GUEST: Pamela S. Thibodeaux - LOVE IN SEASON

My friend Pamela S. Thibodeaux is here to tell us about her collection of short stories. Authors find inspiration everywhere we look. I think you'll find Pam's inspiration for the cover of LOVE IN SEASON very interesting.

Here's Pam to tell you about her book.

Look closely at the cover….

Recently I visited Animal Kingdom @ Walt Disney World in FL with my family and one of the most breathtaking sights is the Tree of Life / garden. Within the trunk of this huge tree are carvings of every kind of animal. You can view it from any angle and take a dozen different pictures and each time, see something more and/or different.

What does this have to do with a book cover? You ask.

Read on…..

I’ve always admired the covers Pelican Book Group creates for their titles and when I first received the cover for Love in Season, I thought – how sweet, but a closer look revealed a whole lot more than a couple on a bench in front of a lovely tree.

If you took a passing glance, look again….

What do you see?

Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter are all depicted within the leaves and branches of this tree!

It takes an amazing eye for detail to pick something like this for a book cover.  Thanks to Nicola Martinez for creating such a beautiful work of art for for my collection of romantic short stories centered around the four seasons and four love-oriented holidays!

*see photos of the Tree of Life/Garden Here: https://www.wdwinfo.com/Photos/AK-treeoflife/pages/DSC00093.htm

Fun Fact: For quite some time I wanted to put together a collection of short stories that centered around the 4 seasons and 4 holidays that focus on love and family (Valentine's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas). Since I already had several stories at PBG, I mentioned this idea to my editor, the amazing Nicola Martinez, and she loved it. I submitted two previously unpublished stories to round out the collection, along with those Pelican Book Group had already published, and viola! Love in Season was born.

Blurb: Anytime is the perfect time for love.

In this anthology, author Pamela S Thibodeaux brings together eight of her most beloved romance stories—one for each season plus four holidays that revolve around love and family.

Includes two brand new stories!

PBG print: http://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=34&products_id=914

PBG ebook: http://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_46&products_id=913

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Season-Pamela-S-Thibodeaux-ebook/dp/B07MTT6WC2

Story Blurbs:

(Winter) Winter Madness: Sienna has survived what most succomb to - the death of a spouse and child and has maintained her faith despite her troubles. William has never met anyone who actually lived out what they say they believe. Is it true love between the faithful optimist and broody pessimist or simply winter madness?

(Valentine’s Day) Choices: Best-selling novelist and songwriter, Camie Rogers has penned numerous accounts of the secret love she holds in her heart. Country-Music Superstar Kip Allen has changed from the shy, humble boy, to the epitome of “star.” Can the two rediscover each other after one night of his Home is where the Heart is Tour?

(Spring) Cathy’s Angel: Single mom Cathy Johnson is tired of running her life alone…what she needs is a well-trained angel to help out. Jared Savoy gave up the dream of having a family when he discovered he is sterile. Can a confirmed bachelor and the mother of four find love amid normal daily chaos?

(Easter) Lilies for Sandi *NEW!* Sandi and Brett did everything backwards. They got pregnant before the wedding and had a baby instead of a honeymoon. Since, Brett has resented the fact that his dreams of a football career have been cut short and wonders how long it’ll take God to forgive him for his mistakes. Sandi has played second fiddle to Brett’s dreams and desires to the point of not knowing herself any longer and fears her marriage will never be a true one because of their failures. Can two hearts broken by unfulfilled dreams find healing, wholeness and restoration?

(Summer) The Big Catch *NEW!* Karla and, the love of her life, Jeff, have uncovered some uncommon ground: The Great Outdoors. For the life of her, she does not understand his love of fishing and how he can spend so much time doing so. Will she come to love the sport as much as he or will his passion for a rod and reel tangle up their relationship?

(Fall) A Hero for Jessica: Anthony Paul Seville is known as the ‘most eligible bachelor’ in New Orleans, possibly even the entire state of Louisiana, but finds himself alone—completely and explicitly alone. Jessica Aucoin is a writer on her way to fame and fortune, but is haunted by a man from her past. Will the “champion” lawyer and the author of romantic suspense find love written in their future? 

(Thanksgiving) Review of Love (Newly Edited/Revised/Lengthened!): Jason Stockwell has been commissioned to interview Kylie Erickson and to review her books. Only problem is, she won’t give the time of day much less an interview to someone whose type of writing she deems not worthy of respect. Can they suspend their judgmental attitudes and find true love?

(Christmas) In His Sight: Grade school teacher Carson Alexander has a gift—a gift that has driven a wedge between him and his family. Worse, it’s put him at odds with God. Feeling alone and misunderstood, Carson views God’s gift of prophecy as the worst kind of curse…that is until he meets Lorelei Conner, landscape artist extraordinaire, and perhaps the one person who may need Carson and his gift more than anyone ever has.  

Lorelei Connor is a mother on the run. Her abusive ex-husband has followed her all over the country trying to steal their daughter. Distrusting of men and needing to keep on the move, she’s surprised by her desire to remain close to Carson Alexander. Through her fear and hesitation, she must learn to rely on God to guide her—not an easy task when He’s prompting her to trust a man.

 Can their relationship withstand the tragedy lurking on the horizon?

Author Bio: Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”

Links:

Website address: http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com  

Blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com

Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/pamelasthibodeauxauthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/psthib @psthib

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/pamelasthibodea/

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1jUVcdU

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

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1268453.Pamela_S_Thibodeaux

GUEST: Sorchia DuBois WITCHLING: A Collection of Zoraida Grey Short Stories @SorchiaDuBois

Please welcome today's guest, Sorchia DuBois. Sorchia is a fellow contributor to the Paranormal Romantics blog. Her Zoraida Grey trilogy is captivating. Now, she has a collection of fascinating facts and short stories in Zoraida's world. Here's Sorchia to tell us about her new release.

When I started writing about Zoraida Grey, I really intended to produce a bunch of quick little paranormal mysteries—the trials and tribulations of a fortune-teller in the Bible Belt. Fun Fact: I (and numerous other writers) use Tarot cards for inspiration.

So I started pulling cards to learn about Zoraida. My intent was to flesh out her backstory a bit—just a bit. Instead, I found castles and mystery and magic and witches galore. You’ll have to read the Zoraida Grey trilogy to find out exactly how far from the original idea I strayed.

But the original idea gelled into several short stories so I put them together into a little collection. Witchling: A Collection of Zoraida Grey Short Stories follows Zoraida on adventures that take place before she knows anything about fabulous Castle Logan in far northern Scotland—before she finds out Granny has been hiding secrets wrapped in secrets.

Witchling: A Collection makes a great introduction to Zoraida without spoiling the rest of the tale. And it gives some fun context to the big books for those who’ve already read them.

Blurb:

Welcome to the Magical World of Zoraida Grey! Before the events depicted in the Zoraida Grey Trilogy, Zoraida was a small town fortuneteller. Her magical journey begins with a murderous presence in her hometown. As a young woman, she finds ghosts in the strangest places. PLUS a tale about Castle Logan and how it got its dark reputation. If you've read the Zoraida Grey trilogy, you'll learn tidbits of backstory in this lively collection.

Stories in the collection:

"Zoraida Grey and the Skinwalker"

"Zoraida Grey and the Twisted Sisters"

"Zoraida Grey and the Surly Spirit"

"The Witch and the Spaniard"

Book 1 in the Zoraida Grey Trilogy, Zoraida Grey and the Family Stones, garnered a third place Romance Writers of America Prism Award, sponsored by Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal Chapter. Book 2, Zoraida Grey and the Voodoo Queen was nominated for Paranormal Romance Guild’s Reviewers Choice Awards—as was the entire series.

Excerpt:

from “The Witch and the Spaniard”

“Don’t be a fool. The Gathering in two weeks will begin our conquest of Scotland and England. Already dark rumors follow Father and Michael. None must suspect who we are––what we are––until it’s too late.” Ursula tied off a thread of burgundy, snipped the skein free with silver scissors.

The tapestry depicted a great battle of knights and fantastical creatures. Each thread shimmered with the blackest magic—death, fear, and despair. Each knot bound the spell more tightly. Burgundy blood punctuated the chaotic panorama. Ursula breathed life into the figures until they writhed and contorted in paroxysm of agony.

“Father can’t stop me.” Skulja stamped her foot on the hard stone floor. “Ignacio is a powerful wizard from Spain. Father can’t deny our marriage.”

“Father will do as he pleases and you will abide by his decision. You’re a foolish girl to let such an idea distract you. I’ll not intercede with him on your behalf.” Ursula moved her hand across the tapestry, concentrating on the enchantment. “Now leave us to our work, Skulja. You’re no use.”

Vera coiled a fresh skein of thread and tossed it into a wicker basket with several others. Leaving the wheel, she hoisted the basket into her arms and moved toward the door. “What colors do you need, Ursula? I’ve enough to finish the tapestry, I believe.”

“More burgundy and black, please. All that remains is to bind the protection to our faction and it will be ready,” Ursula whispered, her mind deep in sorcery.

With her back to Ursula, Vera cocked an eye at Skulja and mouthed the words, “Come with me.”

Skulja glared at her older sister, not quite ready to abandon her argument. “You’ll not govern me, Ursula. I’ll marry Ignacio and leave this cursed place behind.”

Ursula’s concentration remained on the tapestry. Either she was so deep into spellcasting she didn’t hear or so certain of her own position she didn’t care. Skulja followed Vera out and slammed the heavy oaken door behind her. The crash echoed in the empty passage but even that did not pull Ursula from the dark enchantment she wove. Alone in the tower room, she muttered ancient words, her mind and soul spiraling into the ether.

Universal buy link:  http://books2read.com/WitchlingZG

Author Bio

Sorchia DuBois lives in the piney woods and can often be found at Scottish celebrations watching kilted men toss unwieldy objects for no particular reason.  She writes tales of magic, mystery, passion, history, a little whisky, and a cat.

Website: https://www.sorchiadubois.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SorchiaD
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SorchiaDuBois

Guest: Shannon Lawrence's New Release & #GiveAway

I'm excited to welcome Shannon Lawrence today. I know Shannon through the Insecure Writers Support Group. While I don't read creepy horror stories (you know me, the original scaredy cat), for those of you who enjoy horror, Shannon's book sounds deliciously scary. I'm so happy to support her.

Blue Sludge Blues & Other Abominations
by Shannon Lawrence

Release Date: March 15, 2018

Horror short story collection

A collection of frights, from the psychological to the monstrous. These tales are a reminder of how much we have to fear: A creature lurking in the blue, sludgy depths of a rest area toilet; a friendly neighbor with a dark secret hidden in his basement; a woman with nothing more to lose hellbent on vengeance; a hike gone terribly wrong for three friends; a man cursed to clean up the bodies left behind by an inhuman force. These and other stories prowl the pages of this short story collection.

On Sound Advice

Diane asked me to write something about one of the stories in this collection. I thought it would be fun to discuss the short story "Sound Advice," about a family traveling through Navajo lands at night, who run into a creature determined to get to them inside their car.

Because I wrote snippets about what inspired the stories at the end of the collection, let's talk about Joe Ravenshadow, a secondary character in "Sound Advice." Throughout this family's ordeal, Ravenshadow is a creepy side note, a DJ playing eerie songs and talking about the skinwalker, which is a no-no. You never give voice to skinwalkers. I hope I chose songs that are easily recognizable to most readers. Songs like Bad Moon Rising and Little Red Riding Hood. Songs most of us enjoy, but also songs that can be frightening when heard at just the right moment.

Not sure what skinwalkers are? They're a Navajo "myth," a witch or medicine man with great power, who has killed someone close to them, a family member, in order to gain the power of skinwalking. By day, they may walk among their fellow tribal members, but by night they walk on all fours. They can turn into any animal, but often choose the coyote, a sly nocturnal animal.

Skinwalkers try to lure their victims out by banging on walls and even imitating the sound of a crying infant, preying on those who would show concern that a baby is in danger.

Excerpt

From Sound Advice:

"They both sat, listening. There it was again: the sound of an infant crying. Only, there was no way there could be a baby out there. There wasn't anything out there, save plant life, rocks, and some strange creature that appeared to be messing with them. Bill reached over and clicked the door lock button."

Buy the Book

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada | Amazon Australia | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Also available from Apple and other countries through Amazon

About the Author

A fan of all things fantastical and frightening, Shannon Lawrence writes mostly fantasy and horror. Her stories can be found in magazines and anthologies, including Space and Time Magazine, Dark Moon Digest, and Ember: A Journal of Luminous Things. When she's not writing, she's hiking the wilds of Colorado and photographing her magnificent surroundings, where, coincidentally, there's always a place to hide a body or birth a monster.

Social Media Links

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page | 

Smashwords Author Page

Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Alison Henderson and Small Towns

I am really happy to introduce Alison Henderson, a talented writer and an amazing cover artist. Alison has a Christmas "present" to share with us. I was fortunate to be one of her critique partners on this collection of short stories. They are delightful.

Here's Alison with her take on small towns.

Thank you for hosting me, Diane. Like most writers, I love to talk about my books, and today I’m excited to share my new holiday short story collection, Small Town Christmas Tales: Ten Short Holiday Romances. These stories are like mini television Christmas movies, set in fictional towns in ten different states.

Before I start writing any story, long or short, I need to decide several important things about my characters. After physical appearance and basic temperament, I want to know what this person does for a living. Usually, I want the character’s occupation to tell the reader more about his or her personality, although in one of these stories the heroine’s occupation is in direct conflict with her true personality, and that’s part of the fun.

I’m a city girl and have never had what anyone would consider a fun job. I worked in insurance for thirty-seven years—NOT what I had in mind for any of my characters. I wanted them to have more colorful jobs. In Small Town Christmas Tales, a few of my heroines have what I would consider regular jobs: one is a lawyer, one a young college professor, and another works in marketing. Most of the rest, however, own small businesses. The small town settings lent themselves perfectly to creating the kind of fun, quirky small business I would want to run if I lived in a small town.

As I started writing, I was surprised that one of the most entertaining aspects of writing these stories turned out to be choosing names for those businesses. Naming is business is a lot like finding the perfect title for a book. I always need a title I like before I can jump into writing a new story, and in this collection I needed business names for the same reason. Here is a sampling of what I came up with:

A Stitch in Time – the heroine’s yarn and needlework shop in “If Wishes Were Fishes”

The Hidden Gem – the geologist heroine’s rock and handmade jewelry shop in “The Brightest Jewel”

Pearl’s Perfect Pies – the heroine’s grandma’s pie shop in “Penguins, Pucks, and Pumpkin Pies”

Tolliver’s Tiny Treasures – the heroine’s miniatures shop in “Liza’s Secret Santa”

Furry Friends – the SPCA benefit shop the heroine manages in “Second Hand Hearts”

Byte Me – the hero’s computer services business in “Christmas 2.0”

These businesses were so much fun to create, they almost made me want to go into business myself. Almost. As it is, I think I’ll stick to writing.

Thanks so much for visiting with me today. If you’re ready for a little Christmas, I invite you to check out Small Town Christmas Tales, available in ebook and paperback exclusively at Amazon. Click here!

About Alison 

I began writing when my daughter entered preschool (she's now a full-fledged adult) and became addicted to the challenge of translating the living, breathing images in my mind into words. I write romance because that's what I like to read. The world provides more than enough drama and tragedy. I want to give my readers the happily-ever-after we all crave.

I've been married to my personal hero for more than thirty years. After decades of living in the Midwest, we've recently heeded the siren call of sun and sea and moved to the most breathtakingly beautiful place imaginable - the gorgeous central coast of California. I look forward to the new stories this place inspires.

www.alisonhenderson.com