GUEST: @MargoHoornstra #NewRelease

My friend and fellow Rose (the Roses of Prose blog) and Mid-Michigan RWA chaptermate, Margo Hoornstra is visiting with news about her newest release. Here's Margo to tell you about On The Force. 

Hello Everyone,

Thank you, Diane for hosting me to help get the word out about my latest romantic suspense release from the Crimson Rose line of The Wild Rose Press.

ON THE FORCE, Brothers in Blue Book 2 officially launched on October 29, 2018. I’m thrilled to be able to share some things here today such as where this book fits in the scheme of my writing feats, what this book is about and an introduction to the characters who are in it, and a little bit of insight into how this book came to be.

The Series:

Brothers in Blue. Four heroes who met at the police academy and became lifelong friends. The dropout, the straight arrow, the movie star and the maverick. All share a passion to serve and protect, each in their own unique way.

This Book:

ON THE FORCE, Brothers in Blue Book 2, highlights straight arrow Detective Vince Miller and recently unemployed CFO Sydney Raines.

Losing her job and reputation is nothing compared to the prospect of losing her life

The Blurb:

Top notch CFO Sydney Raines is devastated when her coveted job working for a high profile conglomerate is yanked out from under her. Determined to restore a mangled reputation, she finds her second chance when the owner of an upscale art gallery hires her as his personal assistant. Straight arrow cop Vince Miller is assigned to crack an international art theft ring. Working undercover, he never counted on meeting Sydney Raines, let alone falling in love with her. Then an unexpected twist in the case reveals the identity of a serial killer, along with the shattering realization that Sydney could be the psycho’s next victim.

The Why and the How:

What do you do with a husband who keeps coming up with interesting plotlines for books? Just when I was at the end of my writing rope one day, he came up with this. A recently unemployed woman, down on her luck. And a law enforcement officer who needs to run surveillance on some bad actors. Turns out her apartment is the perfect vantage point for him and he figures out a way to make good use of it. In doing so, he inadvertently puts her, an innocent civilian, in danger. Then, of course, he must do whatever it takes to save the day, all the while falling in love with the her.

And I was off…

Not that I’m about to give my husband all the credit. At the time, I had a simple short story turned sweet novella, turned full length romantic suspense in the works. What became ON THE SURFACE, Brothers in Blue Book 1 features, Brad Collins, a police officer turned bounty hunter. Originally, that book was a single title stand alone. Or so I thought. But, then again, what do I really know?

A character in ON THE SURFACE, Brad’s mentor, the aforementioned Vince Miller, was just itching for a book of his own.

Who was I to argue?

Except, my version turned out slightly different from my husband’s original vision. In my version, Sydney doesn’t know Vince is working undercover. She thinks he’s your everyday, harmless freelance writer looking for his latest breakout article. And she isn’t at all please with him when she eventually discovers the truth.

All of which takes place, of course, just before she lands smack dab in the middle of a serial killer’s crosshairs.

The Excerpt:

Vince pressed his foot down harder on the gas pedal as he fought to block out everything but the highway in front of him. A simple survival tactic as blind faith propelled him on. If he let his mind go where it wanted, all thoughts of Sydney would be front and center. He didn’t want to deal with that much pain just now. To focus on the road was his best option. Straight, flat, predictable.

Until they got to the turn off to the hospital, more specifically, the morgue.

Terror and sadness, rage and impotence stabbed at him from all directions, tearing him up and threatening to destroy his heart.

Beside him, Andy Raines wasn’t faring much better. “It’s not supposed to be like this.” He blew his nose then used the same handkerchief to wipe the tears from red rimmed eyes.

“It’s a hazy connection at best, but right now it’s the only connection we’ve got.” Vince didn’t share the details of the other victims. Not yet anyway. “I just hope to hell I’m wrong.”

“Children bury their parents. Not the other way around.” He coughed into one elbow then dabbed at his eyes again.

Vince kept his lips tight and jaw clenched. The right thing to do was respond. Offer some words of…what? Wisdom? Sympathy? Commiseration?

Pity he had nothing to give as they traveled to possibly identify a Jane Doe dead body as someone they each loved more than life.

ON THE FORCE and ON THE SURFACE are now available in both print and e-book format, to be joined in the future by ON THE MAKE and ON THE MOVE. And, though each is one segment of a four-part series, each one can be read as a stand-alone book in its own right.

ON THE FORCE

Losing her job was nothing compared to the prospect of losing her life…

BROTHERS IN BLUE, BOOK 2

To serve and protect was never more personal

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense

Release Date: October 29, 2018

ASIN: B07H9PVLT6

Amazon Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Force-Brothers-Blue-Book-ebook/dp/B07H9PVLT6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1538044857&sr=8-1&keywords=On+The+Force+by+Margo+Hoornstra

http://a.co/d/cwJkGQP

About Margo Hoornstra

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

Like many writers, it’s hard to determine exactly when my fiction writing career began. I remember composing a short story in grade school (I have no idea about what) which was chosen for publication in an all school anthology. A journalism class taken in junior high school led to a job on the school newspaper and a weekly column.

I always loved reading. I loved writing too. Someday, I thought, maybe when I grew up and received the right training, I could actually write a book. After all, I was often told, laughingly most times, I had an extremely vivid imagination.

Through the years, the desire to write was always there. I had so many ideas and characters roaming around in my head, so many stories. But the business of living—going to college, getting married then raising a family—took precedence over something as frivolous as writing a book.

Then one day out of the blue I was downsized—effective immediately—from a job I’d held for over thirty years. What seemed so unfair at the time, I now recognize the tremendous gift I was given that day. As I’m now able to spend more and more time doing what I love—writing romantic fiction—I find I really do have an abundance of stories to share. 

#NewRelease: A MURDER OF PRINCIPLE by Susan Coryell

I'm happy to share some great news. Susan Coryell has a new release. I was fortunate to receive an Advanced Reading Copy of A MURDER OF PRINCIPLE for review (see below). As a former teacher myself, I especially enjoyed the setting for this murder mystery.

What happens when an unscrupulous principal threatens to destroy a model high school?

 Blurb: 

A new principal takes Harding High by storm, wreaking havoc with every executive order, every decision, tearing down the stellar school tenet by tenet. Teachers, other administrators, students, parents—the community at large increasingly react to the tremors shaking Harding High as Principal Wendy Storme churns a destructive path through their traditions, values and protocol. Everyone seems to have a valid motive for murder.

English department chair, Rose Lane, and her rookie sidekick, intern Penny Bright, are determined to move the hurricane force Storme out of Harding for good…except that somebody beats them to it with the decisiveness of murder.

Excerpt:

With a blast of nerves,

Rose pushed open the door and moved inside the large, windowless room. Settling her eyes on the principal’s desk, she noticed that the woman’s position was oddly out of the ordinary; her limbs stretched unnaturally and her neck twisted away to the side. The desk itself was covered in a flurry of papers and every drawer had been pulled and left open. A mug of spilled coffee puddled

down one side of the desk. Written on the mug was the word Boss.

Rose fought panic as she moved in and surveyed the surreal scene before her. Principal Wendy Storme had not moved. The face on the twisted neck was frozen in an ugly grimace of terror—with mouth and eyes wider than normal. Her swollen jaws and neck had darkened to a macabre blue. A thin stream of drool crept down Wendy’s chin and her eyes stared unseeing at the wall beyond. Without notice, Wendy’s body flopped to the floor with a flaccid thud, virtually at Rose’s feet. 

Principal Wendy Storme was dead.

Amazon buy links: 

http://a.co/b8SLuj3 for print

http://a.co/fCezpm5for e-book

About the author:

A career educator, Susan Coryell has taught students from 7^th grade through college-level. She earned a BA degree in English from Carson-Newman College and a Masters from George Mason University. She is listed in several different volumes of Who’s Who in Education and Who’s Who in Teaching.  Coryell belongs to Author’s Guild, Virginia Writers, and Lake Writers. She loves to talk with budding writers at schools, writers’ conferences and workshops. Her young adult anti-bully novel EAGLEBAIT is in its third edition for print and e-book, updated with cyber-bullying. EAGLEBAIT won the NY Public Library's "Books for the Teen Age," and the International Reading Association's "Young Adult Choice."

A RED, RED ROSE, first in a cozy mystery/Southern Gothic series, was nominated for a literary award with the Library of Virginia. BENEATH THE STONES, the sequel, was released in April of 2015. NOBODY KNOWS, the final novel in the Overhome Trilogy was published October, 2016.

A MURDER OF PRINCIPLE is under contract with The Wild Rose Press and was released March 12, 2018

The author has long been interested in concerns about culture and society in the South, where hard-felt, long-held feelings battle with modern ideas.  The ghosts slipped in, to her surprise.

When not writing, Ms. Coryell enjoys boating, kayaking, golf and yoga. She and her husband, Ned, love to travel, especially when any of their seven grandchildren are involved.

Please visit Susan Coryell’s website: www.susancoryellauthor.com and her blog: www.susancoryellauthor.blogspot.com or contact her on Facebook and Twitter.

Amazon Links:

A Red, Red Rose: http://a.co/0eoAvPC

 Beneath the Stones: http://a.co/fVIowQ8

Nobody Knows:  http://a.co/aoXACMd

Diane's Review

 A Great Whodunit. What happens when a new principal single-handedly destroys the camaraderie, spirit, and good name of a high school and some of its staff? People want to kill her. (I’m lucky I never had a principal like her!) 

Typical of most mysteries, the dead body shows up immediately. Then, Author Coryell does something different. She takes the reader back in time, so we can understand what led to such a drastic event. High schools employ many people. Consequently, many characters inhabit this story. Some are lightly described, but the main characters—Principal Wendy Storme, English teacher Rose Lane, and her intern Penny Bright are well-developed. The story is told through Rose and Penny’s points-of-view, and it’s done well.

Step-by-step, Principal Storme wreaks havoc on people’s lives—demoting here, replacing there, even firing—giving everyone, not just in the high school but in the community as well, a motive to kill her. At first, I thought some of the things Storme did were illegal. But I’ve been out of the education world for over thirty years. I didn’t realize how much has changed, especially in a right-to-work state. It’s surprising what goes on behind closed doors in a high school. If you enjoy a good mystery, you’ll enjoy this book.

5 Stars

Meet Author Diana Rubino @DianaLRubino

My guest today is author Diana Rubino. I met Diana through that fabulous group Authors Helping Authors.

Welcome, Diana, please tell us about yourself.

My passion for history and travel has taken me to every locale of my books, and short stories, set in Medieval and Renaissance England, Egypt, the Mediterranean, colonial Virginia, New England, and New York. My urban fantasy romance, FAKIN’ IT, won a Top Pick award from Romantic Times. I’m a member of Romance Writers of America, the Richard III Society and the Aaron Burr Association. I live on Cape Cod with my husband Chris

Where can readers find you?

My Website

www.dianarubino.com

My Blog

www.dianarubinoauthor.blogspot.com

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/DianaRubinoAuthor/?ref=hl

Twitter

https://twitter.com/DianaLRubino

Goodreads

http://bit.ly/1V3GCgt

LinkedIn

http://bit.ly/1nYfgNK

Amazon Author Page

http://amzn.to/1EQWdfJ

Let's learn a little about your writing. How long does it take you to write a book?

Since I write historicals, the research can take up to a year or longer. When I’m writing, I set a daily goal of 2500 words, about 10 pages.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I bicycle, golf, play my piano and devour books of any genre. My husband and I have a home on Cape Cod that we try to get to as much as possible.

What do you enjoy most about life?

Having something to look forward to—even something simple, like going to the beach on the weekend.

Where do you start when writing? Research, plotting, outline, or...?

I use Donald Maass's THE BREAKOUT NOVEL WORKBOOK, which has many probing questions about characters and the story. I then write a detailed outline, which I don't always follow when writing. My daily goal is 2500 words a day.

I do everything in Word on my computer, but sometimes I write in longhand; it helps me connect to the characters more closely.

Are your stories driven by plot or character?

Character, in the genres I write in…the characters are who drive the plot; they make the plot what it is. The plot happens because of who they are and what they do to make things happen.

If I was a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?

I always ask readers what era they’re interested in—medieval, Renaissance (Tudors), or what part of American history. Then I recommend whatever book is set in that era—Richard IIIs time, Henry VIIIs time, colonial, Civil War, early 20^th century…and I do have one about vampires on an Italian cruise ship if anyone wants to go there!

What do you hope readers take with them after reading your work?

My mission is to make readers forget their troubles for a while, escape into another time and place, and maybe get a few laughs along the way.

What two authors would we find you reading when taking a break from your own writing?

I read all of John Grisham’s books and for nonfiction, Ron Chernow writes the best biographies.

Tell us about your latest release.

My latest release is a time travel romance, DARK BREW.

          This story took 11 years from start to finish. In 2004, I read an article by Pamela Butler in the Richard III Society's magazine The Ricardian, about Alice Kyteler, who was accused of witchcraft in 1324. She then vanished into history. I couldn't resist writing a book about her.

Accused of her husband’s murder, druid Kylah McKinley travels back through time to her past life in 1324 Ireland and brings the true killer to justice.

Two months of hell change Kylah’s life forever. On her many past life regressions, she returns to 14^th century Ireland as Alice Kyteler, a druid moneylender falsely accused of murdering her husband. Kylah’s life mirrors Alice’s in one tragic event after another—she finds her husband sprawled on the floor, cold, blue, with no pulse. Evidence points to her, and police arrest her for his murder. Kylah and Alice shared another twist of fate—they fell in love with the man who believed in them. As Kylah prepares for her trial and fights to maintain her innocence, she must learn from her past or forever be doomed to repeat it.

Excerpt:

Kylah shut Ted’s den door. She couldn’t bear to look at the spot where he gasped his last breath. His presence, an imposing force, lingered. So did his scent, a blend of tobacco, pine aftershave and manly sweat. Each reminder ripped into her heart like a knife. Especially now with the funeral looming ahead, the eulogies, the mournful organ hymns, the tolling bells . . .

These ceremonies should bring closure, but they’d only prolong the agony of her grief. She wanted to remember him alive for a while longer, wishing she could delay these morbid customs until the hurt subsided.

Throughout the house, his essence echoed his personality: the wine stain on the carpet, the heap of dirty shirts, shorts and socks piled up in the laundry room, the spattered stove, his fingerprints on the microwave. But she couldn’t bring herself to clean any of it up. Painful as these remnants were, they offered a strange comfort. He still lived here.

“I’ll find that murderer, Teddy,” she promised him over and over, wandering from room to empty room, traces of him lurking in every corner. “I’ll do everything in my power to make sure justice is served. Another past life regression isn’t enough anymore. I know what I have to do now. And I promise, it will never, ever happen again—in any future life.”

She inhaled deeply and breathed him in. “Go take a shower, Teddy.” She chuckled through her tears as the doorbell rang. She cringed, breaking out in cold sweat when she saw the black sedan at the curb.

“Not again.” No sense in hiding, so she let the detectives in.

“Mrs. McKinley, we need your permission to do a search and take some of your husband’s possessions from the house,” Nolan said.

“What for?” She met his steely stare. “I looked everywhere and found nothing.”

“Mrs. McKinley, the cupboard door was open, four jars of herbs are missing, and the autopsy showed he died of herb poisoning. Those herbs,” Nolan added for emphasis, as if it had slipped her feeble mind. “Foxglove, mandrake, hemlock—and an as-yet unidentified one,” he read from a notebook. “The M.E. determined it was a lethal dose.”

Sherlock Holmes got nothin’ on him, she thought. 

“Where’s this cupboard, ma’am?” Egan spoke up.

“Right there.” She pointed, its door gaping exactly the way she’d found it that night. Nolan went over to it and peered inside.

“Ma’am, it would be better if you left the house for a half hour or so. Please leave a number where you can be reached,” Egan ordered.

Nolan glanced down the hall. “Where is your bedroom?”

What could they want in the bedroom? “It’s at the top of the stairs on the right. But we didn’t sleep together,” she offered, as if that would faze them. It didn’t.

After giving him her cell number, she got into her car and drove to the beach.

An hour later, she let herself back in and looked around. They’d taken the computer, her case of CDs, her thumb drive, her remaining herb jars, Ted’s notebooks, and left her alone with one horrible fact: This was now a homicide case and she was the prime suspect.

Purchase Dark Brew  

Kindle

Amazon Paperback 

B&N Nook 

The Wild Rose Press--Paperback & Ebook

 Thanks for coming, Diana. It's a pleasure getting to know you better. Best wishes on your latest release.

Chrys Fey's I SURVIVED Blog Fest

"This is Chrys Fey reporting for Disaster 5 News. I am in Anchorage, Alaska where a tsunami hit yesterday morning. I have Diane Burton with me, a survivor of the tsunami. Diane, can you tell our viewers what happened, and how you survived?"

Diane: Oh my God, Chrys. I can’t believe we survived. Hubs and I were on an Alaskan cruise and land trip. We’d taken a trip to Denali National Park. Wow. What a gorgeous mountain. The road was horrible, ruts and—

Chrys: Diane, what about the tsunami?

Diane: Of course, Chrys. Sorry.  When the tsunami hit, we were on the motor coach on our way back. If we’d been here in Anchorage . . . I can’t imagine. Look at the destruction. All those homes destroyed, and the people who lost their lives. 

That could have been us. *wipes away tears* I managed to call my family and let them know we were all right. I don't know how we’re going to get home, I'm just so thankful we survived. *breaks down*

Chrys *pats Diane’s shoulder* Yes, thank God you survived. Oh, there’s another survivor. *leaves* Ma’am, sir, may I talk to you . . .

Title: Tsunami Crimes

Series: Disaster Crimes #3

Author: Chrys Fey

Genre: Romantic-Suspense

Page Count: 272

BLURB: Beth and Donovan have come a long way from Hurricane Sabrina and the San Francisco earthquake. Now they are approaching their wedding day and anxiously waiting to promise each other a lifetime of love. The journey down the aisle isn’t smooth, though, as they receive threats from the followers of the notorious criminal, Jackson Storm. They think they’ll be safe in Hawaii, but distance can’t stop these killers. Not even a tsunami can.

This monstrous wave is the most devastating disaster Beth has ever faced. It leaves her beaten, frightened. Is she a widow on her honeymoon? As she struggles to hold herself together and find Donovan, she’s kidnapped by Jackson's men.

Fearing her dead, Donovan searches the rubble and shelters with no luck. The thought of her being swept out to sea is almost too much for him to bear, but the reality is much worse. She’s being used as bait to get him to fall into a deadly trap.

If they live through this disaster, they may never be the same again. 

DIGITAL LINKS:

Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA

Nook / Kobo / The Wild Rose Press

PRINT LINK:

The Wild Rose Press 

99 CENTS: Amazon

And everywhere ebooks are sold. 

GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Chrys is interviewing these other survivors.

1. Chrys Fey	2. The Five Year Project	3. Tamara Narayan
4. Confessions of a Watery Tart	5. Spunk on a Stick's Tips	6. I Think; Therefore, I Yam
7. Stories I Found in the Closet	8. Pensive Pens Post	9. QueendSheena
10. Tsunami - The Rest Of The Story	11. Patricia Lynne	12. Cloud Nine Girl
13. The Story of a Writer	14. Juneta@ Writer's Gambit	15. Diane Burton Adventure & Romance
16. Tyrean's Writing Spot	17. sherry @ fundinmental	18. Elizabeth Seckman. Author
19. tara tyler talks

Chrys Fey's 30 SECONDS BEFORE

On Saturday, I was celebrating the launch of Chrys Fey's new release 30 Seconds Before. For some weird reason, the post made a mess out of the blogsite, people couldn't comment, and Blogger was  no help.

So even though it's late, here's the info on Chrys' new book.

30 SECONDS BEFORE BLURB:

Blake Herro is a cop in the Cleveland Police Force. Ever since he was a child he wanted to do right by the city he loved by cleaning up the streets and protecting its citizens. Red, a notorious mobster, has other plans.

On a bitter December night, ten police officers are drawn into a trap and killed by Red’s followers. Blake wants to bring down the Mob to avenge his fallen brothers and to prevent other cops from being murdered. Except the only way he can do that is by infiltrating the Mob.

Every minute he’s with these mobsters he’s in danger. Around every corner lies the threat of coming face to face with a gun. Will he make it out of the Mob alive or will he be their next victim?

BUY LINKS:

Amazon US / Amazon UK /  Amazon CA

NOOK / KOBO / The Wild Rose Press

To celebrate, 30 Seconds, the follow up story, is on sale for 99 cents!

Sale Oct. 21^st – Nov. 4th

SALE LINKS:

Amazon / The Wild Rose Press / NOOK / KOBO

BIO:

Chrys Fey is the author of the Disaster Crimes Series (Hurricane Crimes and Seismic Crimes), as well as these releases from The Wild Rose Press: 30 Seconds, Ghost of Death, and Witch of Death. Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter

Chrys sponsored a blogfest where the participants wrote about "If I were a Mobster." :

Here's mine:

Listen up, youse guys. This here’s my turf. Dee-troit, Michigan. And nobody messes with Mary O’Toole.

Hands off. You get a scratch on me Duesenberg, I’ll get out my trusty 44 Magnum (yeah, like Dirty Harry) and blow youse guys away.

They don’t call me Dirty Mary for nuttin’. I’m the baddest moll in Chips O’Toole’s gang. He’s me boy, see? So whatever I say goes. Now get on outa here. Go play in traffic.

Or go visit the other "mobsters."

Veronica Lynch and FOR KEEPS

     I'm very happy to have Veronica Lynch here today. Welcome, Veronica. Tell us about your current release.  

            “For Keeps” is part of the Candy Hearts series published by the Wild Rose Press, and due for digital release on February 10, 2016. 

     Set in the late 1980's in Western New York state, it is about Keenan Rossi, a sheriff's investigator and Meghan Muldoon, a victim advocate. Keenan is ready and anxious to settle down and make their romance permanent while Meg isn't so sure. She likes her independence and loves her vocation—which is often at odds with what she must do to assist her clients' recovery.     

 

     Why did you choose this setting for “For Keeps”? 

     I have lived in the area for the last forty years and know it fairly well. I always wanted to live in a home on the shores of Lake Ontario; “For Keeps” has given me the opportunity to live vicariously. 

Did you do special research for “For Keeps”? 

     Nope, I lived it. Except for the ongoing relationship with a cop. All I had to do was think about a typical day around a human services agency and went to town. 

What made you write this particular story?

     

     For many years all I wrote was full length romantic suspense and had the urge to try something different. I saw an article in the RT magazine for a new ePress which was looking for novella length subs for their new Late Escape line [over 40 heroes and heroines]. I decided to give it a shot and they contracted the story. Back then For Keeps [which had a different title then] was much shorter. I liked the story and the characters and was pleased I met my goal. Eventually I retained the rights to the story and when the opportunity to write something for the Candy Hearts series, Meg and Keenan's story came to mind, especially since it ends on Valentine's Day. I probably tripled the length by adding new scenes, especially the one about the day they met and Keenan knew immediately Meg was 'the woman his mama always warned him about'. 

How old were you when you read your first romance book? 

It was 1983 so I would have been in my middle 30's. I worked the Surgical Intensive Care Unit in those days, because I needed the experience in order to work in the ER. I knew from day one the ICU was not for me but I made myself stick it out for six months. Working the night shift in the Unit put me at two ends of an emotional spectrum: I was either scared spitless a patient might crash or fighting tooth and nail to stay awake. One night I discovered a grocery bag filled with used Harlequin-Silhouettes bearing a sign “free for the taking”. The first one I picked was written by by Billie Douglas. I never forgot it. In fact, I still have it on a shelf in my office. 

Have you ever experienced something unusual that influenced a story? 

Part of my job as director of a victim advocacy agency included supervising interns who were criminal justice majors. One of the perks was free tuition for one course each semester. Over the years the interns raved about a course titled Terrorism and Hostage Taking. Part of the course involved being taken hostage by officers from the county sheriff's hostage negotiation team. It changed my life. In more ways than one.
 

     I love to hear from readers who can reach me at: WildWomenAuthors@yahoo.com.

My blogs: www.WildWomenAuthorsx2.blogspot.com/

                 www.ApronsWithAttitude2.blogspot.com

To purchase For Keeps, or any book by my alter ego Kat Henry Doran, go to www.WildRosePress.com and click on the author search button for Veronica Lynch or Kat Henry Doran. That will bring up all of my books available in the store.

Thanks, Diane! Great questions. They made me think.

Veronica Lynch

PS I will be giving away a Valentine's theme zippered cosmetics case to one visitor.