Bill and his entourage made a stop near the bank I was working for at the time in Downtown Youngstown. I was at the front of the crowd when he stepped off the campaign bus and he made a beeline straight for me. (I always joke that he picked the best-looking woman in the crowd!) Now, regardless of your political leanings, he is a former president and deserves our respect. I should have been poised and gracious and said, “It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. President.” Instead, nervous at being caught off guard, I blurted out, “Nice to meet ya, Bill!” I will never live down the embarrassment! And why didn’t I think to get a selfie with him?

Even the most cunning femme fatale has her weakness.

Blurb:

Siena Ricci is shrewd, seductive, and an expert in the art of deception. Masking her identity behind the guise of Marie Lacroix, a specialist in antiques and objets d’art, she swindles her employer’s wealthy clients out of their valuable possessions. She hasn’t yet met the man she can’t manipulate, but then the con she’s playing on Jonathan Woodward has only just begun.

Jonathan proves to be an easy mark, but he’s also enticingly irresistible. As their relationship heats up, her plot to steal his multi-million-dollar antique treasures begins to unravel. Noticing a subtle change in Jonathan’s demeanor, Marie questions whether she’s still in control of the con or if she’s blindly become the gullible victim of her own scheme.

Excerpt:

Marie entered the crowded restaurant at half past six. She spotted Gus sitting at the isolated table against the back wall, their usual spot.

“Welcome to Maestro. Do you have a reservation?” The young hostess was new and didn’t recognize Marie as a frequent patron of the establishment.

“Actually, I’m meeting someone,” Marie explained as she brushed past the girl. More than a few heads turned when Marie entered the dining area, and the chatter dropped a decibel or two as she wound her way across the room. Her lips curled into a sly grin. Nice to know she hadn’t yet lost her touch.

Gus stood as Marie approached the table. “Hey, doll,” he said, his endearment accompanied by a light kiss on her cheek.

“Sorry I’m late,” she said. “The auction ran longer than expected.”

“Not a problem.” Gus spoke with an accent that had been cultivated in the Bronx and a voice that was damaged by too many cigarettes. “I ordered you an Old Fashioned.” He slid the whiskey glass in her direction.

“Thanks. Why am I not surprised to find a drink waiting for me?” Marie smiled affectionately at Gus as she swirled the liquor around the ice cube to blend the flavors.

“I enjoy spoiling you. Always have.”

They clinked their glasses together. “Salute!”

A confirmed bachelor in his late fifties, Gus’s light brown hair was thinning and graying at the temples, but he could still win over the ladies with his rugged good looks and smooth mannerisms. He and Marie’s father, Dominic Ricci, grew up in the same neighborhood and were often mistaken for brothers. When Marie and her sister were born, Gus was the only person Dominic considered to fulfill the role of godfather to his daughters. Marie adored Gus and, in Dominic’s absence, relied on him for counsel and guidance. Their inherent bond had also proved to be a good foundation for their mutual business dealings.

The waiter set a plate of piping hot calamari with a side of marinara sauce on their table.

“Thanks, Manny.” Gus winked at the waiter, a gesture Marie recognized as his customary way of conveying his gratitude.

“That was quick,” Marie commented.

“I told Manny to serve the appetizer as soon as you arrived.” Gus placed a few calamari on Marie’s plate before serving himself.

Marie dipped a piece into the marinara. “I’m starving,” she said, taking her first bite. “I skipped lunch today. Too busy.”

“My guess is you probably skipped breakfast, too.” Gus swallowed his food before continuing. “You can’t survive on coffee alone, doll. You’re thin enough as it is.”

“You know my motto. A woman can never be too thin, too beautiful, nor too wealthy.”

“Well, you’ve got the first two covered,” Gus declared as he took a sip of his scotch. “And, I may have a plan to help you with the third.”

Buy link(s):

Amazon: www.amazon.com/Gullible-Rosemary-Kubli/dp/150924851X

Barnes and Noble: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gullible-rosemary-kubli/1143179526

Google Books: www.google.com/books/edition/Gullible/wb24zwEACAAJ?hl=en

Books-A-Million: www.booksamillion.com/search?filter=&id=8786302200244&query=ROSEMARY%20KUBLI

Target:

www.target.com/p/gullible-by-rosemary-kubli-paperback/-/A-89141304#lnk=sametab

Walmart:

www.walmart.com/ip/Gullible-Paperback9781509248513/2433615314?from=%2Fsearch

About the Author:

Rosemary Kubli writes the type of books she loves to read – intrigue and suspense mixed with a pinch of romance and a clever plot twist or two. Her professional experiences run the gamut from Human Resources and training to accounting and banking, with publishing being her most recent endeavor. Aside from the seven years she lived in southern California, she has always called the northeast corner of Ohio her home. Discover more about Rosemary by visiting her website – www.rosemarykubli.com.

Social Media Links:

Facebook   Rosemary Kubli – Author | Facebook

Instagram   www.instagram.com/koobswrites/

Goodreads:  www.goodreads.com/book/show/124954326-gullible

BookBub:  www.bookbub.com/profile/rosemary-kubli

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March 5, 2024 · 5:40 am

The Gardener’s Secret by S. Hansberger

Please help me welcome S. Hansberger…

Loyalty to a stranger opens her to more danger than she’d ever imagined.

Believing she’ll get to report gritty news, Callie accepts a job at her hometown newspaper. Instead, she’s assigned the gardening column—a subject she knows nothing about. She begs advice from a tight-lipped neighbor when he admits he’s a retired gardener, even though his mannerisms and speech suggest he’s anything but. Not knowing the full truth doesn’t matter—she needs his help. The townsfolk think him strange and warn Callie to keep her distance, but she regards him and his family as friends. Learning their horrifying secret doesn’t deter her, even though loyalty will draw her into danger.

Author Bio: Sheila Hansberger/ S. Hansberger, is an artist and author. For the past forty-plus years, original watercolors and commercial art assignments have kept her busy with galleries and private clients. Other than an occasional magazine article or press release, her writings took a back seat to her artwork. In 2004, she began a five-year stint as Newsletter Editor for the National Watercolor Society. The job reminded her how much she loved writing. She then joined two national writer’s groups, attended classes, podcasts, and conferences to hone her skills. A book club, beta readers, and critique partners lent advice about her work. To date, her computer’s memory holds four novels (three finished), plotting for additional novels, and the beginnings of two children’s books.

In addition to her fine art/writing careers, her background includes work as a graphic artist for a printing firm; owner/manager of a property management company; owner/operator of a one-hundred-year-old, rustic sales barn and apple orchard; and board member of various volunteer organizations. Her three children, all raised with help from her devoted late husband, are precious lights in her life, as are her three grandchildren.

Deadlines are part of Hansberger’s existence, and she gives 110% to whatever project is in front of her. She says, “Some days I paint with watercolor; some days I paint with words. Life can be hectic, living like a ping-pong ball, bouncing back and forth between tasks, but at least I am never bored!”

Social media info:

Website: www.s-hansberger.com

Facebook: Sheila Hansberger, Artist and Author (1) Facebook

Instagram: Sheila Hansberger (@sheilahansberger) • Instagram photos and videos

LinkedIn: (24) Sheila Hansberger | LinkedIn

Buy links:

Paperback link: https://a.co/d/g6M9zcJ

E-book link: https://a.co/d/3rXC7Vr

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March 4, 2024 · 5:04 am

Author Interview with Karen Hulene Bartell ~ Kissing Kin #ParanormalRomance #WRPbks #Blog

Please help me welcome Karen Hulene Bartell…

Title – Kissing Kin – Available for Pre-order until 3/13, Date of Release

Author – Karen Hulene Bartell

Website – http://www.KarenHuleneBartell.com/ 

Connect – https://karenhulenebartell.com/connect

Genre – Paranormal Romance

Publisher – The Wild Rose Press

Book Blurb –

Maeve Jackson is starting over after a broken engagement—and mustering out of the Army. No job and no prospects, she spins out on black ice and totals her car.

When struggling vintner Luke Kaylor stops to help, they discover they’re distantly related. On a shoestring budget to convert his vineyard into a winery, he makes her a deal: prune grapevines in exchange for room and board.

But forgotten diaries and a haunted cabin kickstart a five-generational mystery with ancestors that have bones to pick. As carnal urges propel them into each other’s arms, they wonder: Is their attraction physical…or metaphysical?

Kissing Kin Excerpt –

His groin aching as his jeans tightened, he wanted her. No longer able to block the impulse, he wrapped one arm around her back as he cradled her head in his other hand.

Her eyelids fluttering, she threw her arms around his neck and, with a muffled moan, pressed closer.

Their bodies silently communing, he ran his lips over her throat, sucking at her supple skin and moving his lips along her collarbone.

Encouraged as she shuddered and tilted her hips against him, he nudged open her shirt’s top button and nuzzled her breasts. Then he drew her to him in a deep kiss that left him wanting to slip off her clothes and feel her warm, soft skin against his. The urge to take her overpowering, he eyed the bed.

Whoa. What am I doing? As if shot with a water cannon, he pulled away, breathless.

She regarded him through wide, shellshocked eyes.

Like the lights coming up in the theater, the feverish mood broke. His arms fell to his sides as he stepped back. “Sorry, I–”

“No, I’m as much to blame–”

“I don’t know what came over me.” A nervous, self-conscious laugh escaped his lips.

“So suddenly, right?” Nodding, she met his gaze. “Like an outside force took over…” She swallowed, took a deep breath, and glanced away. “This isn’t the first time I’ve felt this way.”

“Me, neither.”

****

Inspiration for Kissing Kin

The earliest idea for the paranormal romance first came to me during 2020 because of the striking similarities between Covid and the Spanish Flu of 1918, but publishers convinced me that no one wanted to read about pandemics. Time passed. My manuscript languished.

Then I noticed a handmade cookbook my grandmother had constructed during the 1930s depression. It’s made of two cardboard flaps reinforced at the edges with duct tape and held together by two metal ring binders. Originally given as a Christmas present to her oldest daughter, I inherited it decades later. That modest book inspired me. (In fact, I used some of its recipes in Kissing Kin: Simple Sponge Cake, Mother’s Soft Gingerbread, and…a formula for the treatment of chicken lice with nicotine-sulfate.)

The general tone of the cookbook was chatty, reading more like a journal than a collection of family recipes, but it motivated me to begin drafting a five-generation story of forgotten diaries and a haunted cabin with ancestors that have bones to pick.

What inspired the setting? Travel–and a missed turn!

Whenever I visit provocative places, encounter new experiences, sample different ethnic foods, or chance upon stimulating people, I’m inspired. Ideas flow. (I should’ve been a travel correspondent.) There’s something about traveling that takes me out of my rut and propels me into new realms of possibility.

I’ve written some of my best concepts sitting in noisy airports or hotel bathrooms at midnight (so I don’t wake my husband with the light). Being out of my element and in new environments stimulates my imagination.

As I visit new destinations, I’m infused with innovative ideas, envisioning scene after scene, like vignettes flowing from one to the next and the next.

In Kissing Kin’s case, my husband and I spent Christmas week hiking and horseback riding in Big Bend National Park twenty years ago. You’ve seen the area on maps–the southernmost tip of Texas that borders the Rio Grande and dips into Mexico. Spanning more than 800,000 acres of Chihuahuan desert, mountains, and rivers, Big Bend is larger than the state of Rhode Island–and filled with lions and bobcats and bears. Oh, my!

Driving home early that New Year’s morning, we missed the turnoff in Alpine and followed TX-118 north. Snow-covered and glinting against the frosty blue January sky, a remote jumble of mountain peaks and ranges beckoned as they rose above the desert floor. I was enchanted. Gazing at the sky island for the first time, wide-eyed, I wondered whether those rocky pinnacles were mirages or optical delusions.

But as the craggy peaks loomed larger (a mile high, I later learned), I realized they were no hallucination or Fata Morgana. A hasty glance at the map told us these were the Davis Mountains. As we approached, vertical basalt columns rose like thousands of giant fingers reaching for the sky. The palisades, buttes, and bluffs towered above both sides of the road with a raw, majestic beauty, and I breathed a contented sigh, almost as if coming home.

That missed turn took us only a half hour out of our way, but as we drove through those mountains, my life changed. From that day to this, the area’s held my heart and imagination. Wild Rose Pass became Book I of the Trans-Pecos Series, and Kissing Kin has become Book II. Both novels are standalones with dissimilar genres–Wild Rose Pass is a historical novel, while Kissing Kin is a paranormal romance.

So what was the inspiration for Kissing Kin? A combination of discovering the magical beauty of the sky island, as well as recognizing the sentimental value of a humble booklet.

****

Buy Links –

UNIVERSAL LINK: https://books2read.com/u/boXl10

AMAZON: https://shorturl.at/iwEIJ

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/204849593-kissing-kin

APPLE: https://books.apple.com/us/book/kissing-kin/id6475424012

BARNES & NOBLE: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kissing-kin-karen-bartell/1144521766?ean=9781509253951

Author Biography –

Author of the Trans-Pecos, Sacred Emblem, Sacred Journey, and Sacred Messenger series, as well as Kissing Kin, Fox Tale, Wild Rose Pass, The Keys: Voice of the Turtle and more, Karen is a best-selling author, motivational keynote speaker, IT technical editor, wife, and all-around pilgrim of life. She writes multicultural, offbeat love stories steeped in the supernatural. Born to rolling-stone parents who moved annually, Bartell found her earliest playmates as fictional friends in books. Paperbacks became her portable pals. Ghost stories kept her up at night—reading feverishly. The paranormal was her passion. Novels offered an imaginative escape. An only child, she began writing her first novel at the age of nine, learning the joy of creating her own happy endings. Professor emeritus of the University of Texas at Austin, Karen resides in the Texas Piney Woods with her husband Peter and her mews—three rescued cats and a rescued *Cat*ahoula Leopard dog.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenHuleneBartell

MeWe: https://mewe.com/i/karenbartell

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HuleneKaren

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/karenhulenebartell/   

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/611950.Karen_Hulene_Bartell  

Website: http://www.KarenHuleneBartell.com/ 

Email: info@KarenHuleneBartell.com

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/karenhulenebartell 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenhulenebartell/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/karen-hulene-bartell

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenhulenebartell/

AUTHORSdb: https://authorsdb.com/community/17847-karen-hulene-bartell

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March 1, 2024 · 5:33 am

Wagon Train Willa Historical Romance by Marisa Masterson

Please help me welcome author Marisa Masterson…

Willa was only the nanny. How did she end up on the Oregon Trail with her young charges?

Cade Chester enjoys his life as a scout for a wagon train. Little does he suspect that any woman could change his desire for adventure. Willa Winston is more than merely a woman needing help. She is the one person he cannot let walk out of his life.

When Willa is forced to pick a husband on the trail, she asks Cade to marry her. Only, she wants to be able to walk away at the end of the journey. That is, until danger comes after her.

Favorite Lines:

“I’m only the nanny!”

Willa Winston shouted the words to the wind. No one heard her. After all, the wagon train was behind her where she should be. It was where she would be if the little devils hadn’t disappeared in this direction.

Tall prairie grass tugged at her skirt. The only good thing about it was the trail going through the overlong stuff. She easily followed the rascals.

Fun Fact:

I am not a quitter. After a spinal cord injury, I was no longer able to teach. Writing has given me a new way to reach out to others and continue what I see as my ministry of encouragement.

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February 28, 2024 · 12:42 pm

Maria Imbalzano ~ Island Detour #ContemporaryRomance #Blog #WRPbks

Check out Maria Imbalzano’s latest release…

Some detours are worth the trouble

Blurb: Falsely accused of wrongdoing at a Princeton Prep school, Sophie Kearns accepts a temporary teaching position at an environmental school in the Florida Keys to wait out her suspension. The time away is meant to be an anxiety-free escape, but her clashes with the hot but arrogant marine biology teacher, Max Heaton, are anything but tranquil.

Max is determined to start an environmental research institute at the school, but he suspects the gorgeous new Lit teacher, who lacks even the most basic outdoor skills, is there to hinder that dream. Yet, something about her tames the demons from his past, and he can no longer ignore the fire she’s lit inside him.

Excerpt:

How’d Sophie end up working with women who could have been in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue?

She glanced down at her own one-piece halter and smoothed out an imaginary wrinkle. Not ready to venture back to the bikinis of her college days, she’d chosen a lime-green hue that looked great against her tan. And even though her midriff wasn’t bare, the high-cut detail on her legs showed plenty of skin. At least she wasn’t embarrassed standing next to Maddie. Or the other two.

She’d come a long way from the buttoned-up professor at Valen, thanks to her new friends here. After their shopping spree in Key West, they’d made sure to compliment Sophie on her new look—obviously afraid that if they didn’t, she’d go back to her old ways. And it had worked. Along with the exercise she was getting from boating and swimming, she looked and felt like a new woman.

Stealing a glance at Max, she assumed he’d be staring at Maddie. A slow burn crept across her face when his gaze fell on her.

His mocha eyes blazed a scorching trail as they traveled up her legs, her torso, then stopped at her face. She turned and looked out over the ocean, swallowing hard, to banish this erotic discomfort. But try as she might to ignore his scrutiny, she felt it deep down in the pit of her stomach as fingers of heat spread over her skin, doing much more damage than the sun.

Buy link:   https://books2read.com/u/4D20y7

About the Author:

Maria Imbalzano is an award-winning contemporary author who writes about strong, independent women and the men who fall in love with them. She recently retired from the practice of law, but legal issues have a way of showing up in many of her novels. When not writing, she loves to travel both abroad and in the states.  Maria lives in central New Jersey with her husband–not far from her two daughters. For more information about her books, please visit her website at http://mariaimbalzano.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter.

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February 27, 2024 · 7:16 am

Author Interview with Joie Lesin ~ Coming Soon: The Passenger #ParanormalRomance #blog #WRPbks

Please help me welcome Joie Lesin…

Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?

I was born on the East Coast, the youngest of five to parents who both came from large families. My father was one of 18 children, and my mother was born fifth in a family of 13!  While I’m originally from Massachusetts, my family relocated to my mother’s birthplace, Minnesota, when I was six years old. I consider myself a Midwesterner with a splash of the East Coast still lingering on the inside. On occasion, the accent I lost while in elementary school still pops up in my day-to-day conversations. The funny thing is, it’s happening more and more lately. My husband never shies away from pointing out when I say “water” with just the right inflection. Even funnier is my young adult daughter does the same though she and her older brother were born and grew up right here in Minnesota.

I met, dated, and married my husband while in the midst of the Covid pandemic. We now live in St. Paul with our blended family which includes a very rambunctious grand-corgi named Posh.

Where did you get the idea for The Passenger?

The original idea for The Passenger came to me when I was 16 years old. I was on the city bus on the way home from school playing the “What If” game I used to create fictional stories for the random people I would encounter throughout the day.

On this particular day, I noticed a man sitting at the back of the bus who seemed a bit down on his luck. I wondered, what if he were alone in the world? What would happen if this man collapsed there on the bus? Would he die right there on that bus alone? What if I, or someone else, comforted him in his dying moments?

The tale bloomed from there and went through many metamorphoses until I finally sat down to truly write it 16 years later when I was 32.

Why did you choose this genre?

The genre chose me.

The Passenger came to me as a ghost story.

Now, when I write try as I might not to, a ghost always haunts my stories. Someday, though, there might be a story where there isn’t a restless spirit lingering on the pages with some unfinished business. For now, all of my stories are ghost stories in one way or another.

One thing I do know is there will always be something otherworldly in my fictional worlds.

Do you collect anything?

When I was a child, I collected unicorns. These came in the form of trinkets, picture books, story books and even music. I still have most of these—some on display, others stored away for those rainy days when I take them out and remember the story behind each of them.

Now, I would say—books. Does that count? I have shelves of books. I never quite realize just how many books I have until I decide to move, and the heavy boxes of books outnumber everything else!

What’s your favorite book of all time and why? What’s your favorite childhood book?

My favorite book of all time is the time travel thriller The Mirror by Marlys Millhiser.

Not only is this my favorite book but one I can honestly say has had the biggest influence on me as a writer.

Originally released in 1978, The Mirror made its way from my older sister’s hand into mine in 1984. From page one, I was transfixed. I remember sitting in my teenage bedroom, devouring every word.  It excited me that this story evolved from another person’s imagination. That the author’s vision could whisk me away to the 1900s Boulder, Colorado and back again to 1978 with the help of a cursed mirror. Through the words, I could live vicariously through the two main characters, and I loved it. I knew this was the kind of story I needed to write—that I could put my limitless imagination to good use.

As for my favorite childhood book, there are many. I read voraciously. Those that do spring to mind are The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare and The Pearl by John Steinbeck.

What do you want readers to come away with after they read The Passenger?

The message that love—be it romantic, parent-child or friendship—endures through the passage of time and across the plains of existence.

What is your favorite quote?

“My darling girl, when are you going to realize that being normal is not necessarily a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage!”

                                    ~Aunt Frances Owens – Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

What I like about this quote is that while I was growing up, I always felt a little out of step with other people. I don’t know why but maybe it was how I lived so often in books and my fictional worlds. This quote embodies how I accepted who and how I was. Doing so has fueled me throughout my life, enabling me to create the stories that I do.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

The simple answer is—entirely from my imagination. That’s the simple answer because the characters, especially those who live inside The Passenger, have become fully realized people in my mind. I’ve lived with Elizabeth and Gio, Paolo and Adriana, Anna, Marco, and Esteban for so long they cannot be compared to anyone live or fictional because they are who they are.

How did your interest in writing originate?

It started with books. Books are and always have been a form of magic to me. As a small child, I loved to be read to and I loved to make up stories. To add to that my oldest brother, who’s 15 years my senior, is a writer. I knew I would be a writer when I grew up before I truly comprehended what that meant. It’s almost as if it is in my DNA.

Your favorite…

Movie: A Walk on The Moon

Music: 80’s and Current Indie Rock

Place you’ve visited: San Luis Obispo County in California

Place you’d like to visit: Madeira, Portugal

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Thanks so much, Joie…fun interview. And, wow, your book sounds fabulous. Can’t wait until it’s released! Readers, check it out below…

She’s a 1940s ghost whisperer. He’s the son of a ghost.

Burdened with her empathic gift, Elizabeth Reilly wants to be free of it and fit in with normal people. Nevertheless, when the spirit of an old man asks for her help, she travels across the country to help him return home.

Gio Clemente is still angry with his father who abandoned him as a child. To help the father pass on, Elizabeth must persuade Gio to let go of his anger. Though he resents her intrusion, they are both stunned to find themselves fighting a profound attraction. Elizabeth can accept his headstrong brand of love, but can Gio accept her gift—and believe in her?

Excerpt:

Elizabeth’s stomach churned in nervous knots. She squirmed on the cloth seat, and her foot twitched. If he heard her erratic heartbeat, he’d realize how frantic she was—and hot. Perspiration built up on her forehead. Grabbing the metal handle, she rolled down the squeaking window, and inhaled the pure air. The fragrances of the forest filled her senses—the resinous scent of pine, the earthiness of soil, and damp detritus of fallen branches and decaying leaves. The surrounding land was alive, vibrant, and something more she couldn’t quite identify. Somehow, the vehicle they drove in and the path it traveled seemed out of place.

Gravel on the uneven road crunched and ground under the truck’s tires. Elizabeth sat straight in her seat and stole stiff, awkward glimpses at Giovanni. A frown marked his lips. His lean, well-defined face held soulful eyes bringing to her mind images of the sad little boy he must have been.

A thin red scar stretched down his right cheek and she itched to run a finger along the faded edges. She’d caress his stubble-shadowed chin and tell him how terribly his father missed him. Instead, she stared out the truck window.

The Passenger is coming soon from The Wild Rose Press.

About the Author:

Minnesota-based author, Joie Lesin is a life-long fiction writer and the author of The Passenger. She has long been fascinated by anything otherworldly including ghosts. She loves to write a good ghost story—especially when it includes a touch of romance.

Originally from Massachusetts, at six years old, Joie moved to her mother’s birthplace, Minnesota. By eight, Joie lost her New England accent, however, it’s gradually returning as the years go by. She grew up in Minneapolis but now resides in St. Paul with her husband and their blended family—which includes a rambunctious grand-corgi.

Joie misses the ocean, but she often finds herself walking by one of Minnesota’s many lakes and travels to one of the coasts as often as she can. In fact, she considers California her home away from home. When she’s not writing, reading, or walking, you can find her listening to music. She absolutely loves music—especially live—and songs have sparked most of her story ideas.

Website: https://www.jlesin.com

Twitter:   https://twitter.com/JoieLesin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjoielesin

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/JoieLesin

Tiktok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@joie.lesin

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February 21, 2024 · 8:09 am

Author Interview with Kimberly Baer ~ New Release:  Out of Body, #Paranormal #Sci-Fi #YA #blog #wrpbks

Please help me welcome author Kimberly Baer…   

Good morning, Kimberly. Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets? 

Sometimes I feel like a character in someone else’s novel. So much drama! My husband died unexpectedly when our children were six, eight, and twelve. Over the next decade-plus, I focused on raising the kids and putting myself through college. I didn’t date, because it didn’t seem fair to make the kids share their only parent with someone new. Eventually, the kids grew up, I got that college degree, and I landed a good job as an editor with a federal agency in my Pennsylvania hometown.

Then came the second blow: the agency I was working for shut its doors for good. I was fortunate to find a new job with a federal agency in the Washington, DC, area, but that meant I had to leave the town I’d lived in all my life. Saying goodbye to friends, neighbors, and family members—not to mention my comfortable house and idyllic suburban neighborhood—was one of the most heartbreaking experiences of my life.

Nonetheless, I made the transition and settled into my new life. I even met a wonderful man, Clint. Things were good until 2018, when Clint was diagnosed with a terminal lung disease. Only a lung transplant could save him, and the odds were low that a matching pair of lungs would become available in time. Miraculously, Clint got those new lungs. It’s now been four years since the transplant, and he’s doing well. Alas, my three children and two grandchildren live far away (Chicago and Sacramento), but I’m blessed to have Clint nearby. And as of now, the drama seems to have simmered down—for the time being, anyway!

Where did you get the idea for Out of Body? Sometimes I dream that I’m flying, and at one point I wondered, “What if these aren’t dreams? What if my spirit actually leaves my body when I’m sleeping and goes flitting around town?” Thus, the concept for Out of Body was born.

Why did you choose this genre (is it something you’ve written in before)? Many of my story ideas are rooted in some sort of paranormal or science fiction scenario. For instance, my first novel, The Haunted Purse, is about a girl who buys a vintage purse at a thrift store and learns that it’s inhabited by a ghost. I have a weird imagination, so I just run with whatever it churns out.

What is your favorite quote? “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.”(John Milton) This quote reminds me that attitude is everything. You can turn a negative into a positive (or at least mitigate it) by looking for the silver lining or simply choosing to make the best of every situation.

What is your most prized material possession? Why? I have a wall calendar from the year my husband died. His death occurred in April, and there’s a strange anomaly on that calendar page: the whole page is upside down! I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this particular calendar ended up in my hands. The metaphorical message is clear: my family’s world was about to be turned upside down, but we would be okay, since all the subsequent pages are right-side up. I’ve kept the calendar as a reminder that there’s more to existence than the world we see around us.

What’s your favorite book of all time and why? It’s impossible to pick just one, but two young adult series I really enjoyed were Neal Shusterman’s Scythe and Unwind. I’m a sucker for a unique premise and a well-written story, and Shusterman’s two series deliver on both counts. What’s your favorite childhood book? As a child, I would have said all the Nancy Drew books, especially The Secret in the Old Attic. As an adult, I have a different favorite: The Velveteen Rabbit. The ending never fails to choke me up.

Who is the most famous person you have ever met? Bill Cosby.He was the keynote speaker at my college graduation. I was the last student to walk across the stage, and he grabbed me in a bear hug, lifted me off my feet, and spun me around. I have photos of me in his arms. I gave one to my mom, and after the Cosby scandal hit the fan, she cut out a picture of Mark Harmon (her favorite actor at the time) and glued his face on top of Cosby’s.

If you were stranded on a deserted island and you could have 3 (inanimate) objects, what would they be? I’ve learned from watching Survivor that flint, a machete, and a tarp are essential. But I also have a less practical list: a fully loaded Kindle, a solar-powered Kindle charger, and my bed pillow. (Can I bring six items?)

What’s the main thing that you could get rid of in your life that would give you more writing time? Cooking! I hate doing it and would love to have a personal chef to prepare all my meals and bring them to me at my desk so I could keep working. (Naturally, this person would do the dishes, too.)

What do you want readers to come away with after they read Out of Body? My intent is not just to entertain but also to uplift and inspire. Let’s face it: life can be tough—and my stories reflect that. My characters endure all sorts of hardships, but they prevail in the end. They come through their struggles stronger and wiser. I hope readers are able to draw strength from that message, to internalize it. I want to plant the idea that no matter what life throws at you, you can get through it.

Blurb:

Those weird dreams Abby Kendrick has been having? Turns out they aren’t dreams after all. They’re out-of-body experiences, like the ones her cousin Logan is having. At first Abby has fun with her new ability, using it to spy on her neighborhood crush and spook a mean girl. But when Logan gets in trouble on the astral plane, the game changes, and Abby must bend the rules of out-of-body travel as she journeys to a distant realm. Her mission is a perilous one, and success is not guaranteed. Can she save Logan and find her way home again? Or will the cousins be lost forever on the astral plane?

Excerpt:

The girl slept on, never stirring, breathing deeply. Arms and legs akimbo, hair spread out like disconnected wires, mouth hanging open. Was that how I looked when I was sleeping? It wasn’t pretty.

Something twinkled below me, a translucent silvery cord tethering me to my body. I’d never noticed it in my dreams-that-weren’t-really-dreams, maybe because I hadn’t realized I was out of body. The cord, thick and round as Italian sausage, was weird but reassuring. I assumed it would keep me from getting lost, because no matter where I went, I could simply follow it back to my body.

But how did the cord work? Was it retractable like the cord on our vacuum cleaner? Stretchy like a bungee cord? If so, how far could it stretch? I wanted to test it for myself, but before I could do that, I needed to figure out how to move. For now, I was stuck in place like a stalled weather front.

A few nights ago, I’d traveled all the way to Sorcery Place. I’d gone to Sophia’s house, to Grandma’s. How had I done it?

More important, how could I get back into my body? I gave a psychic grunt, straining toward that sleeping form, but nothing happened. I was anchored to the ceiling as firmly as my physical body was anchored to the bed.

What if I couldn’t get back? What if I was stuck up here forever?

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Out-Body-Kimberly-Baer-ebook/dp/B0CQ34D8H5/

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/book/1144460559?ean=9781509253074

Apple books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/out-of-body/id6474144928 

About Kimberly:

Kimberly Baer is an author and professional editor who was born and raised in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a town marginally famous for having endured three major floods. She even lived there during one of them. She now resides in northern Virginia, where she enjoys power-walking on days when it’s not too hot, too cold, too rainy, too snowy, or too windy. On indoor days, you’re likely to find her hard at work on her next novel or binge-watching old episodes of Survivor, her favorite guilty pleasure. 

Kim has had her nose in a book practically since birth. Her first story, written at age six, was about a baby chick that hatched out of a little girl’s Easter egg after somehow surviving the hard-boiling process. These days she writes in a variety of genres, including adult romantic suspense, young adult, and middle-grade. Her books are published by The Wild Rose Press and have won several awards.

Website: www.kimberlybaer.com

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/KimberlyBaer14

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlybaer_author/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKimberlyBaer/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kimberlybaer_author1

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Kimberly-Baer/e/B08D3RVKCH/

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/kimberly_baer

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kimberly-baer

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February 14, 2024 · 10:35 am

Happy Horror-ific Valentine’s Day!! #99Cents #HorrorShortStories #Fri13thstories

Is not having a Valentine making you feel stabby and horror-ific? Would you rather read about what a psychopath does to a heart rather than that annoying little Cupid? If you answered yes, then do we have a deal for you!! Check out these frightening Friday the 13th Horror Short Stories and make this Valentine’s a day to remember…

(on sale for a limited time for ONLY 99 cents each!! – Sale Ends 02/28/24)

Spit on a grave by Tamrie Foxtail

No one likes a bully and Kiera’s tormented by four of them. But Kiera knows something they don’t. She knows how to turn the tormentors into the tormented.

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Soulless by Alicia Dean

When Sheriff Rosalyn Grimes shoots and kills the serial killer who is holding her daughter captive, she thinks the ordeal is over and her town is safe. But a rash of new murders plunges them right back into the nightmare—is there a copycat on the loose or, even more terrifying, has the same murderer come back to life?

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 The Boy in the Bubble by Stephen B. King

Timothy has spent his life in a bubble which protects him from fatal allergies. But nature always compensates and Timothy has developed incredible telekinetic powers. When a simple hernia operation goes wrong causing him unbearable, non-stop agony, Timothy strikes back the only way he knows how by reigning death and destruction.

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A Wicked Fate Mark Edward Jones

Miomir ìl Kurić desires money, power, and to be feared, while unburdened by her past. Her Uncle Karanosz insists she remains a part of their unique family, one which harbors special skills … and connections to evil.

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Blanks by Christopher Farris

Beaver Poopart has graduated both the VA psych ward and the police academy. Now he’s gone to Oklahoma in search of a wayward woman. Lots of people are going to wish he hadn’t.

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The Devil’s Dregs by Robert Herold

A witch has stolen Steven Metcalf’s newborn son and intends to sacrifice the child to her dark lord. Steven and his two friends scour Seattle to rescue the infant, but the city has become infested with witches and their allies. Can Steven and company save the innocent before it’s too late?

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Feast or Famine by Jon Minton

Theresa Salomé is cursed and blessed. Every Friday the 13th, she must kill and cannibalize her victim, extending her life. She’s collected knowledge, amassed wealth, and watched empires come and go. But as centuries pass, the cycle and isolation threaten to tear her mind apart. Is she a monster, a preview of humanity’s future, or just another pawn for gods and devils.

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Violet by Connor Treadway

Ivy Powers, now Ivy Ligon, is happily married, renovations to convert the Victorian home she inherited from a distant relative into a bed-and-breakfast are almost complete, and she just discovered she’s expecting. Life is perfect except for troubling dreams and the heartbreaking wail of a child that keeps waking Ivy in the middle of the night. While one lost soul may be seeking solace, another intends to keep its secrets buried…forever. Ivy will be forced to pay a price in her quest to right a wrong…but will it be worth the cost?

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 Karma’s a Bitch by TL Schaefer

Millie is determined to prove the existence of the paranormal in Bountiful, Oklahoma. But the people of Bountiful don’t care much for strangers asking questions…

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 Spine Chilling by Michelle Godard-Richer

Peter McFadden’s life is ending, but he isn’t ready to leave this world and his killing ways behind. His spirit lingers inside his favorite vintage book, tethering him to this world, while he waits for his next victim.

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January 16, 2024 · 7:58 am

Author Interview with TR Simmons ~ New Release: Crushing – #blog #wrpbks

Please help me welcome today’s guest, TR Simmons with his new book Crushing, released November 15, 2023 through The Wild Rose Press

Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?

I was born in Hamilton, Ontario, also known as, The Hammer for its long-standing industrial base with Steel Mills and manufacturing. It is a port city at the most south western tip of Lake Ontario.

Hamilton has been home for most of my life; although, I travelled and live in other places in my youth. I went to university in Ottawa. On two occasions, I froze my butt off doing construction work in the north to earn enough money for a couple of European backpacking trips. For over forty years I’ve been exploring parts of Canada and the United States on motorcycles. I especially like riding in the mountains of Pennsylvania. I didn’t really settle down until I was thirty. The idea that I should get married came to me while racing a storm-front on a vintage Suzuki between Alberta and Saskatchewan. By the time a made Regina, it had turned into a full-blown tornado.

Three years later, I met a Korean foreign student who was attending the local college in Hamilton to learn English. I took her to a Valentine’s Day party a week later.  Then, after a trip to Seoul to meet her parents, we decided to get married that very summer. We’ve raised two rambunctious boys and two cats. The boys played football all the way up to varsity level. The cats keep the mice out of our Edwardian home. I took over the family wedding business and did a couple of terms on the local School Board. Kyoung-Ju spent many years running marathons and owns and operates a hair salon. We just celebrated our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary and we’ve managed to build a pretty good life in Hamilton.

Where did you get the idea for ‘Crushing’?

My wife and children inspired the story. Our boys were born in 1999 and in 2003. Little did we know that by the time they hit high school the burgeoning social media age would be upon all of us. Many of the pressures experienced by my protagonist, Atarah, were similar to what my children and their friends experienced. In Crushing, the supporting characters and school culture is an off-the-wall parody of what school might be like if social media became more entrenched than true reality. Even today, it is difficult to have a completely private social relationship. For youth, the drive for external praise and popularity can be overwhelming to the point that school-life and social media become seamless.

Why did you choose this genre (is it something you’ve written in before)?

I have always been interested in science fiction, paranormal, and romantic stories because they allow me free reign to world build. Crushing is the first novel I’ve published, but it is not the first novel I’ve written. My writing crosses genres of Sci-fi, paranormal, and romance. I think there is a romantic aesthetic in everything we experience, good or bad. It is at the heart of our emotions. I also like to explore how the human condition is affected using concepts associated with AI, human intelligence, consciousness, and love. Crushing was my first YA novel because I thought the setting and the story’s youthful perspective demanded it. Contemporary youth culture is difficult to pin down. It is always in a state of flux. This can make a YA novel out-dated very quickly. Sci-fi and fantasy novels free an author from contemporary norms and lingo/slang so that they can invent their own. The author must still tell a compelling story the reader can identify with.

Was there anything unusual, any anecdote about this book, the characters, title, process, etc, you’d like to share?

I usually write in the evenings. It is the most emotive part of the day for me. I need to feel the same emotions that I’m writing. It is sometimes helpful to put on a record and play music that conjures those same feelings. By the time I finish a manuscript the protagonist will have one or two songs that sum up their overall vibe.

I don’t plot my stories before writing. I imagine a world or a place in my head, and from there the characters emerge. I work the details out in my mind through the course of a day, so that it pours out when I sit down to write. Although this process gives me notions of what to write, my characters often have other ideas that transmit from my subconscious while I’m writing. I have learned to concede to their wishes. If I try and direct my character too much, I always hit a dead end. It is uncanny the way my characters tie up even the most obscure plot points by the end of the story. In Crushing, I did not know how it would resolve until I wrote the ending.

 How much of Crushing is realistic?

Predicting what the world could be like four decades requires the writer to form linkages with our present situation. For Crushing, I predicted that the cultural and racial mixing of families, along with advancements in gene modifications of children before they are born will make racist sentiments appear even more irrational and fade from cultures. At the same time, other aspects relating to passive identities, lifestyle and sexuality might become more socially gray. This is an underlining theme in the book. Identity is found in what motivates a person to choose to do one thing over another, and not found within the veneer of personas.

Throughout human history, technology has always been the biggest driver of cultural change. I predict in forty years we can expect AI will still be reflective of  humanity and so, become the most powerful institution in people’s lives; especially, if the machine’s general purpose is to garner human happiness (a conundrum all on its own).

Are your characters based on real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

My protagonist, Atarah has many similarities to my wife, Kyoung-Ju who is a tomboy, was a competitive taekwondo blackbelt, a marathon runner, and she is now my personal trainer to offset the hours I spend sitting at my desk writing.

Every other character is a collection of diverse human traits I’ve sewn together from meeting so many different people from different places. Since my children are mixed, I’m privy to their unique points of view and experiences. Their peer groups are also socially and culturally diverse. I see them as the future.

Planning weddings for all kinds and types of couples also provides me with perspectives on the uniqueness of every person. Despite this, everyone still suffers from the human condition, which should be a uniting feature of our species.

What book have you read that you wish you had written?

I am an avid reader of most genres from almost any era. Science fiction/paranormal books are my favourite to read, so I have to pick, Klara and the Sun, by Kazuo Ishiguro. Writing a story from the point of view of an AI with very limited parameters and design capabilities requires incredible imagination. The novel has a wonderful story arc and I highly recommend it to readers.

How did your interest in writing originate? 

My mother tells me I’ve been writing stories even before I knew how to read and write. She collected pages of squiggly lines that I called my stories when I was very young. My stories became more cogent when I got older and had to sit in church. I learned to escape from the boredom by making up adventures in my head. Over time, this design process merged with lucid dreaming, and I would sometimes become so immersed that I’d start acting out the story in the church pew.

I enjoyed creative writing and essay writing in school. I wrote the first draft of what would become a political treatise for an AI control solution while in Athen’s Greece in 1994. I eventually published it in 2021, but I needed to first understand the guidelines and techniques of writing well. For success, learn to stay within writing rules before attempting to break them.

I took night classes and joined a writer’s group, and very quickly realized that most of what I wrote wasn’t very good. I kept practicing and allowed myself to be coached and criticized by more accomplished writers. I also diversified my reading list to experience different kinds of writing and ideas. Even still, my first few drafts of a novel are still pretty terrible, but I now have a process that allows me to polish my work over time.

Blurb:

Atarah is a high school tomboy and a stellar athlete, but of below average height and beauty. This is a problem when everyone’s physical attributes and popularity are ranked by an AI computer called Big Social. Atarah has five days before the Crush-it dance to find her secret admirer and become popular or she will have little chance of acceptance to a top university and their romantic reality shows. A cryptic message warns Atarah that Big Social’s selfish protocols for human happiness is killing Earth. A plan to subvert the AI will require Atarah to find true love on the night of the dance.

Author Bio

TR Simmons writes science fiction/fantasy Romance novels that blur lines between possible worlds and the paranormal. His characters expand our understanding of what it means to be human living in revolutionary times. In this way, a thread of irony runs in tandem with his protagonists.

His publication, Evolutionary Digital Environment Net describes a global solution for climate change using a general AI that is the personification of the natural environment. This is a source for his fiction writing.

He has lived real-world experiences as an activist, political theorist, entrepreneur, politician, writer, husband, and father. He is also an avid motorcyclist and lives in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Website: www.trsimmons.com

Facebook: TR Simmons

Instagram: TR_Simmons

Author podcast: Living Side by Side with AI (Available on SoundCloud)

Tiktok: tr_simmons

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