Goddess Fish Promotions Blurb Blitz Breaking Hearts and Head Over Heels

Breaking Hearts

by Melissa Shirley

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GENRE: Contemporary Romance

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BLURB:

Can tragedies have a happy ending in Storybook Lake?

Every town has one—a mean girl, hell-bent on taking down everything in her path—and Danielle Ranier played the role to a tee. She broke up Storybook Lake’s most beloved couple and to save herself from a lifetime of lectures on morality, she hopped on the first plane out of town. Six years, one child, and a big secret later, she’s back, fleeing from her abusive husband, who isn’t quite willing to set her free. Now on trial for a murder she didn’t commit, Simon Hunter, the only man she’s ever loved is offering her a lifetime of love and security. If she could only reveal the secrets long-held inside her, a family that never was might finally come together . . .

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EXCERPT

How it all started.

Since the moment I first noticed boys in fifth grade, Simon Hunter was the boy I saw myself growing old with. He had the best smile, the most expressive honey-colored eyes, and a way with people that made an entire town love him. Even when he didn’t know it, he was everything to me. Any minute I could sneak into his presence was a minute I savored and cherished.

When we got around to the business of being adults, our schedules seldom coordinated, but we spent most Fridays together. I’d skipped out on the last three, wanting him to see what it would be like without me. I wanted him to miss me with a desperate passion.

The missing only happened on my end, and I had the phone log to prove it. As it went to voice mail, I glared at my phone and left my tenth message…a pitiful, I-miss-you-please-call-me-and-let-me-know-you’re-okay kind of message. Since high school, he’d been my reason for waking up in the morning, the hero in the dreams I had every night, and the focus of all the moments in between. And damn it. Friday was our day.

After a quick makeup check, I left my apartment, the one we’d planned to share up until a few months ago when he started making all those trips to LA with Gatlin. I kicked the jealousy away with the toe of my shoe against a rock on the sidewalk.

For three full blocks, I took my frustration out on chunks of concrete until I strolled past the bakery. It took every ounce of my will not to press my nose against the window to see if he’d decided to loiter inside while his sister worked, or if he’d just run in to get some free pastries. His car was parked out front, so I leaned against it for a few minutes, waiting…remembering the first time he kissed me…the way his hand cupped the side of my face, the brush of his lips so softly over mine. Had we been sixteen? Seventeen? It was a lifetime ago.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

As an author, Melissa Shirley believes in fairytales, happily ever after, and destiny. Born and raised in Illinois, and a mother of eight, she lives with her husband and three youngest children in a quiet town in the southern part of the state where she spends her time writing and watching her children grow into the people she has always dreamed.

Buy the book:

https://www.amazon.com/s/?field-keywords=9781601836137

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/breaking-hearts/id1088652744?mt=11

https://play.google.com/store/search?q=9781601836137&c=books

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/breaking-hearts-6

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/breaking-hearts-melissa-shirley/1123129790

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Head Over Heels

by Crystal B. Bright

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GENRE: Contemporary Romance

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BLURB:

Sometimes it takes hurt to open your heart…,

At twenty-two, Thane Wells is the highest-paid pitcher in Major League Baseball—and he owes it all to his adoptive Mama, “Queen” Elizabeth Sommerville, a wise, beautiful, entrepreneurial African-American woman who always encouraged him and his two white brothers to reach for the stars…the woman Thane still talks to daily. He never dreamed their most recent conversation would be their last. With his beloved supporter suddenly gone, Thane is grief-stricken, shaken, and vulnerable—especially to a woman like Kari Meyers.

Kari’s had her eye on Thane for a while, but strictly for business. As a junior sports agent, she’s hungry to sign him, especially when she hears his current agent will be retiring soon. When she finally locates Thane, she’s shocked to discover he’s attending his mother’s funeral—and he’s shocked to find Kari in his hotel room. Assuming she’s an escort is just the beginning of their misunderstandings. But one thing that’s clear is their mutual attraction. As a single mom with an NBA ex, Kari has a rule against dating athletes. Yet as circumstances bring the two closer together, they just might find they’re on the same team, heart and soul…

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EXCERPT:

“Hey!”

She turned, hoping to see Thane calling for her. Instead, she saw the other businessman who had been sitting with Alec Fogel. Out of curiosity, she waited as he walked up to her.

“Do I know you?” Kari asked as she held on to the strap of her purse.

“No. And I don’t know you, but I’d like to.” The statuesque older man ran his hand over his silver hair. “My name is Frank Milliner. I’m the owner of the Winning Edge Agency. I heard what you said in there to Thane Wells. What agency do you work at now?”

Kari regarded him for a moment before speaking. “I don’t. I was hoping to sign him up as my client.”

“Wait. You don’t work at an agency? How did you even know about him?”

Great. Another man who probably underestimated her passion for sports and her drive for a career. She would have to correct that perception right now.

“I could use someone like you in my company. I’m assuming you’ve finished school.” Frank crossed his arms over his chest as he studied her.

“Just graduated.”

He laughed and shook his head. “Yes, you are exactly what I need for my business. We should talk.” He tried to guide her back into the hotel.

Kari stayed cemented to the cracked walkway. “I’m not exactly welcome back in there. Can we meet somewhere else?”

Frank smiled. “Of course.”

Although she’d missed one opportunity, she hoped this one would turn out to be a winner. That didn’t mean she would be giving up on Thane Wells. He wouldn’t be the one who got away.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Crystal Bright graduated with a B.A. from Old Dominion University with a major in Creative Writing, a minor in Communications, and an emphasis on Public Relations. She earned her M.A. from Seton Hill University in Writing Popular Fiction. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and Chesapeake Romance Writers. For more information about Crystal and her writing, please visit her website at CrystalBrightWriter.com. Follow her on twitter:twitter.com/CrystalBBright.

Buy the book:

https://www.amazon.com/s/?field-keywords=9781616507152

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/head-over-heels/id1088654849?mt=11

https://play.google.com/store/search?q=9781616507152&c=books

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/head-over-heels-39

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/head-over-heels-crystal-b-bright/1122924010?ean=9781616507152

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GIVEAWAY 

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Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour: Clementina

Clementina

by Simon Cann

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GENRE: Crime Thriller

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BLURB:

Leathan Wilkey has been hired to babysit Clementina, a seventeen-year-old whose rich daddy is going through a messy divorce and is over-compensating.

Leathan soon tires of her spending habits, her selfie obsession, and her social media preoccupation as his ward drags him from shop to boutique to jeweler, approaching each with the self-possession that comes from a lifetime of getting her own way and never once having to worry about money.

But when Clementina snaps her fingers and her boyfriend doesn’t come running, something is up. He doesn’t appear because he’s been murdered.

When Leathan investigates, he finds that the boyfriend has no background and met Clementina through a connection made by daddy’s business partner.

Daddy’s business partner who has been slowly and progressively putting daddy in a vice, grabbing more of the business, and who is now menacing Clementina directly to manipulate daddy.

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Excerpt:

Johnson McElroy and Orville Michael Mallet seemed pleased to have fixed a problem. A problem where I was having trouble understanding what really made it a problem.

The two men—one groomed to look like a logical and rational arguing machine; the other determined to display his individual creativity, which looked exactly the same as everyone else’s individual creativity—shook my hand at the door.

“You know the way out,” I said, as if I had a clue. I only knew how to enter and leave if I was driven by Reece.

The two headed for the elevator and I made my way through the cavernous entrance hall back to the open living space and the kitchen area. The kitchen area, which had more floor space than most apartments I had lived in.

“I should have a word with Clementina,” I said to Angeline Bautista, the housekeeper who had remained invisible while the two company men had been present.

“She’s gone out,” said the housekeeper.

“When?”

“While you talked.”

“Where?”

She shrugged.

“What did Reece say?”

She looked confused.

“Reece—the driver. What did he say?”

The confusion remained. “Nothing.”

“But he must have said something when he came up.”

“He didn’t come up,” she said.

“She went to him?” I could feel the hesitation in my speech as my brain tried to catch up with the situation and make sure my language was unambiguous for the non-native English speaker.

“No. She went out on her own,” said Angeline.

“When?”

“While you talked,” she said with greater emphasis.

“How long ago?”

She tilted her head from side to side. “Ten minutes?” she said. More a question than a statement.

I pulled out my phone and called Reece. “Does Clementina go out on her own?”

“Nope,” said Reece. “Daddy says no.”

“Well, she has.”

Reece swore under his breath. “I’ll be up.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Simon Cann is the author of the Boniface, Montbretia Armstrong, and Leathan Wilkey series of books.

In addition to his fiction, Simon has written a range of music-related and business-related books, and has also worked as a ghostwriter.

Before turning full-time to writing, Simon spent nearly two decades as a management consultant, where his clients included aeronautical, pharmaceutical, defense, financial services, chemical, entertainment, and broadcasting companies.

He lives in London.

Website: http://simoncann.com

B/N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/clementina-simon-cann/1123925440

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Clementina-Leathan-Wilkey-Book-1-ebook/dp/B01FZJEDW6/ref=sr_1_6

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/simoncannauthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/simonpcann

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Interview:

What group did you hang out with in high school?

The tea drinkers (seriously).

What are you passionate about these days?

Family, friends, and writing good books.

If you had to do your journey to getting published all over again, what would you do differently?

I fell sideways into being published—a colleague at work asked me to do him a favor and take over co-authoring a book from him. Dumb luck got me published. The second time I was published I sent a proposal to a few publishers and several asked me to go with them. Again, I was lucky. I got lucky, and for me it was comparatively easy to get published—for most authors this was not the case.

However, since I was first published, there have been big changes to the publishing world—it’s now much easier for an author to get published (easier because there are options that include self-publishing and technology has moved forward with ebooks and print-on-demand). The ease with which one can get a book out there has revealed a bigger difficulty—but a difficulty which has always been there: finding and connecting with a readership.

If I were to do anything differently, it would be to focus on building my readers group.

By the way, did I mention that if you join my readers group then I’ll send you some free books?  Just head over to my website (simoncann.com) and tell me where to send the books.

Ebook or print? And why?

For me—ebooks, because my house is full of paper books and my eyes aren’t what they were so I like being able to increase the size of type. I also love being able to carry around hundreds of titles in a device that’s smaller and lighter than a paperback.

For readers—whatever they want.

What is your favorite scene in this book?

There’s a scene about one-third of the way into the book where Clementina drags Leathan Wilkey to a boutique to buy some clothes.

Leathan has been charged with babysitting the willful seventeen-year-old Clementina. Clementina’s boyfriend has disappeared and Leathan has seen an opportunity to keep her occupied for a few hours. She thinks they’re looking for the wayward boyfriend—he knows that he’s distracting her from causing him problems.

The two track down the boyfriend to his hotel but he’s not there. Leathan wants to get into the boyfriend’s hotel room and realizes Clementina would be able to walk in. Clementina agrees but—as only a willful seventeen-year-old can—says she needs a new outfit as a disguise so that the lie she’ll need to tell in order to get in will be backed by the clothes she’s wearing. Leathan figures that two people asking for the boyfriend at his hotel within a few minutes would be suspicious and a brief detour for some shopping is just another way to keep his charge distracted, so he doesn’t argue.

And so Leathan and Clementina find themselves in a Paris boutique with a shop assistant running around trying to satisfy the teenager’s every whim.

The reason this scene is a favorite with me is that this is where the nature of the relationship between Leathan and Clementina changes. Before the scene, Clementina is a teenager resenting the handler her daddy has imposed upon her and Leathan is a thirty-something with a tiresome charge.

Somewhere in the scene—somewhere in a boutique in Paris as Clementina asks for Leathan’s opinion about the clothes she’s trying on—something changes and there’s a subtle shift, a recognition, an understanding, a new respect. Two individuals enter the boutique—a unified team with shared goal leaves.

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Celebrity Overkill

Raise your hand if you always find yourself scanning the covers of the gossip magazines when you are at the grocery store. I'm sure some of you even buy a few of them.

One thing I've noticed is that US, People and Star all seem to do stories on the same people. Is Jennifer Aniston still all that relevant? Most of her movies are crap. Her only real claim to fame is Friends and that is long since over, but thanks to her marriage and divorce from Brad Pitt and the whole Brangelina thing, she will never just fade into B movie oblivion.

Every week it is something. Either she's feuding with Angelina or she's adopting a baby or a new marriage is on the rocks.

For the love of god, can we focus on someone else?

As long as it isn't a Kardashian because that whole family should get off my tv, internet and any other form of media they can stick their obnoxious mugs on.

And speaking of overkill, let's talk Duchess Catherine. She's lovely, yes. I'm happy that both she and Prince William are happy, but I'm also sick of seeing her and everyone speculating on when she's going to pop out a few more royal heirs.

Enough already.

Oh and one more

Taylor Swift. Actually I wish she would just go away period.

I know that I've ranted and raved about this before...but I really swear paparazzi need to find different people to stalk.

Movie Review: Mr. Holmes

I have to admit that I am a sucker for Sherlock Holmes, so when this movie came up on my prime account I had to watch it. I'm always late for movies, because of my caregiver status. I can't be away long enough to go to a movie.

But back to the film.

Ian McKellen plays Mr. Holmes, who is nearing the end of his life. He's battling dementia and trying desperately to remember his last case.

It is with the help of his housekeeper's (Laura Linney) young son Roger (Milo Parker) that he starts to unravel the last mystery.

The film starts out fairly slow. Do not watch it if you are tired, you may nod off, because there's very little action here. This isn't your Benedict Cumberbatch or Robert Downey Jr. Sherlock. Things go by more slowly here. Sherlock is in his 90s, he can't run around anymore, but Ian McKellen plays the roll with such grace. He's a curmudgeonly old man, but he also is something you seldom see with Sherlock, he's kind and he's actually human, and he's starting to face his failings.

But in this film, because its an elderly Sherlock, we see him with relationships. He truly does care about Roger, and you can feel his heartache over the deaths of all those he was close to. Watson and Mycroft are both dead. So he's pretty much all alone in the world. That's important as you'll see when things start to be revealed. The other thing that is important here are the bees and the death of bees.

What really made the movie was was the relationship between Roger and Mr. Holmes. Milo reminds me a little of Freddie Highmore back in his Finding Neverland days. Holmes is a fascinating grandfather figure to the boy.  One of the best scenes is nearing the end of the film when Roger asks Mr. Holmes to "do his thing" when his mother returns. The outcome isn't as expected, but McKellen proves he's as good a Sherlock as any.

This is a film that will break your heart at times but those that love Sherlock Holmes should find this film more than satisfying.

4 stars

Recipe: Lazy Girl's Baked Ziti

When my youngest nephew comes for supper he always asks for pasta.

Any pasta will do.

He isn't picky, but I can only eat so much spaghetti before I go nuts.

I decided I wanted to go with baked ziti, but I didn't want to go the route of ricotta etc. So I scoured the internet.

I found two recipes that had alfredo sauce instead of ricotta. In one you mixed the alfredo and the spaghetti sauce together and the other had you coat the pasta with alfredo. The later was the recipe I decided to use.

Its easy and has minimal ingredients and 5 out of 6 people loved it (You can't please everyone)

Ingredients
1 lb ground meat
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 jar alfredo sauce
1 lb of ziti pasta
1 1/2 cups of Italian Cheese Blend or Mozarella or a combination of both


Directions:
1 Prepare pasta according to package directions
2 Drain pasta and place in 9x13 baking dish. Pour alfredo over the pasta and toss to coat.
3. Brown the ground meat and drain. Return to pan and pour the spaghetti sauce over the meat and warm.
4. Pour meat mixture over the noodles and top with cheese.
5. Cover and cook @ 350 for 30 minutes

Green Bean and Sausage in the Slow Cooker

I love quick and easy slow cooker meals and you don't get much easier than this.

We love boiled dinners in our house, with ham, cabbage and all sorts of other veggies. This is very much like it only with smoke sausage. I think we liked the sausage even better.

This is a great comfort food dinner and the fresh veggies make it fabulous.

Ingredients
1 lb or 4 cans of green beans (Fresh is best)
5 yukon gold potatoes cubed (Keep the skins on if you like)
4 carrots peeled and cut up
1 ring of Smoked Sausage or Kielbasa (the new Applewood Smoked Sausage by McCormick is fabulous)
1 can of chicken broth
Season with salt/pepper or Nature's Seasoning

Directions

Toss it all in the crock, season and pour in the broth.

Cook on low 8-10 hours

Enjoy!