I'm looking at another move, this time out of state and to a place I've never lived before. This is the second time this has happened in my life. When I married in the early 80's, I left behind Ohio for Michigan. While I only knew one person, I quickly learned to love my new hometown. I believe this gives me a unique perspective on what a person is willing to do for love. 

Have you ever moved away from home with your husband and only him? Left behind your family and friends?

In Amanda Marin's new release, North to Nara, she explores what one young couple is willing to give up for love. It's more than just moving, though. Her story is about the quest for a society where everyone is allowed to live freely. This is such an important piece in light of our own world these days.

I hope you will pick up your own copy and share with me what you think of this Dystopian romance which felt a lot like Hunger Games mixed with The Handmaid's Tale.

Blurb:
Behind the beauty is heartache... unless their love can save them.
 
Neve Hall has always admired the good works of the civil servants who brought prosperity back to the Nation. She especially respects the Sufferers—empaths who, with the help of technology, anonymously bear others’ troubles for them. But when her assigned empath is abruptly retired, she uncovers certain secrets. Like the identity of her new Sufferer, Micah Ward... and the fact that behind his kind smile is a life filled with loneliness and pain.
 
The closer Neve grows to Micah, the more desperate she becomes to protect him from a cruel and gruesome fate. But in a world where only a few are allowed the luxury of love, saving Micah comes with a price: Neve must choose between her loyalty to the Nation or her heart—a decision that will take them both on a race for their freedom, and their lives.
 
EXCERPT:
I have no way of knowing if my attempt to keep pain from Micah has worked—I don’t, at least, until a couple days later, when he visits me again in the butterfly exhibit. We walk around the museum corridors once more, this time in a different direction, on a different floor—through an exhibit on horses. And we talk.
​
“Did you suppress things this week at the Center?” He asks this almost immediately, after he tells me the director still hasn’t made a decision about his punishment.

I bite my lip and glance away, trying to distract myself by examining a prehistoric drawing of a pony. If I admit the truth, Micah might ask me more questions. He might ask why I did it. And even though I know the answer—because I think it’s cruel what the Nation has done to him, because I like being near him, and because I almost certainly care more about him than I should—the idea of telling him all this scares me.

“Yes,” I say, my voice small and timid. “How did you know?”

“It felt different this time,” he explains softly. “It was easier. Less painful.”

I look up at him again. “Then I’m glad,” I tell him. “That was what I hoped for.”

He pauses, and I see the confusion in his face, the way it knits his eyebrows closer together. He’s never had a Sieve suppress feelings to protect him before, I’m sure. He’s only ever had them take from him. He doesn’t quite seem to know what to make of it.

“You know you don’t have to do that, right…?” he asks.

“I know.”

Micah’s quiet a moment as we continue walking, probably guessing correctly the reasons for my suppression, whether I say them out loud or not. I’ve been paper-thin to him since our first Suffering session, after all: he’s always seen through me. Then, as we round a corner, his hand brushes against mine. His fingertips gently graze against my knuckles, testing to see if I pull away.

I don’t.

Instead, I slip my hand into his.

And he smiles.

About the Author:
When Amanda was a child, her father traveled frequently for business, always bringing her back a book as a present. Whether she was getting lost in the pages of a tale about far-away knights, girls with supernatural powers, or kindly giants, she was quickly hooked on stories.
 
Over the years, Amanda has followed her own yellow brick road of reading and writing, and although her adventures haven't involved sword fights or saving the planet from certain annihilation, they have involved jobs in scholarly publishing and marketing, a modest amount of travel, and a lifelong love of novels.
 
Amanda holds degrees in English from Salve Regina University and Boston College. She lives in southern New Hampshire with her family and a precocious pet poodle named Snickers.
 
 
Links:
 
Website: www.amandamarinwrites.com
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/amandamarin 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amandamarinwrites
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amarinwrites/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/Amanda_Marin
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amanda-marin
 

​Luke Perry’s passing did one thing right in my book. More than sharing how important it is for healthy living, Luke’s death put the focus on how a blended family should work. Even at the lowest times in our lives, we need our family around us. When Luke passed, his ex-wife and the mother of his children were at his bedside along with his fianceé and children. In the days that followed, both women were seen having lunches together with the children as they grieved as a family. 

​As a divorced mom who remarried, I understand the anger and despair in dealing with your ex-spouse. Obviously there was a reason why you aren’t together anymore. It wasn’t a decision made lightly by anyone, especially if there are children involved. Please know that if you left a bad situation due to violence or abuse, then this doesn’t fit you and I’m not saying that my beliefs work for everyone. However, Luke’s death showed how it is possible to put the past behind you for important events.

​When my daughter and son graduated high school or when my daughter married, my ex and I put aside any anger or resentment and hosted the events as a team, working to make sure the happiest days for my children were ones they could look back on with fondness. Why can’t it be that way for the end of life? I had a life with my ex-husband. We’d been married for twenty years and though we had issues, he was at one point, the most important person in my life. Why wouldn’t I want him there when I leave my mortal body and ascend to Heaven? It doesn’t mean that my current husband is less in my heart, but it sets a wonderful precedent for my own children. Love triumphs over everything else.

​Thank you to Luke’s family who understood what was really important in his final moments. They set a precedent which I feel we should all live up to. 

We've been with Country Music Superstar, Finn Murphy and his wife, Lara for many adventures. We've seen how loss and love have shaped their marriage. We've seen happy times and bumpy roads. Now it's time to let these two amazing characters lead a quieter life. But this isn't really goodbye, more like until we see you again.

Blurb:
West Virginia, New York, Tennessee…Lara and Finn Murphy have lived in all of these places. And thanks to Finn’s career as a country music singer, they have had the opportunity to explore many more. But what they have discovered along the many roads traveled, is that the only real place that matters is where each other is—that is the place they belong.
​
The pair will need to hold onto that truth as they face their greatest challenges yet. On top of dealing with Pop’s terminal illness, Lara and Finn’s young daughter is caught up in an emergency situation. The traumatic event not only scratches at old wounds but brings an unwanted public spotlight on the family.

Amongst the emotional upheaval, can they find sanctuary and comfort in each other? Will they learn to reconcile what has happened in the past to find peace in the present? Can they finally and completely let each other in?
And, will their road of life, full of detours and U-turns, finally have a happily ever after?
 
The final book in the Country Roads series, THE PLACE I BELONG, will take you on an emotional, heartfelt journey.
 

Captain Marvel finally arrived in theaters to a large round of applause on International Women's Day. With a nod toward strong women and the friendships they cultivate. You can check out my review on my Movie Review page or listen to my review on Monday on the radio station, WHMI.

Becoming a published author isn't an easy task. First you have to have an idea, then comes the hard part... you have to actually finish the book. Many people have wonderful ideas but they never put their behinds in the chair and complete their writing. A new idea comes around or they let their negative tape get in the way. But you MUST finish a book in order to become an author.

Edits, querying and more edits. All of those are things that occur before you become an author. Cover art is selected and you establish your brand. Whew, are you tired yet? Becoming a published author isn't for the faint of heart...but today we have another new member to the club! Laurel Houck...

Some say you never forget your first kiss... but really, you never forget your first book!

The Girl with Chameleon Eyes
It’s an abrupt, uncomfortable incarnation for Summer, the ghostly girl with chameleon eyes. Exotic hues roil in her gaze as she seeks to recall what awful sin in her past has doomed her to roam the earth. And to discover what—or who—will bring her to eternal rest.

Kota, brunt of bad jokes because he’s different, feels an instant connection to Summer. She recoils at the mere sight of him. Yet they are drawn together in a dance of mutual need, choreographed by the ages.

As Summer grows more attached to both her young foster brother and to Kota’s friend, Preston, she struggles against complacency. Until discovering that if she doesn’t expiate the guilt on her soul by her seventeenth birthday, she will roam forever.

For her, it’s hate at first sight. For him, it’s instant attraction. When the pieces of their lives begin to unravel and intertwine, will love be enough to save them both? Or will evil decide their future?
 

Excerpt
My vapor solidifies with no warning whatsoever. Abrupt. Compact. Unexpected.

I’m near a dumpster that squats behind a floodlit Sheetz gas station, the stench of hot dog grease and burnt coffee strong in my nostrils. My feet are last to materialize, so that for a moment when I look down, I’m floating about five inches above the pavement, white mist above black asphalt.

With the physical transformation comes the rest of it. Light and cool converts to heavy and hot. Yearning and searching morphs to fear and uncertainty. Naked and misty transforms to flesh-bound and clothed. I’m grateful for the garments that cover my skin, even if how that happens is a mystery to me.

The nausea and dizziness are stronger than the last time I can recall. I lean against the dumpster and slide to the ground, knees up, head in my hands. It will pass soon. I hope.

“Miss, are you okay?” A deep voice rumbles above the traffic noise. The tall, ruddy-faced cop is standing over me, wearing a black uniform and a hat with a band of navy and gold squares. “I’m Officer Sullivan. Did someone hurt you?”

“I’m fine.” I scramble to my feet, glad it’s dim in the shadow of the dumpster. I’m still shaky and have no clue what color has risen in my eyes. Between the lights and my startling arrival, anything is possible.

I keep my head down. What can I tell him? I know that I used to be alive, that now I’m a ghost, and that I’m searching for something to expiate my guilt over...what? Beyond that, fuzzy at best. 

About the Author:
Laurel has been writing since the age of six, when Crawls the Caterpillar inched across her lined notebook paper propelled by a fat yellow pencil. She has published magazine and newspaper articles as well as blog posts with All The Way YA, SEAPC.org, and on her website. Her portfolio includes multiple children’s stories in a variety of genres. She has two Young Adult novels—both paranormal romances—with Inkspell Publishing.

In addition to writing, her passion is for travel to exotic locations around the globe. The people she meets, the places she visits, and the quirky way she looks at life all inspire her work. She loves complex characters and intricate plots that mesh into multifaceted books, melding romance, mystery, adventure, and history.

Laurel was a chosen participant at Better Books, a craft-based workshop near San Francisco. She is active in the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and has been a presenter at their Fall SCBWI Conference In Pittsburgh.

When she’s not deep into a writing project, Laurel is a medical missions’ nurse, traveling for Southeast Asia Prayer Center, Hope in Haiti, Caring Hearts, and Convoy of Hope. She lives in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, with her husband and their fur baby, Mabel. All of that, plus she’s the world’s biggest fan of chocolate milkshakes and hugs.
​
Website:      www.laurelhouckpages.com
Facebook:    Laurel Houck
Twitter:       @LaurelHouck
Instagram:   laurelscottage
 
 

Over the past decade, Tyler Perry has wowed audiences with his Madea character who said exactly what was on her mind. With A Madea Family Funeral, Tyler is ready to move on and put Madea to rest.

You can catch my review on Monday morning at 8:40 am on WHMI or you can read my review on my Movie Review Page.

Does anyone think Tyler is copying Eddie Murphy??

Blurb
Upon the death of her father, her Guardian, “The Honorable Robert Conrad” married her at sixteen to a vicious beast named Gerard Candor, the Marquis de Coeur. Her ‘husband’ would bring friends with him when he would arrive to provide her the small pittance she was expected to live on.

If she allowed them to use her body, then she would receive her money. If she fought them, she would be brutally beaten and receive no money.

Recognizing her need for help, her friend, Tom, helped her establish a very fine private club at her estate. With the money she received from the club games, she begins to build a fine stable of horses for the gentlemen to ride.

When the Marquis de Coeur dies, Anne celebrates with her gentleman. While she will have less money, she is certain her life will be better now.

She couldn’t be more wrong...

AMAZONEXCERPT 
Aaron De Coeur bounded off the ship the moment it docked in Calais, France. He waited for neither his steward nor his luggage. Pushing his way through the crowd, he paid no attention to the hands that slyly searched his pockets for something to lift. He had no time to teach pickpockets a lesson.
 
He flagged a carriage for hire and gave the driver his destination. When the man declared it too far, Aaron offered him five times the going rate. Sensing a desperate customer, the driver refused, demanding even more. Aaron pulled a long-barreled gun from the arm holster hidden beneath his suit jacket and aimed it at the fellow’s head.

The driver’s eyes rounded in fear and sweat beaded upon his brow. “The wage is most generous, sir.”
 
***
By the time the majestic castle, with its four ancient guard towers and surrounding stone wall, came into sight, Aaron’s fists were numb from his continual clenching. When they pulled up before the door, Aaron leapt from the carriage. As he pulled out the coins to pay the driver, his focus went to the horses, panting in distress, foam bubbling from their mouths.
 
The butler, Shaw, hurried down the stone steps. He looked quite severe until he recognized Aaron. “Master Aaron, thank God, you’ve made it in time.”
 
“My father still lives?”
 
“Barely. He’s been holding on for you, my boy.”
 
Aaron placed the coins in Shaw’s hands. “Pay the driver, only after those horses have been watered, fed, and are fit to travel.”
​
Having no time to waste, Aaron took the steps three at a time. Only one thought filled his head: to speak to his father once more. He rushed through the entry hall, up the grand stairway, down the main hall, and into his father’s bedroom.
 
Stopping at the door, he stared at his once strong, but now shockingly frail father lying in bed. For a moment, Aaron feared fate had taken his father only seconds before he arrived. He approached the bed and knelt beside the silver haired man. When he discovered the old man’s hand still warm, Aaron sighed with relief.
 
His father’s eyes opened. “You made it,” the Marquis said in a raspy voice.
 
Aaron forced a smile upon his face. “I came the moment I received word. Why did you wait so long to write that you were ill?”
 
“Because you would have abandoned your dreams and come home. I have learned there is a terrible price to pay for stealing the dreams of the young. I would not do it twice.”
 
 
About the Author
Liza O’Connor
Liza loves to write books. In fact, she has over fifty novels now and she still continues to publish a book a month.
She writes in a multitude of genres.
Romance, Comedy, Historical, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, & Western.
She even has one Young Adult novel.
Thus, her books have a wide range of heat from mild to adult language and situations, that are determined by what seems realistic for each of her many stories. 
 
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT 
LIZA O'CONNOR
 
Liza's Blog and Website   Facebook   Twitter
 
 
http://www.lizaoconnor.com/
http://www.facebook.com/liza.oconnor.90
https://twitter.com/Liza0Connor
 
 
Check out my growing basket of books—I have over 50 now.
 
 

Lady Anne is an interesting woman. She's faced hardships which would have crippled many others, yet she has risen above the pain and found something she enjoys...horses. Her life is completely different than many other women of her age. But when she realizes the truth about what happened and who was at fault, she must learn to adapt once more.

Ms. O'Connor writes stories with interesting characters. They are human and flawed but are still ones you want to see a happy ending for. No matter what happens to them, they find a way to persevere. 

Lady Anne ties into my favorite of Ms. O'Connor's books (Her Sleuth Series). In Lady Anne we meet Jacko, the pirate before he becomes ensnared with Victor and Xavier. It's wonderful to learn more about this fascinating character and his own journey to happiness.

This book will keep you entertained!

Movies about friendship and overcoming obstacles are the staple of childhood. How to Train Your Dragon quickly became a favorite among younger audiences with the cute and adorable Toothless the Night Fury. Now the final installment of the movie series will have you crying as you say goodbye. 

You can catch my review on Monday on WHMI at 8:40 in the AM or on my Movie Review Page.

What would you be willing to do for love? Would you risk your life? Would you go against the rules of your government or country? Would you risk it all?

In Ms. Marin's up-coming release, North to Nara, Neve must answer that tough question for herself. See if you would agree with her!

Blurb:
​Behind the beauty is heartache... unless their love can save them.
 
Neve Hall has always admired the good works of the civil servants who brought prosperity back to the Nation. She especially respects the Sufferers—empaths who, with the help of technology, anonymously bear others’ troubles for them. But when her assigned empath is abruptly retired, she uncovers certain secrets. Like the identity of her new Sufferer, Micah Ward... and the fact that behind his kind smile is a life filled with loneliness and pain.
 
The closer Neve grows to Micah, the more desperate she becomes to protect him from a cruel and gruesome fate. But in a world where only a few are allowed the luxury of love, saving Micah comes with a price: Neve must choose between her loyalty to the Nation or her heart—a decision that will take them both on a race for their freedom, and their lives.

About the Author:
 
When Amanda was a child, her father traveled frequently for business, always bringing her back a book as a present. Whether she was getting lost in the pages of a tale about far-away knights, girls with supernatural powers, or kindly giants, she was quickly hooked on stories.
 
Over the years, Amanda has followed her own yellow brick road of reading and writing, and although her adventures haven't involved sword fights or saving the planet from certain annihilation, they have involved jobs in scholarly publishing and marketing, a modest amount of travel, and a lifelong love of novels.
 
Amanda holds degrees in English from Salve Regina University and Boston College. She lives in southern New Hampshire with her family and a precocious pet poodle named Snickers.
 
Links:
Website: www.amandamarinwrites.com
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/amandamarin 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amandamarinwrites
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amarinwrites/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/Amanda_Marin
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amanda-marin
 

Romantic comedies are a staple of Hollywood from Pretty Woman to How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days.  They have many similar plot points in common and Isn't it Romantic pokes fun at the genre in order to help Natalie (Rebel Wilson) learn to appreciate what she has. 

You can check out my review here or listen to me on Monday Morning at 8:40 on WHMI.

​FROM LONDON WITH LOVE
by Melissa Kendall
What would you do if you had a one-night stand which resulted in the most amazing sex of your life? You’d want more, right? That’s what Angela wants, too, but unfortunately, the next morning she must return to University in Australia. So, she leaves Brad a note, hoping he’d contact her. But he never does. What a jerk.

Five years later, having finished her degree, Angela plans to celebrate with her friends at their favourite drinking spot. However, when she enters, she’s shocked to see Brad sitting at the bar. Summoning all of her courage, she says hello, and, in an instant, the spark between them rekindles. Problem is, this time, Brad's only in Australia one more day.

Spending what little time remains together, Angela can’t deny that he’s the only one for her. And with time running out, she realizes she must tell him the truth of her heart. Will fate let them find a way to be together forever, or are they always destined to part ways?

Excerpt
She reached for the bedside table to find her phone nowhere in sight. Fuck.

As carefully as she could, she jumped out of bed, looking for her clothes and her purse. Her knickers and skirt were her first find, and she quickly slid them on. Then she spotted her shirt on a chair on the other side of the room. A memory of Brad pushing her into the chair, shoving her skirt up, and diving headfirst between her thighs hit her like a tonne of bricks, making the ache return in anticipation of a repeat. He’d gone to town with his tongue and fingers like no man before and had brought her to not one, but two screaming orgasms.

Shaking her head, she grabbed her shirt off the chair and pulled it on; she didn’t have time for this. There under her shirt was her purse. She yanked it off the chair and frantically searched for her phone.

Pulling it out, she was aghast to see it was eight in the morning. She had set the alarm for an hour before. One look at her phone explained why the alarm hadn’t woken her. It was set to silent. Not surprisingly, there were five missed calls from Sophie. She fired off a quick text to say she was on her way, found her shoes, and then turned to face the still-sleeping Brad.

He lay on his back with the sheet draped over his waist, showing the hint of a morning wood. She wished she didn’t have to run, wished she met him months ago, and then maybe they could have gotten to know one another better.

Alas, her gap year was over, and it was time to go back to the real world and get on with becoming a responsible adult. Her parents’ words, not her own.

A square of white caught her attention, and she realized it was the standard hotel notepad. She picked it up and quickly wrote down her full name, social media links, and a brief apology then folded it and placed it on her pillow.

He’d find it there when he woke up, and then it would be up to him if he wanted to stay in touch.
One last quick glance at the bed and the decadent sight of a sexed-up Brad sleeping, and then she slipped out the door.
​
If she took one thing only home to Australia, it would be her memories of her night with Brad. She wasn’t some slut, and he also wasn’t her first by more than a handful, yet she could safely say he was the best she’d ever had. Even now, she felt the acute ache of a good fucking. With any luck, it would last the whole twenty-four hours home. She just had to make it to the airport on time.

Author Bio
Melissa Kendall is a fortyish mother of two from Perth, Western Australia, the second-most isolated capital city in the world. Between working and shuttling her kids everywhere under the sun she still has time to spend hours at her computer letting the imaginary people she thinks up tell their stories. She is the author of seven published works and writes a little bit of everything but contemporary erotic romance is her favourite genre http://www.melissakendall.net .
 
 
Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads * Website 

Clara Winter's vampire series- The Immortal Kindred has a unique twist. Each tale tells the story of a vampire and features traveling into the past to get a better glimpse into the character of the vampire. 

Her first book- Deepest Midnight brought readers along into early French times as the main character became a vampire. 

Her latest release- Rebel Heart draws readers into 18th century Boston and Savannah along with the fight for our young country.

Psst... Ms. Winter also has three more riveting tales in this Amazing Series!! Be sure to grab each copy! Watch for the rest to come out in to the summer and fall!

Blurb:
Always and Forever

Annie is a Culper Spy captured by Hessian soldiers. Powerful and mysterious Captain Thayer Emmerich takes mercy and releases her. Annie is inexplicably drawn to the handsome German, but she hates the feeling of powerlessness the enemy has left her with. Annie would give anything to be stronger.

One evening at the famous Green Dragon Tavern, Annie befriends the ethereal Millicent. Soon after meeting Millicent, Annie discovers her secret--her new friend isn’t human. Millicent introduces Annie to her maker, Alexandre, and Annie joins their preternatural family.

Annie finally has the strength and freedom she needs to aid the revolution and see Thayer, once again. The two discover a passion neither has known before. But, too many complications exist for the pair to find happily ever after. Not only are they fighting on opposite sides of the war, the evil Emilia Romanov has plans for Thayer that do not include a love affair.

Rebel Heart is set in 18th century Boston and Savannah, as well as modern day Germany and France. This is the second book in The Immortal Kindred Series.

EXCERPT:
“Well, you certainly gave me a fright. You look like a new person this evening, which I guess you are.” She sat the candle on the seat of the wooden chair.

I felt so splendid I had forgotten what happened. Sitting bolt upright, I ran my hands over my face, neck, and body.

Millicent laughed. “Everything where it’s supposed to be?”

Instead of answering, I leaped from the bed and ran to the mirror. My appearance was no different. It was my senses. Closing my eyes, I could hear people talking on the street below. Their words were so clear they could have been in the room.

The sound of bugs skittering on the branches of the old oak tree, along with dew dripping from the bud of an open rose in the flower bed reached my ears. Opening my eyes, I took in the room. I could make out microscopic specks of dust entwined in the cords of the rug, the finely woven individual threads of Millicent’s dressing gown. My legs swayed underneath me, and I braced myself against the wall.

“This feels incredible.” I spun around. “What else can I do?”

Millicent was lighting the room’s lamps. “You are now able to move with such speed, mortals will not register you. You can jump great distances, so far it will almost seem like flying. The three of us have the ability to communicate with each other through our thoughts. And, of course, you will be strong. Very strong. This strength will grow as you age in your immortality.”
​
This was everything I needed to hear. All the strengths Millicent had listed would help me as a spy. There would be no thwarting me, no worry about capture, and I would complete one mission after the next with absolute perfection.

About the Author:
Amy Rugg grew up reading Anne of Green Gables, The Secret Garden, and Alice in Wonderland, while watching Buck Rogers, Star Trek, and Doctor Who. Writing her own stories naturally ensued. She is a wife, mother, and former school counselor, with a Master’s Degree in Counseling. Amy is from Colorado Springs, Co and currently resides in Mission Viejo, Ca. clarawinterbooks.com

What if you didn't know your own name? What if ordinary things were unknown? Would you trust the people around you? Who would you accept help from? As a child, I often played make-believe. 

I leaned how to get around the house with out the use of my eyes. Just in case I lost my eyesight. I also knew various ways to get out in case of emergencies. I learned how to escape from quicksand, yet we never had one problem with it!

The one thing I never figured out, was what to do if I lost my memory. I guess it was too challenging for me to process. But here's a story which will give you some insights... and solve Summer's mystery!

Blurb:
It’s an abrupt, uncomfortable incarnation for Summer, the ghostly girl with chameleon eyes. Exotic hues roil in her gaze as she seeks to recall what awful sin in her past has doomed her to roam the earth. And to discover what—or who—will bring her to eternal rest.

Kota, brunt of bad jokes because he’s different, feels an instant connection to Summer. She recoils at the mere sight of him. Yet they are drawn together in a dance of mutual need, choreographed by the ages.

As Summer grows more attached to both her young foster brother and to Kota’s friend, Preston, she struggles against complacency. Until discovering that if she doesn’t expiate the guilt on her soul by her seventeenth birthday, she will roam forever.
​
For her, it’s hate at first sight. For him, it’s instant attraction. When the pieces of their lives begin to unravel and intertwine, will love be enough to save them both? Or will evil decide their future?

About the Author:
Laurel has been writing since the age of six, when Crawls the Caterpillar inched across her lined notebook paper propelled by a fat yellow pencil. She has published magazine and newspaper articles as well as blog posts with All The Way YA, SEAPC.org, and on her website. Her portfolio includes multiple children’s stories in a variety of genres. She has two Young Adult novels—both paranormal romances—with Inkspell Publishing.

In addition to writing, her passion is for travel to exotic locations around the globe. The people she meets, the places she visits, and the quirky way she looks at life all inspire her work. She loves complex characters and intricate plots that mesh into multifaceted books, melding romance, mystery, adventure, and history.

Laurel was a chosen participant at Better Books, a craft-based workshop near San Francisco. She is active in the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and has been a presenter at their Fall SCBWI Conference In Pittsburgh.

When she’s not deep into a writing project, Laurel is a medical missions’ nurse, traveling for Southeast Asia Prayer Center, Hope in Haiti, Caring Hearts, and Convoy of Hope. She lives in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, with her husband and their fur baby, Mabel. All of that, plus she’s the world’s biggest fan of chocolate milkshakes and hugs.
​
Website:      www.laurelhouckpages.com
Facebook:    Laurel Houck
Twitter:       @LaurelHouck
Instagram:   laurelscottage
 

Hell Within Walking Distance
By Liza O’Connor
A Love Story
With Paranormal Events
This story takes place in 1980, when Hell’s Kitchen remained a dangerous place. As a young woman working in Manhattan, I was shocked how one block could make such a huge difference in your likelihood to survive. I traveled to NYC by train, so I had no option but to walk once I arrived at Penn Station. What I quickly learned was to stay far away from Hell’s Kitchen, for even in the early mornings it was NOT SAFE.
​

 
Blurb
Cara faints on a subway and dreams that she wakes in the arms of an adoring husband. This charming, caring man soon claims her heart.
When she reawakens to her miserable life, the memory of her dream life gives her the courage to escape her tormentor. Newly discovered friends help her disappear by placing her in the household of a wealthy philanthropist who is determined to pull his beloved wife out of her coma.
When Cara realizes the philanthropist is her dream husband, she concludes she is to blame for his wife’s coma. Cara is determined to do whatever it takes to return his wife’s soul to her body, even if it kills her.
​
Amazon
 
Excerpt
Cara stood at a crossroad. To her right, bleak tenement buildings towered over her. Graffiti-covered plywood nailed across the doors and broken out windows all screamed abandonment and heightened her sense of danger.
A few rusted car carcasses, stripped bare to their frames, remained on the sides of the street, blackened from fire. They looked as if giant dragons had attacked and eaten all but their iron bones: dragons that nested in the buildings, hiding in those gapping black windowless holes; dragons waiting for their next meal to walk down the road.
“Well?” Damon asked in a terse, annoyed tone that silently screamed once again that she wasn’t meeting expectations. “You do know how to get back to civilization, I hope.”
Cara looked to her left. This street possessed signs of life, but dangerous life. Predators lurked in the shadows. Sleeping neon signs hung from the buildings, quiet now, but later they would scream in bright blinking lights their messages: Sexy Girls…All Nude…Magical Massages.
While the signs presently slept, in the dark shadows of the doors and alleys she could see men huddled in nefarious business transactions. Cars crawled up and down the street while tired, drained women greeted them with forced smiles.
“We’re going to miss the R,” Damon complained, and without waiting for her to decide, he headed up the left road, his long legs forcing her to run to keep up.
“We’d better make the train, or I’m going to be most put out.”
She appreciated the quick, angry pace he set. When tourists, loaded with packages and money, wandered into the dens of hungry predators, missing a damn train was the least of their worries. Several of the men in the shadows watched her like wolves sighting deer as she trotted behind Damon. When they reached the end of the street, he stopped.
“Well?”
She stared at their choices. Nothing looked familiar. Either everything had changed since she was last here or... Fear paralyzed her. What if they were completely off course, moving away from the train station rather than toward it?
 
 
About the Author
Liza O’Connor has been writing books for most of her life. Only for the first ten years she didn’t show them to anyone. Then she joined a group called the Rom-critters and her she learned how to make her stories better.
Liza has published over 50+ books
Liza writes fiction, but all her books have a bit of her life in them. As strange as it sounds, Hell Within Walking Distance has much of her life within the story.
Liza is trying to publish a book a month, so more of her books can be published and read. Most of these books were written in her most creative years. But she is still writing new books as well. It just takes longer to write a new book, rather than to improve an already written book from her backlog.
She also writes in many genres, including: Historical and Contemporary Romance, Sci-Fi, Paranormal, Modern Western, Fantasy, Ghost stories, Humor, and more.
For a full listing, check out the back pages of one of her current year’s books.
 
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LIZA O'CONNOR
 
I've over 50 books now, in many genre's
Come check them out!
 
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When life gives you lemons...make lemonade. 

Cara has a horrible life. She's treated terribly and is unable to see a way to escape until she hits her head and dreams of a different life. When given the chance to escape, she ends up making her dream world--a reality.

Hell Within Walking Distance is a story about Hell's Kitchen but also about the hell within a young woman's life. She is forced to find a way to survive and in turn worries that she hurt someone else. I was cheering for Cara's happy ending. After all, who doesn't deserve love and happiness??

Ms. O'Connor's stories are compelling with characters who are flawed and realistic. Readers will want to keep reading into the night as they MUST find out how Ms. O'Connor's stories end.