Lovin' You Crazy by Nora LeDuc

 Please welcome Nora LeDuc author of Lovin' You Crazy

Nora LeDuc will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Lovin' You Crazy

by Nora LeDuc

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GENRE:   Mystery/Romance

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

BLURB:

 

Murder suspect Thomasina (Tommie) Murphy gambles on her childhood friend, an untested, smart PI to clear her name and bury her secrets.

Tommie Murphy is shocked to discover her dinner host shot dead in his elegant, Florida home. As the police examine her past relationship with a jailed convict, she becomes the prime suspect in the homicide. While Tommie pushes fast-forward on changing her impetuous lifestyle, a death threat left on her car warns that the killer has plans for her, too. Desperate, she
turns to her former next-door neighbor, PI Jace Jackson. Yet, if she wants his help, she’ll have to break the promise she made to herself, never trust a man.

Jace knows he’s in trouble the moment Tommie, his long-time crush, suddenly shows up. She's looking for something, and he
always has difficulty denying her requests. When she proposes hiring him, he refuses. After all, he investigates cheating spouses and insurance frauds. However, the challenge of her case and Tommie’s need for protection persuade him to finally accept. As days pass, he worries she’s hiding evidence. Soon, he discovers the truth that nothing is what it seems, especially the woman he secretly loves.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

EXCERPT:

 

Soft classical music was playing. He’d had her listen to one of his favorite songs during an online get-together. He’d explained opera was his first love, and he wanted to share it with her. She hadn’t had the heart to tell him the wailing drove her to wish for earplugs. The whimper of the dog, Picasso, at the other end of the foyer redirected her musings. He paced by an open doorway three yards away. His tail hung between his legs.

 

“Are you okay?” A prickle of warning shot through her. She whistled to the dog. “Come.” Picasso stiffened.

 

That wasn’t good. “Arturo! Please, answer me.” She hadn’t locked up. Any four-or two-legged beast could enter. Maybe she should leave. As she turned, she spotted the foil-wrapped chocolates. The sweets trailed down the corridor and curved into the room by Picasso. 

 

She smiled. Aha, Arturo was teasing her. Yesterday, he’d joked about a path of rose petals leading her to him. She’d told him she’d rather have candy.

 

“I get it, Romeo,” she said loudly. “Cute.” He might not think the nickname was so funny after she flung her accusations at him.

 

She followed the goodies to the dog and stopped on the threshold of a chamber to her right. The space was poorly lit by a lamp on a huge wooden desktop. The chair was pushed against the bookshelves. Nobody was there.

 

A sad melody floated to her. “Arturo?” She squinted into the shadows. Where was he?

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Nora grew up in rural New England, where she currently lives with her family. For a few years, she spent time in Florida during the winter. She loves writing about both areas in her romantic suspense/mystery stories.

 

And if you read sweet romances, be sure to grab Nora’s holiday book, CHRISTMAS at the EASY BREEZY. It takes place in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and is available now. She is currently working on a Cozy Mystery with an oceanside coffee bar. You can find Nora LeDuc on Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, BookBub, Twitter, and her website: Noraleduc.com.  Thank you for purchasing LOVIN’ YOU Crazy. If you enjoyed the story, please let others know by leaving a review on Amazon.

 

Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/LOVIN-YOU-Crazy-Love-Paradise-Book-ebook/dp/B0B69CD39G/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

 

Nora LeDuc will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4325

Shadows in the Night by Thomas Grant Bruso

 Please welcome Thomas Grant Bruso author of Shadows in the Night

Thomas Grant Bruso will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Shadows in the Night

by Thomas Grant Bruso

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GENRE:   Paranormal, romance, thriller, horror

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

BLURB:

 

Sequel to Past Sins

Jack Ballinger has seen a lot of horrible things in the six years he’s been a police officer, disturbing images he wishes he could erase from his memory forever. Crime scenes, dead bodies, and the death of his parents dredge up an unsettling time from his past, a tortured childhood he does not want to revisit. But Jack must confront a new waking nightmare that sends him spiraling out of control, down a rabbit hole of indescribable terrors, questioning his existence as a human being, cop, and partner.

Struggling with budget cuts and constantly changing policies within the police department, a cantankerous new police chief, eccentric colleagues, and his on-again/off-again relationship with his boyfriend Steve, Jack must confront an evil entity from a previous life. Grappling with old demons is just the beginning. How long will Jack keep running from the horrors of his past and finally face his fears?

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

EXCERPT:

 

When I step out into the bedroom, dripping water from the shower, I freeze, my heartbeat pulses at the sight of the bedroom door cracked open. “Hello?”



 

Silence.



 

Between the balcony doors and the east-side windows, the far corner of the room is empty.


 

No ghosts or visitors. There is nowhere to hide in this wide-open space.



 

I walk over to the nightstand where I keep my pistol. I look over my shoulder at the clamoring noise of the construction crew setting up their monstrous machines out on the street. Large yellow Cat loaders and pavers growl to life.



 

I leave a puddle of water behind me when I reach the dresser and pull out my gun. A noise out in the hallway draws my attention to the open door. I unlock the safety and aim the pistol at my side. I amble to the apartment door, my pulse quickening. I must have forgotten to lock it after Steve left last night, I think.



 

I stare around the small kitchen: nothing, nobody, but a scattering of spilled coffee beans on the floor. Lifting the gun out in front of me, I walk to the door. A stale, warm, musty smell wafts into the room. I stare out into the dark hallway.



 

Empty.



 

My grip tightens on the gun.



 

My skin bristles in the cool, clammy air.



 

I raise my gun and step out into the hall, pointing the pistol left, then right, down the long corridor. Vacant. I take a deep breath and lean against the doorframe.





The stairwell door creaks open at the end of the hall. I straighten my shoulders, pointing the pistol into the dark.



 

I wait.



 

“Hello?”



 

No answer.


 

The door opens again, its hinges groaning.





I turn to glance behind me in the dark at the two other apartments.


 

Doors closed.


 

I stay on the left side of the hall in case somebody is in the stairwell.


 

I meander down the corridor, moving slowly and turning once to check over my shoulder. I hear noises in the dark, but I don’t see anything. The building settles and shifts in the wind. Forcing myself to keep moving, I slink against the length of the wall to the last door on the floor.


 

I stop. Wait. Listen.


 

Alarming stillness.


 

Machinery clangs outside, and the construction workers’ voices echo like trapped spirits in the apartment walls. I clench the gun’s handle and my index finger grazes the trigger.



 

Creak.



 

The exit door swings open, and clangs shut. I jump back a few inches. Stare at the door. Shuffle forward, yell out, “Hello?” and wedge my foot between the doorjamb. I fling the door open with my hand.



 

The stairwell is empty. I walk onto the top landing and point the gun behind the door. Clear.



 

I stare over the edge of the staircase, three stories down. Sunlight streams into the open space below from one of the stairwell doors. I hear muffled voices, people talking, the noise of machinery reverberating off the walls and drifting up the stairwells.


 

I am overreacting, I tell myself, and letting out a deep sigh. I yell down the stairs for somebody to close the door. No response.


 

I head back into the hallway, muttering obscenities at myself for acting foolish. When I am back inside my apartment, I lock the door. Before I pour coffee, I retrace my steps across the entire 400-square inch area, checking locks and windows, looking behind doors.


 

I lock the balcony doors, drawing curtains and drowning out the jackhammering sounds coming from outside. As I close the left-sided drapes, something on the balcony catches my eye and sends me into another dizzying tailspin.


 

Fear settles in my chest like angry bees buzzing. My heart races. My nightmares return at the sight of partial muddy footprints leading over the edge of the balcony.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Thomas Grant Bruso knew at an early age he wanted to be a writer. He has been a voracious reader of genre fiction since he was a kid.

His literary inspirations are Ray Bradbury, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Ellen Hart, Jim Grimsley, Karin Fossum, Joyce Carol Oates, and John Connolly.

Bruso loves animals, book-reading, writing fiction, prefers Sudoku to crossword puzzles.



In another life, he was a freelance writer and wrote for magazines and newspapers. In college, he was a winner for the Hermon H. Doh Sonnet Competition. Now, he writes and publishes fiction, and reviews books for his hometown newspaper, The Press Republican.



He lives in upstate New York.

 

Links:

 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thomgrantbruso?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

 

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thomasgrantbrusoauthor/?hl=en

 

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8591689.Thomas_Grant_Bruso

 

 

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

 

 

Book buy link: https://www.jms-books.com/thomas-grant-bruso-c-224_236/shadows-in-the-night-p-4416.html

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

 

Thomas Grant Bruso will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4326

The Genes of Isis by Justin Newland

 Please welcome Justin Newland author of The Genes of Isis

Justin Newland will be awarding one signed copy of the paperback (US or International) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

The Genes of Isis

by Justin Newland

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GENRE:   Mythological Fiction / Fantasy

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

INTERVIEW:

What or who inspired you to start writing?

I get inspired to write about things that everyone knows about, or thinks they know about, and then through the writing get them to look at those same things in a different way or from a new perspective. That's why I write stories with a supernatural bent and that's why I write historical fiction. We think we 'know' about history, but do we really know what happened or why? 

History is just that - a hi(gh) story - a series of fragmented facts loosely joined together by pieces of string by historians with a segmented view of the world. And there are more gaps in the connections than anything else. That makes history so fascinating to me as an author because imagination can fill in the numerous gaps. And of course, the farther back in history you go, the more gaps there are, the more room there is for the imagination.

How did you come up with your idea for your novel?

 

The Genes of Isis was my first novel. They say an author should write about what they know about, and that’s good advice, certainly for a first book. I've always been fascinated by Ancient Egypt; I’ve travelled to Giza, Saqqara, and the Valley of the Kings. I've researched Ancient Egypt and its place in world history for nearly twenty years. And Ancient Egypt has always been associated with the supernatural, the uncanny, and the unexplained, which allowed me to introduce fantasy elements into the story. 

The title reflects the novel’s two weaves, or plot threads, in the Biblical story of the Book of Genesis and the Osiris myth from Ancient Egypt. So firstly, genesis means the genes of Isis. In the Ancient Egyptian myth, Osiris is murdered by his brother Set, who cuts the body into pieces and distributes them all over the land of Egypt. Isis gathers the parts into a whole and brings her husband back to life. She bears the Osiris a son, the hawk-headed God Horus.  

Can you give us a sneak peek into this book?

 

In this extract from chapter 30, Issa is an Egyptian priestess, and her son Horque has died. She resolves to rescue him from the realms of the dead, the Du’at, guarded by the fearsome jackal-headed god Anubis. She travels there as her ka, her astral body.

 

She willed her ka towards Du'at, the realm of the dead, and quickly located the pair of columns at its entrance, the colossal Anubis Gates. She expected to find the jackal-headed Anubis operating its gates, but they appeared unguarded. Her voyage to the underworld couldn't be easier: she'd enter Du'at, find the Hall of Truth, and rescue Horque's ka.  

As she approached, a curtain of force shimmered between the gates. On it silky, misty surface appeared a thousand faces, young and old, happy and sad, and all strangely familiar people she'd met in her lifetime, human and Solarii ... until one only remained. No. It couldn't be. It was her own face. She was so startled she nearly ruptured the precious umbilical connection to her physical body. Was it a mirror? No, it was a replica. It was more than that. It was her double. 

The guard to Du'at was Issa herself. The face stared back at her, inspecting her, a most unnerving experience. To be investigated by oneself. She felt naked to the core. 

"What do you want?" The double even spoke in her own voice.

"Entry to Du'at," she replied.

"This is the realm of the dead. You're still alive; go back to where you belong." 

The face of her double stared back, eyes unflinching, scrutinizing her inner being. There was nowhere to hide from oneself. 

 

Anything else you want to add? Yes, I want to mention the book cover artist. 

That's the work of Jim Burns. Jim has brilliantly captured the goddess Isis’  commanding authority and subtle mystery. The temple below the goddess is in Philae, an actual temple dedicated to the goddess in Egypt. 

 

The background colouring and waters show shades of green because the pre-flood sky in the novel is aquamarine, and the sun is emerald green. Notice the twin strands of DNA spiralling up each side of the temple, with snake heads to boot, a motif alluding to the main plot thread in the story. 

 

Justin Newland

23^rd June 2022

BLURB:

 

Akasha is a precocious young woman who lives in a world where oceans circulate in the aquamarine sky waters.

Before she was born, the Helios, a tribe of angels from the sun, came to Earth to deliver the Surge, the next step in the evolution of an embryonic human race. Instead, they left humanity on the brink of extinction and spawned a race of monstrous hybrids. 

Horque is a Solarii, another tribe of angels, sent to Earth to rescue the genetic mix-up and release the Surge. 

When Akasha has a premonition that a great flood is imminent and falls in love with Horque, her life becomes an instrument for apocalyptic change. But will it save the three races - humans, hybrids and Solarii – from the killing waters?

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

EXCERPT:

 

The moonlight flooded through the window but Issa was still awake. Once the street cats grew tired of fighting and the hyenas and foxes stopped scavenging, she roused herself and began her descent. Clutching a glow lamp in one hand and Fryme's package in the other, she crept downstairs and stopped in the middle of a corridor, beside a section of wall that would have appeared unremarkable to anyone else. She knew otherwise. 

 

A few words, an arcane utterance, followed by a shimmer of light and the astral curtain disappeared, revealing the secret door. She stepped through it, into the corridor beyond. She was going to the God Crucible, an occult chamber beneath her house. Its astral protections were such that no one, not even Cheiron, suspected its existence. Her breathing was shallow. This was the first point of no return. 

 

Her glow-lamp threw long shadows down the narrow, sloping tunnel. Divided in two, it had steps on one side and a slanting ramp on the other. In front of her on the ground was a piece of white bandage, accidentally torn off the mummified body of her son, which she'd dragged down the ramp before Cheiron had arrived. How heavy he had been. They didn't call it a dead weight for nothing. She could still smell the musty odour of the dust particles she'd dislodged.

 

At the bottom of the ramp, the tunnel gave way to a dome-shaped chamber, the God Crucible. Her son’s cadaver lay on a bench, and she ran her hand over the embalming bandages. Beside it was a second, vacant bench. There, she would lie during the ritual she was about to perform. 

 

The Anubis embalmers had washed Horque’s body, encased it in natron salt, and mummified it according to all but one of the traditions of the Jackal-headed God - the exception being that they had not removed any of his organs. On his chest, she laid out a scarab pectoral and into his mouth, she placed a length of straw. 

 

  

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Justin Newland is an author of historical fantasy and secret history thrillers - that’s history with a supernatural twist. His stories feature known events and real people from history which are re-told and examined through the lens of the supernatural. He gives author talks and is a regular contributor to BBC Radio Bristol’s Thought for the Day. He lives with his partner in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England. 

His Books

The Genes of Isis is a tale of love, destruction and ephemeral power set under the skies of Ancient Egypt. A re-telling of the Biblical story of the flood, it reveals the mystery of the genes of Isis – or genesis – of mankind. ISBN 9781789014860.

“The novel is creative, sophisticated, and downright brilliant! I couldn’t ask more of an Egyptian-esque book!” – Lauren, Books Beyond the Story.

The Old Dragon’s Head is a historical fantasy and supernatural thriller set during the Ming Dynasty and played out in the shadows the Great Wall of China. It explores the secret history of the influences that shaped the beginnings of modern times.  ISBN 9781789015829.

‘The author is an excellent storyteller.” – British Fantasy Society. 

Set during the Great Enlightenment, The Coronation reveals the secret history of the Industrial Revolution. ISBN 9781838591885.

“The novel explores the themes of belonging, outsiders… religion and war…  filtered through the lens of the other-worldly.” – A. Deane, Page Farer Book Blog.

His latest, The Abdication (July, 2021), is a suspense thriller, a journey of destiny, wisdom and self-discovery. ISBN 9781800463950.  

“In Topeth, Tula confronts the truth, her faith in herself, faith in a higher purpose, and ultimately, what it means to abdicate that faith.” 

http://www.justinnewland.com/                https://www.facebook.com/justin.newland.author/

Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Genes-Isis-Justin-Newland-ebook/dp/B07D7FMDZG/

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

 

Justin Newland will be awarding one signed copy of the paperback (US or International) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4206

Walks by Big Alex's Pond by Henry Van Berkel

 Please welcome Henry Van Berkel author of Walks by Big Alex's Pond

Henry Van Berkel will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour

Walks by Big Alex's Pond

by Henry Van Berkel

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GENRE: Autobiography (Nature)

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

BLURB:

 

Ten years after Big Alex MacDonald leaves his home in Ashdale, Nova Scotia, in the 1880's to find his fortune, he amasses fabulous wealth almost overnight in the Yukon and becomes known as "the King of the Klondike". At his death a decade later, there is not enough money in his estate to cover expenses. What happened to his immense riches? A century after Alex's departure from Nova Scotia, the author purchases "Big Alex's" family land and finds his own El Dorado amongst the riches of friends, neighbours and family, and the endless fascinations of nature. On hikes along the roads of the historic property he muses about the drama of his own past, and the life journeys of his family members and those of his neighbours.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

EXCERPT:

 

 

Hey! Bugles in the sky??? I only faintly heard the honking coming from the nort before looking up from my yard work to see a pair of geese, just above the tree-line, winging towards Big Alex’s Pond, a five-acre body of water nestled in the hills a half kilometre behind our house in Ashdale, Antigonish County, Nova Scotia. My heart thrilled. They were Canada geese. Hundreds of metres away they began their descent towards the surface, gliding as smoothly as a 747 approaching the landing strip at an airport. They splashed into the rippling water just beyond the ice still hugging the outer perimeter of the pond. It was April 6, 2006.

 

I have always loved Canada geese. their noble bearing, their seemingly altruistic behaviour in flight (like taking turns at the lead on long migrations), their monogamy, the ganders’ dedicated, round-the-clock sentry duty during nesting season, the females’ patient, sleepless, wary weeks of incubating their eggs all had special appeal to me. I admire how the parents gave their young flight lessons in time to make the long trek south for the winter. Yes, I know they can be a nuisance to farmers when they congregate in large numbers to feed on crops. And I know they sully public parks and private estates with their droppings and alarm parents as they chase toddlers, and sometimes even adults, away from their space to protect their goslings. They can be intimidating. But I yearned to have a pair on our pond. On this beautiful spring day, it appeared my wish would come true.

 

I decided to leave my landscaping work to have a closer look. I walked quietly, furtively, along our main-woods road, which ran beside the pond through to the back of our woodlot to the Ohio community’s baseline, where it connected with my brother Adrian’s roads. Adrian had a woodlot and farm adjacent to ours, but his home was on the Ohio community side of Ashdale Heights. Adrian had plenty of animals and a pond full of Canada geese too, right by the house, so that he and Anne Marie and their children and visitors could watch the geese from their kitchen window. I was envious. But now maybe I’d have my very own geese. They would have young ones; I’d have a whole family. They’d all come back next year. In a few years, there’d be a whole flock!

 

The leaves were not yet on the trees. I didn’t want to scare the geese away, so I kept some distance. Through the bare alders, I saw the two of them in the middle of the pond bobbing gently on the undulating waves, heads high, checking out the environs. Would it be a suitable place to raise a family? I would not be the cause for alarm, so after a few minutes, I backed away and returned to our house. I told Elaine about the geese. She saw how excited I was.

 

For the remainder of the day, I worked on the lawn, raking rocks and spreading loam to get it ready for seeding. The day passed quickly. My mind was on the geese.

 

 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Ten years after Big Alex MacDonald leaves his home in Ashdale, Nova Scotia, in the 1880's to find his fortune, he amasses fabulous wealth almost overnight in the Yukon and becomes known as "the King of the Klondike". At his death a decade later, there is not enough money in his estate to cover expenses. What happened to his immense riches? A century after Alex's departure from Nova Scotia, the author purchases "Big Alex's" family land and finds his own El Dorado amongst the riches of friends, neighbours and family, and the endless fascinations of nature. On hikes along the roads of the historic property he muses about the drama of his own past, and the life journeys of his family members and those of his neighbours.

 

 

Connect with Henry Van Berkel

 

FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/walksbybigalexspond/

 

GOODREADS https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50277404-walks-by-big-alex-s-pond 

 

 

Get a copy of Walk by Big Alex's Pond          

 

AMAZON.COM https://amazon.com/dp/0228816947 

 

AMAZON.CA https://amazon.ca/dp/0228816947 

 

BOOKSHOP https://bookshop.org/books/walks-by-big-alex-s-pond/9780228816942 

 

INDIGO CHAPTERS https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/walks-by-big-alexs-pond/9780228816966-item.html

 

BARNES & NOBLE https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/walks-by-big-alexs-pond-henry-van-berkel/1136006616

 

BOOK DEPOSITORY https://www.bookdepository.com/Walks-by-Big-Alexs-Pond-Henry-van-Berkel/9780228816942

 

KINDLE https://amazon.com/dp/B082FSK87N

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

 

Henry Van Berkel will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4321

The Starfolk Trilogy by Martha Dunlop

 Please welcome Martha Dunlop author of The Starfolk Trilogy

The Starfolk Trilogy

byMartha Dunlop

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GENRE:   Urban Fantasy/Paranormal

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

INTERVIEW:

What or who inspired you to start writing?

I started and stopped many times over the years, but during my twenties I went through a rough patch and that was what really pushed me to start writing seriously.  Writing is a fabuous way to process and reframe things from your life. 

With The Starfolk Arcana I took things that were happening around me, the rise of personality cults, extreme views starting to dominate the airwaves online, people being targetted, and I wrote those into a different context.  For me this was an exploration, both of what was happening, but also of the way things can be so unclear. Convincing narratives can be spun to make the same things look good or bad depending on your perspective. Capturing that ambiguousness was important to me. 

 

How did you come up with your idea for your novel?

Well, the global picture gave me the overall view.  I also went on a local ghost walk and picked up lots of history and stories of the strange things peope had seen and heard in and around the old buildings.  But I also wanted to write about someone with intuitive senses and about Tarot.  I think a lot more people live with heightened intuition that people realise, because the majority of people keep it quiet unless they feel they’re in safe company.  So I wanted to write about that.  And I wanted to experiment with bringing tarot into a story, because it’s such a rich, visual medium with so much story potential.  All of that came together in two characters who started forming in my mind, Beth and Jonan.  Everything else came from there. 

 

What expertise did you bring to your writing?

I have been writing for a long time now.  I studied English and Related Literature at York University and have been writing fiction seriously since my mid-twenties.  I love writing, and I love talking about writing with other book people too. I’ve also been lucky enough to have some amazing mentors, who have really helped me along the way.  

As well as that, I am a tarot reader and reiki master myself, so I loved bringing those elements into the story. And the book is set locally. Every time I go into town I feel as though I am walking through the Starfolk world.  

 

What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?

As well as writing books, I also blog about them!  I am a book blogger on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and I’m trying to get up the courage to be on TikTok too.  I love talking about books, and I love supporting other writers.  I love a wide range of genres, depending on my mood and I consider myself to be a genre-hopper.  Do come and find me on social media if you’d like to see what I’ve been reading and reviewing. 

 

I also have a Little Free Library, which I’m really excited about.  It’s brand new, and people from my road are just starting to use it.  It’s amazing seeing books disappear and new ones arrive in their place!  

 

As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?

I am currently about half way through book three of The Starfok Trilogy, and I’m really excited about the twists that are coming out through that! I can’t wait to share that with everyone next year.  I also have a brand new series brewing in my mind that will link to the Starfolk, as well as a standalone dystopia.  

If you could be one of the characters from this book, who would it be and why?

 

Ooh, this is a tough one.  I think as a writer you see yourself in so many of the characters.  But I think it woud have to be Beth. She has so much to discover, so much of herself to find and it’s all out there for her to explore.  At the beginning of The Starfolk Arcana things are pretty confusing for her, but she personifies the tarot card known as The Fool which is the first card in the deck, the moment where everything is to play for. In the deck in the book, that card is named Potential.  Beth is potential at this point in the story. Everything lies in front of her and it’s all to be risked and gained.  She has a major adversary, but also huge amounts of support if she is prepared to embrace and accept it.  For her, this is the beginning!

 

Can you give us a sneak peek into this book?

It starts in a TV studio, when the key players come together for the first time. Beth is in the live audience.  Amelia, the protagonist, is the celebrity on stage talking about paranormal attack, and Jonan, who has been in love with Beth for lifetimes, is working on set.  Beth is the only one who sees through Amelia’s ridiculous story, and she can’t believe how easily the other people in the audience give in to her lies.  When Amelia hears Beth’s muttering, she challenges her on live TV and the audience turn against her. Only Jonan seems to see through Amelia.  Only Jonan sees Beth’s strength in standing up to this strange performance.   This moment, where they first meet in this lifetime, sets them up for a journey of falling in love, jealousy, anger and revenge.   

What is the best and worst advice you ever received? (regarding writing or publishing)

 

Early on, I followed writing advice I’d seen on Twitter, things like replacing ‘said’ with stronger and more varied tags.  When I sent the manuscript off for a professional edit, many of these changes went out the window.  I learned a valuable lesson about advice during that edit: always know exactly who you’re taking advice from, and make sure they’re someone you aspire to be like.  

My best advice came from the same person.  She told me to put aside the novel I’d been working on for about ten or fifteen years, and write something new.  That was the beginning of me moving towards publication.  

Do you outline your books or just start writing?

Typically, I’m a pantser.  I like to know the ending and a few points along the way, but I do love to launch in and feel my way through.  Right now though, I’m working on book 3 of The Starfolk Trilogy, and so much has to be tied up that I’ve planned it in meticulous detail. That has made for a much smoother writing experience, but I am excited to be pantsing again on a new storyline that’s come up.  It’s such a magical process. 

How do you maintain your creativity?

 

That’s a tricky one. I would love to say I have a regime of filling the creative well, but honestly, I tend to take it for granted, until I crash.  This is definitely something I plan to do better.  I obviously love to write, but I also play Irish fiddle and bouzouki, meditate, read tarot, make candles and all kinds of other stuff. I find it important to do creative things that aren’t writing as well as my main focus on my books.  I also love working on my website, which I have built from scratch.  

 

Who is your favorite character in the book? Can you tell us why?

 

I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty in love with Jonan.  He has been in love with Beth for lifetimes and he remembers that.  In this lifetime he has been waiting for her, hoping to meet her in time to build a relationship before the destined conficts come to a head. Of course that doesn’t happen.  In the end he has to try to build the relationship he has dreamed of for so long, whilst following the path he fears will push her away.  He is scared that when he tells her the truth about their history, the past lives, the destiny, it will scare her off. But Amelia is starting to control people through fear using her scary stories, and people are getting hurt.  So he has no choice.  

 

Anything else you might want to add?

There are two books already out in The Starfolk Trilogy, The Starfolk Arcana and Starfolk Falling, and Starfolk Rising is on the way.  I have a prequel short story available exclusively as a free gift for people who sign up to my newsletter, so if you’d like to find out what really happened the night Amelia claims to have seen a Soul Snatcher, then do subscribe at www.marthadunlop.com.  

 

I also have a Standalone book out called Wild Shadow, which is a romance about a woman who astral projects as a tiger.  It has musicians, tigers and a deadly storm. 

 

I’m on social media a lot, and love to interact.  So do come and chat to me there at: 

Facebook: @MarthaDunlopStories 

Instagram: @marthadunlop 

Twitter: @MarthaDunlop 

 

Thank you so much for having me on your blog, it’s been lovely to chat with you! 

BLURB:

 

Destiny calls. Soulmates draw closer. One woman stands in the way.

Beth trusts her psychic senses. So when her birthday visit to a daytime TV talk show takes a weird turn, she knows something is wrong. Amelia, the celebrity on stage, is oddly fixated on Beth and the man with the microphone is hauntingly familiar. Things become even stranger when she buys a tarot deck, and they are all pictured in the cards.  

Jonan has waited an eternity to be with the woman who haunts his dreams. When he finally sees her at the TV studio, he hopes life with his soulmate is within reach. But as Amelia refuses to let go of their past together, his hopes fade.

Amelia stands between Beth and Jonan. Spinning tales of supernatural threats to her adoring fan base, she builds a personality cult through fear of the paranormal. As her power grows, she does her best to scare Beth away from Jonan and plans to reclaim him for herself.

United by a destiny that spans lifetimes, Beth and Jonan are determined to stop Amelia’s fear-mongering. But Amelia has more than one card to play. Even though they are fated to be together, Amelia’s destructive nature may once again tear them apart.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

EXCERPT:

 

Beth sighed and slouched down in her front row seat at the TV studio. If she’d known she was going to be subjected to this drivel, she wouldn’t have come. She’d been here for two hours already, and not one of the stories had been genuine. Her so-called friend and flatmate had a lot to answer for. She was pleased Laura loved her new job, and it had been obvious her friend’s enthusiasm about the chat show was overblown, but this was worse than she’d expected.

 

She caught a movement out of the corner of her eye and turned. Laura was standing off to the side of the set, waving her clipboard at Beth. She shifted on her mile-high spikes. Her feet must have been so uncomfortable, but Laura had been determined to make an impression today. Her eyes were bright as she scanned the set, drinking in her world. This job was her triumph. Beth couldn’t fault her enthusiasm, she just wished Laura had left her out of today’s charade.

 

Seated on the dais, Katherine Haversham waited for a moment, eyebrows raised, bright red lips pursed.

 

‘Thank you for staying with us over the break. I know this is the moment you’ve been waiting for. Model and It girl Amelia Faustus is here, live, on Deep and Dark to break her silence over the horrific out-of-body attack that took her from the media spotlight. After weeks of fear and soul-searching, she has decided to step back into the public eye. Amelia, welcome. Tell us what happened.’ Katherine leaned forward. ‘Start from the beginning.’

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Martha is a dreamer and lover of stories who likes nothing better than spending her days getting to know the characters in her head.

She is a tarot card reader and reiki master, and loves to chat reading, writing and all things mystical on social media, as well as posting pictures of her fellow pack-member, Bertie the Cavalier.

 

A fiddle player, Martha fell in love with traditional music, particularly Irish, and is also teaching herself to play the Irish Bouzouki. She played her way through her English degree at York and remembers that time as much for the music as the books.

 

Martha is the author of three books: The Starfolk Arcana, Starfolk Falling, and standalone Wild Shadow.  She is currently working on Book 3 of The Starfolk Trilogy, Starfolk Rising. 

 

You can keep up with Martha’s news, book releases and extra content at www.marthadunlop.com, or on her Amazon page, https://www.amazon.com/Martha-Dunlop/e/B08HN73S3D. 

 

You can also find her on social media at: 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarthaDunlop

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

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

 

Head shot by Gene Genie Photography, www.genegenie.photography

 

The book will be $0.99 during the tour.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

 

Martha Dunlop will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4199