Please help me welcome today’s guest, Shirley Goldberg with a fun new series…
Revamped, a Vampire Comedy
An energy vampire hungry for love meets the wisecracking woman of his parents’ nightmares.
Blurb:
Vampire Dante Allegretti hates his sucky life. Born into a family of energy siphoners, he’s desperate to reinvent himself as a fun-loving normal guy rather than a crowdsourcing parasite. To stop the draining urges, Dante resorts to grinding alternative meds in an ancient Mortar & Pestle, not knowing it contains magical properties.
Enter wisecracking thirty-year-old Sophie Arley, who lives with her clingy parents. Working three jobs and craving independence, she’s come back strong after a breakdown crashed her cozy world. So when the weird, hot guy she just met-cute asks Sophie to the movies, she agrees.
Sophie won’t spoil their magical connection by mentioning her heartbreak. And Dante dreads telling Sophie about his dark side. Will the power from the Mortar & Pestle guide them to their happily ever after despite the secrets and lies?
An excerpt/Teaser From Revamped
I marveled that since I first met Sophie, she hadn’t once lost her energy in my company. My meds were working and as long as I took them, I’d fool everyone, pass for a Foodish guy, normal as everyone else.
I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against me. She lifted her head and I kissed her, little smooches around her mouth. She put a hand on my jaw and tilted toward me, her mouth on mine tasting faintly of cranberries and wine.
“I’ve wanted to kiss you since––”
“Since the last time you kissed me?” she teased and stepped back. “I want to be kissed and kissed well. From now on.”
“Is that a line from a movie?”
“Not sure. It could be Scarlet O’Hara. It’s something she’d say.” She peered closely at me. “You do know who Scarlet O’Hara is, don’t you?”
A fun fact about me is this is my first paranormal romance. I’d never read paranormal until I started writing books and met fellow authors who wrote paranormal, fantasy, monster romance and shape shifters—all manner of romance. I also got out of my comfy reading box and began to read across genres.
What was the most difficult thing about writing with the other authors?
Feeling afraid I wouldn’t measure up or meet my deadlines. I put pressure on myself. It was comparisonitis.
What was the best thing about writing with other authors?
The support I got from my fellow authors, concrete and emotional. Everyone shares and we all benefit. Plus, we enjoyed a tubful of laughs. And adopted pirate lingo.
Author Bio:
Shirley Goldberg is a novelist and former ESL and French teacher who’s lived in Paris, Crete, and Casablanca. She often writes about men and women of a certain age dating. Middle Ageish, Eat Your Heart Out, and A Little Bit of Lust are part of her Starting Over trilogy. Revamped, her new vampire comedy, has a younger hero who’s also starting over. Revamped is part of the Mortar & Pestle series by seven authors coming in March.
Shirley’s characters all believe you should never leave home without your sense of humor and she agrees. Her website http://midagedating.com offers a humorous look at dating in mid-life, and her friends like to guess which stories are true.
To grab the FREE Prequel to the Mortar & Pestle series, see the link below.
Please help me welcome today’s guest, my friend and fellow author, Brenda Whiteside…
Writing murder mysteries is all in a day’s work until an obsessed fan brings Phoebe’s stories to life.
Blurb:
Mystery writer, Phoebe Anderson, owes her success to killing her first husband on paper seventeen years earlier. Now, someone has actually done it. Taking a few days to re-group on an isolated ranch, she doesn’t expect romance…or murder…to find her.
Mason Meadowlark is happy with his wild cowboy ways, avoiding love since the death of his baby and the end of his marriage twenty years before. When Phoebe shakes up his routine, he fights to control his emotions, fearing the pain of opening his heart again.
With an obsessed fan close on her heels, Phoebe is thrown into her own murder mystery…and the next target on the psychopath’s list is Mason.
Excerpt:
Phoebe shuddered and stilled.
Like the aftershocks of an earthquake, trembling overtook her body. Her knees wobbled, but Mason caught her before she collapsed.
“What’s wrong?” He hugged her briefly then brought his face even with hers. “Phoebe, tell me. Why are you shaking? What’s happened?”
“Oh my God, Mason.” She spread her hands on his chest and glanced back at the bathroom. “Tell someone to call an ambulance. Hurry!”
He took a step toward the ladies’ room, but she grabbed his shirtfront. “No!” She peered around him and shouted. “Someone call nine one one.”
Mason touched his pocket. “My cell’s in the truck.” He grabbed the shoulder of a male customer, the closest person to them. “You got a cell on you?”
The man nodded and pulled a phone from his pocket.
“Call nine one one right now. There’s been…” His face questioned her.
“Someone’s badly hurt in the bathroom. Oh hell, hurry!” She thumped her palms against his chest.
The man punched buttons on his cell as he raced into the ladies’ room.
Phoebe wrapped her arms around Mason, tipped her chin upward, and found the words. “It’s that waitress, Mason. Carla.”
His expression went blank, from concern for her to no comprehension.
“There’s so much blood.” She stifled a gag, the sweet, copper penny reek still heavy in her nostrils. “Her throat.” A shudder rippled the length of her body. “I think she’s dead.”
“What? How?”
“Christ Almighty.” The man staggered from the bathroom. “There’s a knife in her.” He stumbled past them, gained his footing, and stopped several feet into the dining room. His voice boomed above the slow chords coming from the stage. “There’s been a murder!”
The band stilled, and for an instant, so did the diners. A woman’s voice gasped, “Did he say murder?” Chairs scraped the floor, followed by the pitch of voices increasing. People left their chairs, and the room took on a chaotic motion.
A man near the stage stood and bolted toward the door. The sounds of sirens could already be heard in the distance. The man didn’t leave, but instead, blocked the doorway, raised his hands, and shouted, “Everyone stay right where you are.” He scanned the crowd. “Jake. Yeah, you. Go make sure the back entrance stays closed. No one is to leave.”
A gentle pat on her back released the tension between her shoulder blades. She moved with Mason as he shuffled her to the side of the hall leading into the ladies’ room.
His lips, soft against her earlobe, whispered, “He’s a cop.”
She folded into his tightened hug.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m nauseous.” The trembling lessened, but the effects of the ghastly scene still resonated through her. Carla’s head had lolled back, blood flowed from the gaping slash across her throat, and a knife protruded from her chest. Phoebe shivered. The scene was familiar. The residual odor of urine, blood, and pine air freshener clogged her head as if they’d combined to form a caustic cloud she’d inhaled.
“Understandable.”
Red lights could be seen through the curtained windows.
“There’s more, Mason. The way she is…how she looks.” She shook her head and shut her eyes tight. A shiver traveled the length of her body as she huddled so close against him an onlooker might not know where one body stopped and the other began.
Several uniformed policemen entered the front door, and after speaking to the off-duty policeman guarding the entrance, fanned out. One headed for the back of the restaurant, one took his position at the front door, and two hurried past them and into the ladies’ room.
“I can’t believe this.”
“I know, baby. Neither can I.”
A second later, paramedics rushed in and entered the restroom.
Her fisted hands on his back opened and caught his shirt in her fingers. “No, you don’t understand.” Her head was dizzy with the scene, a scene she’d created. How could this happen again? “It’s my book—”
Brenda Whiteside is the award-winning author of romantic suspense, romance, and cozy mystery. After living in six states and two countries—so far—she and her husband have settled in Central Arizona. They admit to being gypsies at heart and won’t discount the possibility of another move. They share their home with a rescue dog named Amigo. While FDW fishes, Brenda writes.
Welcome to my weekly feature where authors share about the hobbies, careers, or passions of their characters.
I’m pleased to introduce today’s guest, Jennifer Wilck…
Food Is My Love Language
The one comment I frequently get about my books, and that always makes me laugh, is, “Wow, you have a lot of food in your books.” I laugh because it’s true. My characters are always eating or cooking. Alright, maybe not always, but quite frequently.
There’s a reason for that. In my mind, food is about more than nutrition, it’s emotion, too. I don’t mean downing an entire gallon of ice cream after a bad breakup, although if it helps, you do you. Food is part of so many emotional rituals—milestone events like birthdays and anniversaries, weddings, funerals, reunions, and holidays. When I think about anything I’ve done with people I love, it always involves some sort of food.
When I cook for my family, I feel love and joy in being able to do something so basic yet necessary for them. Nothing makes me happier than cooking a favorite meal for one of my kids when they come home from school after being away for months. I enjoy preparing birthday treats probably more than my family does choosing them. And the surest way to know you’re a good friend is if I cook you dinner. Yes, even large holiday meals—time consuming and stressful—are ways that I show my feelings for my family and friends alike.
So, it makes perfect sense to me that my characters eat. Whether it’s going clamming on a first date and watching the sunset (A Heart Restrained), enjoying dessert at the best bakery in New York City (Five Minutes to Love) or enjoying a Fourth of July BBQ with good friends (In the Moment), my characters demonstrate their feelings with food.
As for me, if I have spare time, I cook or bake, much to the delight of my husband. My favorite things to bake are challah every Friday and chocolate chip cookies. I’m always looking for new recipes to try for meals, and I’ll eat almost anything once. I love trying to improve on things, whether it learning to bake a better bread or coming up with a new way to make chicken. In addition to feeding others and showing them how much I love them, it makes me feel good, too. And that’s the best part, isn’t it?
She refuses to sell him her company; will she give him her heart?
Blurb:
Caleb Zeno, a wealthy and successful media mogul, refuses to allow emotions into any aspect of his life, especially his entertainment corporation. When his company’s lifestyle website runs into competition from a small boutique company, the most logical solution is to buy out his rival.
Fiona Hamilton’s lifestyle website succeeds due to her loving and caring treatment of her clients, who have become like family to her. She has no desire to sell to anyone, much less a tattooed, muscled, automaton.
At odds professionally, Caleb and Fiona come together as a favor for Caleb’s sister. Sparks fly and sexual chemistry abounds. But Caleb can’t let go of his abusive past and be the man Fiona needs, and she is unwilling to risk independence and financial security for anything less than a perfect happily ever after. Can they put their differences aside to find a viral kind of love?
Excerpt:
“Wouldn’t you enjoy this more if it were in English?”
She paused and shifted so she faced him, one leg bent under her, the other dangling off the edge. “Absolutely not! Telenovelas are so much more emotional than American TV.”
“Why don’t you at least research online to find a plot summary?”
“I’m happy with the way things are,” she said. “I don’t need to hear the words to feel the story.”
“But…you’re crying.”
She smiled through her tears and wiped her cheeks. “I know.”
Staring at her, his heart rate increased, and he tamped the panic her tears caused. At first, he thought pain caused her tears, but her rapt attention to the screen made him realize otherwise.
Why would she want to do this to herself? And how could she enjoy a show she couldn’t understand?
He should leave, before she recognized his complete lack of comprehension. But her rapt attention to the screen fascinated him. She was smart—his business dealings with her had proven it. Yet she focused as if she understood her show.
She stared at the TV screen, but he couldn’t take his gaze off her. Her skin, despite its bruising, was luminous. Her lips were parted, and she gripped the edges of the sofa cushions until her knuckles turned white. This close to her, heat radiated from her body. He could hear a faint sigh.
If she were this passionate about a television show, how passionate would she be if he kissed her?
Jennifer started telling herself stories as a little girl when she couldn’t fall asleep at night. Pretty soon, her head was filled with these stories and the characters that populated them. Even as an adult, she thinks about the characters and stories at night before she falls asleep or walking the dog. Eventually, she started writing them down. Her favorite stories to write are those with smart, sassy, independent heroines; handsome, strong and slightly vulnerable heroes; and her stories always end with happily ever after.
In the real world, she’s the mother of two amazing daughters and wife of one of the smartest men she knows. She believes humor is the only way to get through the day and does not believe in sharing her chocolate.
Jennifer Wilck is an award-winning contemporary romance author for readers who are passionate about love, laughter, and happily ever after. Known for writing both Jewish and non-Jewish romances, her books feature damaged heroes, sassy and independent heroines, witty banter and hot chemistry. Jennifer’s ability to transport the reader into the scene, create characters the reader will fall in love with, and evoke a roller coaster of emotions, will hook you from the first page. You can find her books at all major online retailers in a variety of formats.
Please help me welcome today’s guest, Stella Grae…
Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?
I’m an English professor living in Lexington, Kentucky, but grew up in Tennessee. I’m a bibliophile and absolutely love teaching literature. I’m not married, but have a great partner who is very supportive of my writing. While I don’t have any pets, I do have books—shelves and shelves of books in my house. I’m thinking of getting a cat, but we’ll see. I’m still on the fence about that one. Cooking and trying new bourbons are my creature comforts right now, and I’m convinced that there’s nothing that cheese grits can’t make better!
Is there anything in particular you want to share about Just Call Me Confidence?
So, this will be an interesting answer because most authors pull some part of themselves into a work, even if it’s just their own personal fantasies. Just Call Me Confidence and its sequel, which I’m working on right now, were both born of a failed relationship. I was lonely in the relationship, but didn’t want to do anything stupid, so I created characters and situations that were based a little on reality, but twisted them to create the kind of relationship that I actually had wished I had had. Instead of doing the wrong thing I wrote it. The relationship fizzled, but fortunately, the plot sizzled.
What is the most difficult thing about writing a book?
For me, I think the most difficult part of writing any book is allowing the character to evolve organically, which is why I’m not a writer who outlines. I open a vein and let it pour out; I’m a pantser all the way! With erotica, the challenge is writing the love scenes. Not only do you have to find different words for different “things” or acts, but you endeavor to have some variety—just like in real life. I experiment a lot to make sure I’m getting it right—wink, wink.
What book have you read that you wish you had written?
I love, love, love Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. That is a hell of a piece of art. I’ve read it multiple times and every time I’m floored with jealousy. It’s a great example of how an author can completely intertwine all the points of view into one crazy, beautiful, creepy narrative. Adore Flynn as a writer!
What do you want readers to come away with after they read Just Call Me Confidence?
I’d really like for my readers to come away with the idea that you can rebrand and refine your confidence at any point in your life, especially if you’ve endured a rough patch. Sex appeal (like beauty) is in the eye of the beholder, so don’t get caught up in looking young; get caught up in being confident with who you are. It’s never too late to go after what you want!
What is your favorite quote?
My favorite quote, by far, is when Fielding, Jenna’s BFF, is comforting her after an unusual break up. Jenna is worried how Fielding and other people will see her. Fielding says, “I’ll never stoop to calling you a whore because you’re simply acting like a woman with a man’s morals.” That’s a perfect quote to me because even in 2023, sometimes women are held to different standards. Jenna and Fielding aren’t having any of that nonsense!
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 🙂
Hands down I would hang with Jenna’s BFF Fielding. She’s fun, flirty, dirty-minded, smart as hell, compassionate, and kind. She’s the kind of woman I’d like to be, and the kind who would take you to the adult bookstore for a toy if you didn’t have one—no shame in her game. Of course, she’d also hold you and feed you pizza and beer if that’s what you needed. I can imagine that if we spent the day together we’d hit a bar with great food for lunch (and dinner!), then spend time hiking, and try to go to a concert. It would be an epic adventure!
What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
I think the toughest criticism has always been any rejection—for any reason. As an author, you spend so much time preparing your book for the world and you dream big, then…rejection. One of the worst rejections came from an editor who said I should stick to writing what I know, which I think is awful advice because think of all the books that would never have come to be! The absolute best compliment came from an acquisitions editor for a very well known publisher (she’s acquired books that have sold millions of copies—squeal!) and she loved Just Call Me Confidence. She read it all, told me she loved the story and the characters, and said it reminded her of Sex and the City, but it was too spicy for the publisher’s line. It was a great compliment though! I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
Oh, they definitely are based on real people, but my characters usually end up being an amalgam of different people—reality mixed with fantasy to fill in the gaps. Of course, you don’t want to be sued, so you do have to take what you create and mold it enough so that doesn’t happen. I’m not sure I could entirely create a character without a real-life inspiration.
Who is the most famous person you have ever met?
I’m not really into celebrities, but I could totally be a stalker when it comes to famous authors. I once met Silas House at a book fair and was on cloud nine for like two weeks. He was very cordial and accommodating. He spoke to me a little bit about writing and signed my book.
How did you come up with the title?
Just Call Me Confidence originally had another title that was pretty naughty, so my editor said, “Look, the book will be thrown into the dungeons of Amazon if we don’t change the title.” So, I read and re-read the first couple of chapters and sketched out title after title until I honed in on that idea: confidence. I liked that the protagonist was kind of sassy and it just all came together. I penned the new title on a piece of scrap paper and I knew it was the one!
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
The most important message is just to be confident in who you are and don’t look back. Don’t have regrets, don’t yearn for a past time, just live in the now, in the moment, and love where you are.
How much of the book is realistic?
There are definitely some love scenes that I derived from experience, shall we say, but the relationships are totally fantasy, not to say it couldn’t happen. The most realistic parts are the scenes between Jenna and Fielding. That is best friend love at its finest. There’s a lot of comedy, too—laughing at the pains in life, which for me, is very realistic, and something I highly recommend.
With two men vying for her heart, Jenna Craig is ready to reclaim her confidence, but is she ready for Mr. Right or Mr. Right Now?
Excerpt:
I hold my breath and walk into the club. My skin swells with goose bumps and I hear the catch in my own nervous voice.
Inside these four walls I could meet my fantasy, my desire, and maybe even my destiny. Or, maybe just a really good time–just for tonight. I can do whatever I want to do because tonight, I’m free–in so many ways.
The bass pumps through my body while I scan the men and women, grinding in slow motion waves. A fever breaks out all over my body with a sudden mist of sweat collecting in the small of my back and between my breasts. I want that to be me.
My mind suddenly takes a Debbie-Downer side trip: Am I still young enough, hot enough, and savvy enough to start over? I know I’m not the prettiest woman out there, but that’s not what entices a man and keeps him coming back for more. It’s strength and substance, and those can only come from confidence, which is derived from experience. I have interesting sports stories. I can intelligently discuss, and have an opinion about politics, economics, and social issues. I’m educated; I have a real job. I’ve traveled, and I can cook. I’ve had a wide variety of experiences, which makes me interesting, and sexy-as-hell confident.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt that I can screw without hang-ups, unlike many of my younger sisters-in-arms. And apparently, that makes me hot, especially to the under-thirty-and-male crowd.
The guys here are too young to understand the difference, though, but I think, that’s kinda liberating…no explaining my past, no worry about the future. It’s all about the here and now. YOLO…
I laugh and smile, getting a secret thrill out of the college-aged guys sitting behind my friends and me, rubbernecking on us. The brown-haired clown in the group hijacks me with his hazel eyes and mouthes, “Call me.” Keep the drinks coming fellas, maybe you’ll get lucky, and you’ll definitely go broke trying.
My face aches from smiling so much. I think tonight proved something I’ve forgotten about myself. When I get a whistle or a double-take, or even a lingering look, I know I cannot deny it: For better or worse, I still have it. Just call you, huh, baby? Just call me confidence.
Stella Grae is an unassuming English professor, copyeditor, and copywriter living in Lexington, Kentucky. She’s the author of the short story “Power Play” that was originally published in the website erotica journal Oysters and Chocolate. In her spare time she enjoys sipping on bourbon, nibbling cheesy grits, and philosophizing about love and sex in her blog, “Bone Up,” which can be found on her website along with other sexy tidbits. This is her first erotica novel.
Welcome to my weekly feature where authors share about the hobbies, careers, or passions of their characters.
I’m pleased to introduce today’s guest, Nicole Earp…
A Passion to Solve Crime
Brenda Whiteside having chocolate martinis with her sister
Hi, my name is Nicole Earp, but everyone calls me Nic. I’m half of the Chocolate Martini Sisters. Thank you, Alicia, for having me on your blog today to talk about my hobby or career passion. I love the word passion, don’t you? It implies such deep feelings about whatever spins your top.
I’m a freelance travel author. My articles appear in travel magazines and on various online sites. I love to visit out of the way places around the western United States and write about my experiences. Most recently, I was lucky enough to do a series of articles about train travel. Riding the rail was great fun.
I dabble in candle making too, but most recently I’ve discovered a new passion—sleuthing with my sister Em. Solving murder mysteries that seem to fall in our laps is great fun. Oh, please don’t take that wrong. The poor souls who meet their demise at the hands of others is a sad state of affairs. Em and I both love seeing justice done for them. And we’re quite good at following the clues to do just that. Chief Homicide Detective Ben Guthrie isn’t fully appreciative of our talents. But honestly, I think the crimes are solved so much quicker with the Chocolate Martini Sisters on the caper.
I hope you’ll join us in Wyatt, Arizona at the historical Dulce Inn and Azul Saloon to follow the clues and the fun. At the end, we’ll toast with a chocolate martini.
It’s a birthday weekend with the gift of murder.
Recently widowed, Emma Banefield looks forward to a getaway birthday weekend with her free-wheeling sister, Nicole Earp, sipping chocolate martinis at the peaceful, historic Dulce Inn. When a rude stranger, a nasty food critic, and a madhouse of temperamental artists greet them, all hope for a tranquil weekend evaporates faster than dew on a hot desert morning.
Overlooking the riotous atmosphere is doubly hard after Em discovers the body of a hotel guest, and a second murder affects Nic personally. Now, entrenched in a caper that pits them against a surly detective, they cozy up to a hotel staff hiding dangerous secrets to uncover clues to the killer.
Using their smarts and love of all-things mystery, will the Chocolate Martini Sisters solve the crime ahead of the obstinate Chief Detective or find themselves trapped in the middle of a third murder?
Excerpt:
“I was thinking, Em, if Shaw is a nasty food critic, and I have no doubt he is, we could do an Internet search. Check out who he’s trashed.” She plucked her phone from her bag.
Her sister frowned. “Or we could relax and enjoy what’s left of our sister holiday, at least for a few hours.” She stood. “Let’s walk across to the art fair in the park. I could use a break from murder and mayhem.”
“Great idea. Maybe I could find something for Chloe for her birthday.” The mention of her daughter brought Liam to mind. She wanted to ask Em if she’d heard from her son, but supposed that if she had, she would’ve mentioned it. Best leave it alone or her sister would start worrying again. She glanced out the window. “I need to get a hat before we go. I don’t see a cloud in the sky.” She slung her purse over her shoulder and stood. “I’ll make a quick run upstairs. You want to go, or can I get you anything?”
“No. I’ll stroll around the lobby while you run upstairs.”
“Ha. You’re still sleuthing in spite of being tired of the drama. Or is it Chief Homicide Detective Guthrie you hope to run into?” She elbowed her sister as they left the restaurant and entered the lobby.
“Get your stupid hat and meet me out front.” Em’s lighthearted gleam downplayed her feigned grousing. “And hurry or I’ll leave without you.”
She chuckled and hurried through the lobby, dodging guests ambling amongst the exhibition pieces. While waiting for the elevator, she surveyed the activity. A brittle air had settled over the stately room and charged the lobby with a tense ambiance. News of the murder must have already spread like a brush fire over the Bradshaw Mountains. Guests whispered furtively to one another, the gist of which appeared to have nothing to do with the art they perused.
Penelope was nowhere to be seen. Another employee and Stonewell, heads together, manned the front desk. An office door opened. Ramirez stuck his head out, glanced about, then ducked back inside. Who or what did he seek? Jillian’s office door was closed. Detective Guthrie could very likely have commandeered her space for interviewing guests and employees. Would he have a docket of suspects by the end of the day? The elevator dinged. Nic smiled. Would his list match the Chocolate Martini Sisters’ litany of suspects?
Buy here:
About the authors:
Joyce Proell is the award-winning author of Amaryllis, Eliza and the Cady Delafield mysteries: A Deadly Truth, A Burning Truth and A Wicked Truth. Along with her husband and little dog, Nellie, she lives in Minnesota in her very own little house on the prairie. She loves to hear from readers.
Brenda Whiteside is the award-winning author of romantic suspense, romance, and cozy mystery. After living in six states and two countries—so far—she and her husband have settled in Central Arizona. They admit to being gypsies at heart and won’t discount the possibility of another move. They share their home with a rescue dog named Amigo. While FDW fishes, Brenda writes.
Please help me welcome today’s guest, Everlyn C Thompson…
Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from?
I was born and raised in Alberta. I love to spend time outdoors, but when it’s cold out you can find me inside writing, knitting, baking and talking to my houseplants.
This is where I do my best thinking
Why did you choose this genre (is it something you’ve written in before)?
I write paranormal romance and urban fantasy because thats what I love to read. I want to give my readers the same feeling I get when I read books by my favorite authors.
Was there anything unusual, any anecdote about this book, the characters, title, process, etc, you’d like to share?
I wrote this book during the covid lockdown because I maxed out all of the digital downloads on all three of my library cards for the month and I had nothing to read.
What is the most difficult thing about writing a book?
Finding time. Life keeps getting in the way.
What was the most difficult thing about this one in particular?
It was my first attempt at writing, so I wasn’t sure if I could do it – and once it was finished, I wasn’t sure if it was any good.
What do you love that most people don’t like and wouldn’t understand why you do?
Mustard on everything. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.
Do you collect anything?
Rubber ducks. It started as a small hobby when I was 16, and somehow snowballed into hundreds of ducks taking over my basement.
What’s the main thing that you could get rid of in your life that would give you more writing time?
Responsibilities. If I didn’t have to bother with all the tasks that come with being a human being, then I’d have so much more time to write. Showering, brushing my hair, getting dressed, eating, sweeping the floors—it all takes so much time that would be better spent writing.
What do you want readers to come away with after they read A Flock of Vampires?
The overwhelming need to leave a positive review. Seriously, the more stars the better.
What is your favorite quote?
Anna: Okay, can I just say something crazy? Hans: I love crazy!
If you could be a character in any of your books, who would you be?
Keltti (from A Flock of Vampires) or Theo (from my Grave Reaper Series) because they both end up finding happily ever after.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
My characters are 100% fictional. If I was lucky enough to know any super hot vampires or fae, I wouldn’t be sitting at my laptop writing about them because I’d be too busy hanging out with them.
Blurb:
As an elite Vampire Warrior, Stu’s only goal is helping his race survive the war-until a Witch stumbles into the crosshairs, and he realizes he’s found his true mate.
Excerpt:
The Vampire looked down at her. His eyes glinted harshly in the moonlight, a warning that he was even more dangerous than the Vampire’s that had attacked them. And didn’t that just make her want to…
Yeah, she wanted to kiss him. Not a friendly kiss, but a passionate one, full of the life that she was grateful for. Would he meet her halfway? Judging by his feral expression, he was more interested in killing something with his bare hands than humoring a lonely Witch.
Born and raised on the beautiful Canadian prairies, Everlyn prefers to spend her time outdoors with her family kayaking, skating, fishing, and hunting. She loves reading and writing about vampires, witches, fae and zombies that get to find their own version of happily ever after.
Please help me welcome author D.V. Stone with an interview and her new release…
Hi, I’m D. V. Stone. Currently, I’m in Northern Florida living the life of a Snowbird in my 5th Wheel Camper with my husband of twenty-eight years, Pete, Hali, my doggo, and an almost twenty-year-old camp cat, Baby, who loves traveling and camping. We’ll be home in Northern New Jersey in April.
Sea Hunter is book four of The Mortar & Pestle Series. This is my first cooperative writing with six other amazing authors. It was a pleasure working with them. We are made up of international authors of different genres and vast backgrounds who came together and are offering this exciting, often humorous series. From world travelers, teachers, bloggers, magazine editors, and award winners, there’s something for everyone in this series. Paranormal to contemporary and various heat-levels, but we made it work.
Interview:
~Do you collect anything?
I have a parliament of owls. Yes, a flock of owls is a parliament. At home, in my camper, the décor is owlish. When choosing one to add to my collection, it’s all about the eyes. Sometimes they are just weird. My most recent addition is a mercury-glass owl who stands about a foot high. Small figurines that stand on a pile of books are my favorite. I’m always on the lookout.
~What was your first job?
I’ve worked at least one, if not two, paying jobs since I was sixteen. But I’m going to count before that. I lived on a dairy farm and milked cows and goats. Mucking out the barns. Feeding all the livestock. In the summer, we plowed, planted, harvested, mowed, baled, etc. Farming is hard work, and even little kids pitched in by feeding chickens and collecting eggs.
~ What do you want readers to come away with after they read [your book]?
I want readers to find hope and happiness in my work. Life is tough. If we can escape for a little while and enjoy a great story with a happy ending, I’ve done my job.
~ What is your favorite quote?
Your thoughts of God are too human. Martin Luther
~What celebrity would you most like to be stranded on an island with?
Lassie. She’d snuggle and help me out of bad situations.
~What do you want your tombstone to say?
Even when it was scary, she did it.
Or— She made a difference.
~How much of the book is realistic?
Sea Hunter is my first book set in historical reality. Post WWII. I did so much research and even traveled to Maine and Cape Cod to visit naval museums. I spent time on the computer reading about underwater archeology, diving, sea life, and the dangers of diving off the east coast due to mines. My favorite part was learning the vernacular popular in the post-war era.
GIVEAWAY:
I’m giving away a free sample of all the books in the Mortar & Pestle Series via Bookfunnel at https://dl.bookfunnel.com/b1ytv2r7nq no requirements
On the turbulent high seas, an archeologist must protect a historic shipwreck from treasure hunters—not fall for one.
Series Blurb
A wisp of smoke, a swirl of promise, a breath of destiny…a message within the Mortar & Pestle for those who want to believe. Throughout time people have sought their heart’s desire. But true love is often elusive. Carved with ancient Norse runes, the Mortar & Pestle shows paths to happily-ever-afters. Once you capture the Mortar & Pestle’s scent of magic, you’ll want to read all seven individual romances.
Sea Hunter: Blurb
Zahra Corbyn.
I’m a Sea Hunter. As an underwater archeologist and professor of antiquities, it is my duty to stop treasure hunters and looters from raiding Sea Wraith. But fate is a funny thing. Now I find myself working with Jack Alexander, a treasure hunter, to protect history from a known looter. Did my heart’s desire change?
Captain Jack Alexander.
I’ve been told women on a ship are unlucky, but this one has the two pieces of the map I need to finally claim Sea Wraith. Now I find myself in a deal that makes me one-third partner with her and a known scoundrel.
Can the two unlikely allies work together while safeguarding their hearts against the power of the Mortar and Pestle?
If you like Lara Croft and Indiana Jones, you’ll love Zahra Corbyn and Jack Alexander.
Excerpt:
Zahra flailed when he pitched her over the rail of the steamer.
The sneering smile got smaller, and he saluted before the frigid Atlantic water closed over her.
Splashing into the rough water, she suppressed her initial gasp. As an experienced diver, she understood the peril of aspirating saltwater. However, her heartbeat was out of control. When the disorienting shock of hitting the cold ocean in the darkness dissipated, she kicked toward the surface, following the bubbles up. Gasping and sputtering, she stared at the disappearing ship while treading water in its wake.
The fall hurt, but it hadn’t killed her, not like the cold water would. Already her arms and legs were becoming uncoordinated. Tingling along the nerves turned into stabs of pain. Her muscles contracted. Thinking became muddled.
In the distance, a lighthouse flashed a beacon before another wave swamped her.
Zahra kicked her way back to the surface, but a current dragged at her legs like a sea monster’s tendrils.
So close to home, and she would die out here. Alone. Killed by the elements she loved and researched. Maybe another underwater archaeologist would find and study pieces of her clothes and jewelry.
She’d survived two ocean crossings, a world war, and a stint working for the Office of Strategic Services.
Boston was only about fifty nautical miles away.
She’d read most deadly accidents happened close to home.
Stop and focus, Zahra.
Surfacing once more, she coughed and turned three hundred sixty degrees, looking for anything to help her. A buoy, a plank, floating garbage.
She wasn’t shivering anymore. Uh-oh, this was it. Her body was shutting down. Slowly, she descended below the surface. A flicker of light caught her attention. Was that a ship? Or rather the wreck of one? She must be hallucinating.
The depth of the water here wasn’t bad, considering. Only about twenty to thirty feet. Could it be Sea Wraith? Archeologists and fortune hunters had been searching for her for years. The figurehead poking from the sand and silt resembled a specter with its gaping maw and tendrils like an octopus. Spots developed in her vision. The last thing she saw was the shape of a man standing on the ship’s figurehead.
D. V. Stone is an award-winning, multi-genre, traditionally and independently published author. She writes books people want to read. Whether romance or fantasy, contemporary or mid-grade, her stories are about the importance of friends and family. About overcoming obstacles while often with humor.
Around the Fire is a popular weekly blog where she introduces both established and new authors giving an insider’s look into their lives and books as well as tidbits about her own life.
Now retired, she is a full-time author and incorporates her life experiences into her books.
A former Emergency Medical Technician, she volunteered in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. At the same time, she worked as a professional EMT in a women’s state prison. She was the proprietor of a coffee shop, and a small restaurant/ice cream stand in the years that followed. The years following were as a manager in an animal emergency hospital, while her last position was in a human medical office.
When not behind the wheel of 2Hoots—a 41-foot long 13.2 feet high 5th Wheel camper, she rambles around town in Northern New Jersey in a white Camaro. She also loves travel and history.
D.V. is a wife to an amazing husband, mother to one son, and not your average grandma to three beautiful grands. A woman of faith, she believes and trusts in God.
“My greatest pleasures are spending time outside with friends and family, cooking over the open fire, sipping a glass of wine, and reading.”
Hali, her rescue dog, always reminds her to let readers know, “Woof, woof.” Which is loosely translated as support your local animal rescue.”
Please help me welcome today’s guest, Lee Renwick Steele, with her fabulous novel, Griselda Rella…
A fairy-blessed gift, an inherited burden, and a scheming stepsister… Cinderella reimagined.
Blurb
Sixteen-year-old Griselda and her father have a secret—fairy sight, a trait punishable by death. Her world is upended when her father is killed, her mother remarries, and her new stepfather dies of illness. Griselda must grapple with her scheming stepsister, the burden of fairy sight inherited from her father, and a pair of fairy-blessed slippers. A young-adult fairy story, GRISELDA RELLA is a reimaging of the Cinderella story, by Charles Perrault, with the heroine and adversary characters reversed.
Excerpt:
I strode across the dandelion dotted yard scattering chickens, robins, and fairies in my haste, an open-ended basket swinging from one hand, a pair of clippers clenched in the other, my mind whirling like a storm. No one could replace my father, not for me, not for my family, not for the kingdom.
Reaching the flowers bordering the yard, I threw the basket and clippers on the dirt near the dried-up hyacinths and daffodils. “Stupid bandits,” I sobbed, snot dripping from my nose. “Stupid, stupid bandits.”
The sun, now one-quarter of its journey through the sky, warmed my face but not my heart. I brushed past the flowering red azaleas and pink rhododendrons, skirted around Isabella’s arbor-covered garden bench, angled through the freshly sprouting vegetable and herb gardens, and stumbled my way past the sheds to the fallow field about an arrow’s shot from the cottage.
I threw my black-clothed self to the ground and glared back at the cottage. How could my mother marry this man, Lord Rella, not yet two months after my father’s death? He was wealthy to be sure, but the man had very little sense—I was sure of it. And he would never be a father to me.
Lee Renwick Steele lives with an orange and white kitty in a small home situated near red maples, rhododendron shrubs, and abundant avian wildlife: juncos, robins, white-crowned sparrows, towhees, and the occasional flicker pecking in the attic. She has an MFA in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults and is a member of her local writers’ association and SCBWI. She enjoys reading, writing, traveling, long walks, spending time with family and friends, and moments of quiet. GRISELDA RELLA is her first novel.
Please help me welcome author Susie Black with the moments that changed her life, and her latest release, Death By Pins and Needles.
10 Moments That Changed My Life
Getting my driver’s license was the moment I experienced tangible independence for the first time and it shaped the way I approached life. I learned to plan ahead, think proactively, and that with independence comes responsibility and ownership of ones decisions and actions.
Receiving my college diploma and graduating Magna Cum Laude was the moment that pride and a tremendous sense of accomplishment taught me to always reach for the stars and that nothing is impossible if you believe in yourself.
Answering the phone call from my apparel sales rep dad asking me to come to Atlanta and take over a trade show when he was called away to deal with a family emergency changed everything in my entire life. It precipitated a challenging and unexpected lifestyle and career change, leaving my friends and comfort zone with a cross-country move from LA to Atlanta to a region that was completely different in every aspect from the one I had lived almost all my life in. But most important, I learned to trust my gut, take chances, and not be afraid to fail.
My first solo road trip traveling the southern states after accepting the sales rep position my dad offered me was the beginning of a career where I successfully broke every glass ceiling in an historically male-dominated industry.
The first entry I ever made to my daily journal as a sales exec would someday be the foundation of leveraging my apparel sales career into a successful writing gig. Those journal entries gave me the characters and stories to tell.
Answering the phone call from my future husband and accepting a blind date with him set up by a mutual friend changed my life. A blind date was not something I was interested in, but my friend was so insistent, that I accepted out of sheer curiosity. By the end of the evening, I was glad I’d taken the call. Forty plus years later, I am still glad.
My wedding day six months after my husband and I went out on our blind date changed my life in countless, wonderful ways. My mother always said to marry a man who makes you laugh every day. I did, and he still does.
When the doctor put my newborn son into my arms for the first time, I was certain that my life was never going to be the same. And it wasn’t. Thank goodness. The awesome sense of responsibility and unconditional love that filled my heart was overwhelming and remains there to this day.
When I left my son at his college dorm, I cried tears of joy mixed with anguish realizing my reward for doing a wonderful job of raising him was that he would not be living under my roof again.
Signing my first publishing contract and then seeing my debut cozy mystery novel Death by Sample Size posted on Amazon the first time filled me with an unparalleled sense of accomplishment and pride. And proof positive that things happen for a reason, even when I didn’t always understand why. My Nana predicted when I began my career that the reason I became an apparel industry sales exec is because I was destined to write about my experiences. As usual, my wise Nana was right.
FREE GIVEAWAY:
Susie has a giveaway for each of you… CLICK HERE to get your FREE copy of her Swimwear Fit Guidebook.
(Link for Fit Guide: Please insert this link at the end of the post with the instruction to click it for a FREE swimwear fit guide.)
She gave ‘skeleton in the closet’ a whole new meaning.
BLURB: Who wanted Lissa Charney dead? The list was as long as your arm….but which one actually killed her? The last thing Mermaid Swimwear sales exec Holly Schlivnik expected to find when she opened the closet door was nasty competitor Lissa Charney’s battered corpse nailed to the wall. When Holly’s colleague is wrongly arrested for Lissa’s murder, the wise-cracking, irreverent amateur sleuth sticks her nose everywhere it doesn’t belong to sniff out the real killer. Nothing turns out the way she thinks it will as Holly matches wits with a heartless killer hellbent for revenge.
Excerpt:
I walked to Lissa’s in case God made a mistake, and by some miracle, she’d hung around. The Royal showroom lights were dark, but the internal ones leading to the offices blazed bright as a beacon. For giggles and squeaks, I pushed on Lissa’s showroom door. Remarkably, it opened. Hot Diggity Dog. Amazingly, the fabric Goddess covered my play. My envelope with the fabric swatches lay on the first workstation table. Now for the key, and I’d be all set.
“Lissa,” I called out, “It’s Holly from Mermaid. I came for my package. Thanks a bunch for accepting it. Listen, Patti left early and I forgot my mart key in my desk drawer at the factory. Can you give me my spare?” Dead silence. Weird. Maybe she’s on the phone with her office door closed?
“Lissa,” I funneled my hands around my mouth into a megaphone and yelled, “It’s Holly Schlivnik from Mermaid.” Still a whole lotta dead air. God short-changed me in the height department at four feet nine inches tall, but the Good Lord compensated for it by blessing me with a strong set of pipes. Unless the woman was deaf as a post, no way she couldn’t hear me.
The clock said eight minutes left. Crap. Buyers in this industry are famous for keeping vendors waiting. My luck, I get the one who’s never late. I stuck my head out in the hall. Hallelujah. Lady Luck smiled down on me. No Sue Ellen. If the congestion goddess loved me, the Queen of Mean sat stuck in Friday night rush hour traffic with the rest of the homebound Angelinos.
Since shouting at the top of my lungs failed to get her attention, I went back to Lissa’s office. Lights on, but nobody home. Her beige leather purse sat on the desk with her keys on top of it. I jangled the chain. Lots of keys, but none of them mine. I slid my fingers over the grainy purse to move it out of the way, and my digits got coated with dust. Weird. I opened all the drawers and rooted around her desk, but no key. Her jacket lay haphazardly draped on her chair behind the desk. She obviously hadn’t left for the day, but I’d combed the place from one end to another and found no sign of Lissa. Where the Sam Hill could she be? Not in the showroom. Not in her office. Not in the kitchen. Not in the copier room. In the ladies’ room? Abducted by aliens? Hiding in a closet? I was out of options and time; so, for giggles and squeaks, I pulled open the doors to the enormous sample closet that stretched across the back wall and peered inside. Good news. I found Lissa Charney. The question was; did she have my key?
Named Best US Author of the Year by N. N. Lights Book Heaven, award-winning cozy mystery author Susie Black was born in the Big Apple but now calls sunny Southern California home. Like the protagonist in her Fashion & Foul Play Mystery Series, Susie is a successful apparel sales executive. Susie began telling stories as soon as she learned to talk. Now she’s telling all the stories from her garment industry experiences in humorous mysteries.
She reads, writes, and speaks Spanish, albeit with an accent that sounds like Mildred from Michigan went on a Mexican vacation and is trying to fit in with the locals. Since life without pizza and ice cream as her core food groups wouldn’t be worth living, she’s a dedicated walker to keep her girlish figure. A voracious reader, she’s also an avid stamp collector. Susie lives with a highly intelligent man and has one incredibly brainy but smart-aleck adult son who inexplicably blames his sarcasm on an inherited genetic defect.
Please help me welcome Kitty Shields with a fun interview and her new release!
Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?
Although I’ve lived in a few cities like L.A., Boston, Albany, right now I’m just outside Philly which is where I grew up. Interesting facts about me: I once helped move a curl of the Statue of Liberty, I started a Bookbinding Barbie Instagram account and she traveled around the country, and I’ve taken art classes in the back of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. I have a black cat named Jinx, who I wanted to name after the cat from Hocus Pocus, but I remembered it wrong. (That cat’s name is Binks; can you blame me?) Generally, I’m an all around geek girl.
Where did you get the idea for Pillar of Heaven? Was there anything unusual, any anecdote about this book, the characters, title, process, etc, you’d like to share?
Pillar of Heaven came from the frustration of being stuck in a barista job post-college and trying desperately to get out of it. It was right before the 2008 recession, the economy was incredibly slow. No one was hiring and it felt like my entire generation was stuck. In response, I started writing this story and it’s evolved with me as I learned how to write. It’s set in Boston, which is where I was living at the time, and a lot of the places mentioned in the book are real. I did a #traveltuesday tour on my Instagram through a lot of those places to give readers an idea of where things occur. The funniest thing about Pillar is that the evil boss, Mr. Waites, is named after my boss at the time who was, in fact, the nicest guy ever. I really needed a surname though and I was so burnt out I couldn’t think of anything and then Waites stuck.
Are there any tricks, habits or superstitions you have when creating a story?
For me, my biggest “trick” is allowing myself to daydream. I don’t think people let themselves do that anymore, like give themselves time and space to space out. We’re conditioned to be always on the go, always moving. There’s this collective image we have of a writer sitting at a computer or in front of a blank writing book and being struck by lightning as the story magically flows out of them. Conversely, writer’s block is staring mournfully at the blank screen or page just waiting. It’s weird. I am constantly composing in my head. Whether that’s during my commute or in the shower or just lying on the couch—I spend time with my characters prompting them with new conflict and seeing what happens. When it feels right for that moment in the story and those characters, I’ll commit it to the page. And later I still might delete it. That’s okay. Like with any creative endeavor, you have to learn to let bits go.
My other trick is to not rush the story. If I hit writer’s block, I save, close out that document, and open another. Usually, I have anywhere from ten to fifteen stories in progress. Some, like Pillar, I’ve had for years and the story just isn’t there yet. I don’t worry about it. It’ll be finished when it’s ready or it won’t. I think, in this way, I’m on George R.R. Martin’s side of the time debate.
What book have you read that you wish you had written?
I’d have to say Sexing the Cherry by Jeanette Winterson. She writes these sharp literary books that weave myth, identity, and tragic love together. Sexing the Cherry follows a few characters including the Dog Lady, a giantess who breeds dogs on the banks of the river Thames. Another character is the Dog Lady’s son Jordan, who goes on the journey with Darwin to the Galapagos and also falls in love with one of the twelve dancing princesses. It’s not a long book, but Winterson has this ability to cut with her words. I have legitimately flinched while reading her books, or stopped and put the book down, taken a deep breath, and had to marinate on a sentence I just read. She is not for everybody. And I don’t think it’s that she’s super profound or her work is life-changing. I do think she writes on a wavelength that affects me. My work tends to be a little absurd and (hopefully) funny, but I would love it if it’s on a wavelength for someone else. That my work affects them, in a good way, and stays with them the way Winterson stays with me.
Do you have another occupation, other than writer? If so, what is it and do you like it?
I am a certified bookbinder. Yup, that is still a thing. I do repair work, build custom boxes, and rebind books so that they look like they came out of the Hogwarts library. A few years ago, I did an internship with the National Parks Service, working on conservation for books from the library of FDR. That was super cool. Bookbinding is a great compliment to writing. Writing occupies the mind, whereas bookbinding forces you to slow down and be patient, while it occupies the hands. It’s sort of my resting space from writing.
What do you love that most people don’t like and wouldn’t understand why you do?
Philadelphia. No, seriously, as a city we are inordinately proud of ourselves and, let’s be honest, we don’t have real reasons to be. Our sports teams are meh, our fans are aggressive, and we beat up Santa Claus. But when you’re born here, you are genetically coded with this ridiculous pride in Philly. We love our pretzels, cheese in a can, and wooder ice. Linguists have studied our colloquial terms because they are unique in the entire U.S. Exhibit A: jawn, which can mean anything depending on the context. We have a museum dedicated to medical oddities. We were founded by a Quaker and have one of the highest murder rates in the country. If you had to categorize the “Philadelphian Spirit” it would be a poltergeist. But I can’t help it; I love this city.
What do you want readers to come away with after they read Pillar of Heaven?
Honestly, I just want people to enjoy themselves. This is not a book intended to change your life. It’s about the absurdity of life, from coffee culture to corporate espionage to classic rock. If you come away feeling like it was money well spent, I’d be happy.
What actors would you like in the main roles if your book were made into a movie?
“All times can be inhabited, all places visited. In a single day the mind can make a millpond of oceans. Some people who have never crossed the land they were born on have traveled all over the world. The journey is not linear, it is always back and forth, denying the calendar, the wrinkles and lines of the body. The self is not contained in any moment or any place, but it is only in the intersection of moment and place that the self might, for a moment, be seen vanishing through a door which disappears at once.” From Sexing the Cherry by Winterson
What do you want your tombstone to say?
Boo! No other words on the front, just “Boo!” and then a side plaque saying there is no body here, just a writer who has a terrible sense of humor.
Your favorite Place you’ve visited
Edinburgh. Would totally visit again. Would live there if I could get a visa. That city just has history in its bones. Like you can feel it walking around. I loved it. 10/10 would go again.
Thank you, Kitty. Such an interesting and fun interview. I am fascinated that you’re a bookbinder. Very cool. I laughed at your comments about Philly. Although…your sport teams haven’t exactly been meh lately since the Phillies went to the World Series and the Eagles are in the Super Bowl! 😀
Do you stop assassins from killing your evil boss or help them out?
With the holidays looming and student loans coming to call, Kate McGovern needs to find a good-paying job and fast, preferably away from the masses of caffeine junkies and coffee snobs. But finding a job sucks. Finding your first proper job after college when you have no experience and no idea what you want to do really sucks. Then Kate’s favorite customer puts her up for an executive assistant gig with one of the richest men in Boston. And suddenly, Kate’s luck has changed. The catch? Her new boss expects her to read his mind. Literally. And she’s pretty sure he’s evil. No big deal. First jobs are always tough, right?
Excerpt:
“I’m sorry,” Kate said. “We’re out of the cinnamon dolce syrup.”
In response, the man glared at Kate as if she, personally, had gulped down all of the cinnamon dolce syrup in the back room moments before he walked in just to spite him. Kate couldn’t really blame him. Honestly, she thought of doing things like that all the time. She called it coffee espionage, and it got her through the day.
For example, she’d spent the better part of the morning rush imagining grabbing a bottle of syrup, cinnamon dolce or otherwise, shaking it like a soda can, and spraying it all over the line of customers. Kate could just see of all those housewives with their Gucci bags and businessmen with their Rolex watches dripping with sticky, flavored syrup. It appealed to Kate on a deep level. This was coffee espionage, and Kate was a master. At least in her head. And also when she gave awful people decaf espresso instead of regular because they deserved it.
Coffee espionage was what kept Kate sane. Sometimes she wondered if she could be convicted of coffee espionage. Then she wondered if jail was better than the post-college slump and surmised, in this economy, it probably was.
Kitty Shields (she/her) lives outside Philadelphia, where she writes to overcome the fact that she was born a middle child with hobbit feet, vampire skin, and a tendency to daydream. In her spare time, she binds books, takes bad photos, and tries to avoid the death traps her cat sets for her. She earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Arcadia University in 2015 and has been published in several journals including The After Happy Hour Review, Furious Gazelle, and Sick Lit among others.
Author Alicia Dean 