Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Again, change of plans

Due to the rising of corona infections in our country, we've decided to cancel our trip to the south of France end of this week. Luckily, we could do it without losing one euro. Airplane, hotels, train all could be cancelled with full restitution.

My sister had a bad feeling about this trip - and we've learned to trust her feelings. Furthermore, we think it's best to forget about travelling for the rest of the year.

We hope that next year will be better. This feels like a lost year. We're back to wearing masks all the time - so you can't just go for a walk (I can hardly breathe when wearing a mask, and I barely see where I'm going because my glasses damp up) - and you can't go shopping unless on your own. Big shit! Luckily, in our hometown Dendermonde you only have to wear a mask in the shopping streets There at least you can go walking round the lake.

We console ourselves by planning what we can do in 2021. When the corona situation is better then, it promises to become a wonderful year with lots of travel. We're thinking Morocco, France, Italy, Mexico, Canada, UK, Lebanon to begin with. We've been saving up a lot of money by not going anywhere now. Some people think we're fools because of what we spend on travel. Had we saved up all this money, we've owned a big country estate with surrounding park. But real estate doesn't interest me or my sister. We have a house and a flat at the coast. That's enough. We don't need more.

I just hope this corona crisis will come to an end, rather sooner than later!

Thursday, July 23, 2020

Full Tilt Boogie

Say hello to Leslie Scott, author of Full Tilt Boogie, a New Adult Romance available July 22, 2020 from The Wild Rose Press. Leslie is doing a virtual book blast tour to launch this novel. The Book Blast Tour will take place July 22 - 28, 2020.


Leslie Scott will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Please use the following link to place your comment:


Blurb

Breanna Casey has only ever wanted two things in life: to race and to get the hell out of Arkadia, Texas. Stifled beneath her family's turbo-charged reputation, she's got her thumb firmly on the self-destruct button. A night of hyper-driven racing and rebellion leads to a one night stand with the one guy who knows how to press all her buttons: Noah McKay.

Torn apart by the toll of his high-intensity enlistment in the Marines and guilt-ridden by what he's seen, Noah McKay left the military to find peace. A chance encounter sends him working for the parents of a raven-haired Amazon goddess with a tongue that cuts sharper than any knife. Quiet is the last thing he'll get.


Finally, she gets her chance. Calloway Racing wants her to drive for them. But that's not all they want. A good friend of her father's, Calloway insists she take Noah along for the ride. Suddenly, her dreams are feeling more like a nightmare. Will they be able to help each other, maybe even find love, when living life full tilt boogie?


Excerpt

The tent was suddenly far too small and suffocating. Abruptly the song changed again. Silently I thanked the DJ for offering me a reprieve. To keep from smothering in Vic’s good intentions, I pulled away and sought refuge with what was left of my cake.

Let’s face it, going back to the table was an epic mistake.

With Vic and Cara on the dance floor and Isaac MIA, that left a surly Noah McKay as the only

occupant. And I’d walked straight to him, ready for a fight.

“What’s your deal?” I shot as I tucked my purple skirt beneath my ass and sat down—hard.

He opened his mouth and his tongue slipped out and across his bottom lip, then he took seduction a step further and pulled the shiny, succulent flesh between his teeth.

“Sweet baby Jesus.” I pushed the cake away and let my forehead drop to the table. I couldn’t live like this. I was vastly inexperienced in such things—no matter

how much swagger I put on.


He laughed. “My deal? I don’t know whether to throttle you or kiss you.”

Author bio and links

Award nominated author of Two Hearts, One Stone and the Arkadia Fast Series, Leslie Scott has been writing stories for as long as she can remember. The happier the ending, the better. Currently, she lives and writes amidst her own happily ever after with her soul mate, son, and domestic zoo.


Author Links:





Buy Links:

Barnes and Noble: https://bit.ly/2CogIG7




Monday, July 20, 2020

Duty Bound Duet

Please say  hello to author Sydney Jamesson.  Sydney is doing a virtual book cover reveal for the Duty Bound Duet: Duty of Care and The Caretakers - psychological suspense available August 18th (Duty of Care) and August 25th (The Caretakers).


Sydney Jamesson will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour on July 21st. Please use the following link to place your comment:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f3439/


Blurb

DUTY OF CARE:


On her death bed Emily Derbyshire’s mother made her promise to take good care of her little sister. Keeping her promise, twelve year old Emily did exactly that and became five year old Rita’s benefactor and bodyguard.

After eighteen years of sisterly devotion Emily receives some shocking news! Rita has committed suicide. When disturbing details start to surface, Emily puts her highflying career on hold to seek out those responsible. She hires an American private investigator Robert Blackmoor; a motorbike riding, no-frills, computer hacker who will use any means necessary to unearth the truth.

Not surprisingly, Robert uncovers secrets from Emily’s troubled childhood and chips away at the glossy veneer of deceit which masks the truth behind, not only Rita’s life, but Emily’s imperfect life too.

Together they assemble the pieces of a sinister puzzle, revealing a cruel and corrupt world of exploitation and murder: a Dark Web into which Rita has become entangled.

As dark forces encircling Emily tighten their grip, and with everything to lose, she must make a life and death decision that she may live to regret.


THE CARETAKERS:

Emily Parsons is a product of a difficult childhood: self-reliant, fiercely protective and willing to do whatever it takes to safeguard the wellbeing of those in her care. She has even slayed a monster, or two … or three in the name of poetic justice, and yet she is haunted by the image of a beautiful blond girl.

Sixteen-year-old Louise Travis has been abducted.

Louise’ fate rested in Emily’s hands, but she let her slip through her fingers like gold dust, only to be swept away by a malevolent band of brothers.

By once again enlisting the help of computer hacker, Robert Blackmoor, Emily must find Louise before she is lost forever in a Dark Web of heinous crimes, cruelty and corruption. The clock is ticking, and Emily’s investigation is drawing the wrong kind of attention, but she will not back down. She is duty bound to protect those she loves.


With skeletons from her past being unearthed, who can she turn to, and who can she trust with her own sinister secrets?


Author bio and links


Sydney Jamesson is a USA Today bestselling author by night and an English teacher by day. She is nocturnal by nature and loves nothing more than staying up late, listening to music and being inspired to write. She has always written creatively; in her home is one enormous wastepaper basket full of discarded phrases, opening lines and pieces of dialogue that have hit her like lightning in the middle of the night. Her USA Today bestselling trilogy, THE STORY OF US sold worldwide, and she has been thrilled to continue Ayden Stone's and Beth Parker's epic love story in The Story of Us Series: Into the Blue, featuring Blue Genes, Blue Hearts and Blue Moon.

More recently, Sydney has focused on psychological suspense. THE DARKEST CORNERS was her first venture into the new genre: a complex love story filled with lots of angst, emotional scenes and edge of your seat suspense as a single father and a troubled young woman confront their deepest, darkest fears together. The twists come think and fast and the ending is unforgettable!

In her latest novels, DUTY OF CARE and THE CARETAKERS - THE DUTY BOUND DUET -readers explore the seedier side of the Dark Web; witness abduction, human trafficking, and a devoted sister’s willingness to do whatever it takes to safeguard the wellbeing of those in her care. It’s a real page turner, filled with incidents which are heart-breaking and heart-stopping in equal measure!


Author platforms:

Website:          https://www.sydneyjamesson.com/


Twitter:           https://twitter.com/SydneyJamesson

           

Sunday, July 19, 2020

Second corona wave coming?

Since the day there were less restrictions to our freedom (8th June), the number of contagions is on the rise once more. Not only in Belgium, but also in the rest of the world.

I've noticed that (some) people behave like they've been held captured and now have been freed from their bonds. They want to do everything, all at the same moment. That's how new contagions spread.

This morning, a special council of the goverment is gathered to talk about what's to be done. Probably there will come new restrictions.

In my opinion, the problem is rather easy to solve. First, raise the fines on bad behavior. Not 250€ but 2500€! When they'd have to pay such a fine more than once, they certainly would think before they act. Next, restrain the bubbled to who's living under one roof. Not the bubble of 15 that is allowed now. And finally, close the pubs and cafés after 8 pm. Later on, people only start drinking heavier and begin to make trouble.

Big Brother should be watching. Not a lot of people like that, but personally I have no problem with it. I'd like to live in a place like Singapore where you can't even throw a paper on the pavement without being fined. If something is forbidden, you don't do it. Is that so difficult? Here in Belgium we are allowed so much, so be thankful for it and try to follow the rules.

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

On the Eighteenth of May

Please say hello to author Jordan R. Samuel today! Jordan's doing a virtual book tour for On the Eighteenth of May, a romance available now. The tour will run July 6 - July 24.


Jordan R. Samuel will be awarding a $30 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Please use the following link to place your comment:



Blurb

On the evening of the eighteenth of May, a young woman named Cass walks alone into a small village with the intent to stay for exactly one year. Cass soon meets two precocious children, a caring and generous business owner, and the Chief of Police from the neighboring town. Family and loss are parts of many of their stories, and while these people, as well as others, attempt to know and help her, the history and troubled memories of what led Cass to this place begin to gradually unfold. As the potential for love and the pathway for healing become clearer, the date of departure approaches. Cass and those around her will be forced to decide how forcefully they are willing to hold on: to the past, to the pain, and to the person.


On the Eighteenth of May is the story of the people and events that are interwoven throughout Cass’s journey and her life.  It is a story that examines the true test of strength in the deepest depths of sorrow, as felt by the human heart. It is a story that explores the perceived helplessness of those within the support structure, and the extent to which those we love can hinder or accelerate the healing process.  Finally, it is a story that reminds us of the overwhelming power of comforting influences in all of our lives, as our human souls struggle, against all odds, to survive.

Excerpt

Taking his keys from his pocket and unlocking the back porch door, Lucas returned to the present. He was well aware that this was his mother’s favored napping time, a time she lovingly referred to as her “pre-supper beauty sleep”, so he was careful to open the back door quietly. After entering, he softly stepped through the kitchen and headed straight for his old bedroom.

The bedroom door was closed, which seemed odd. He quickly shrugged it off and proceeded to walk towards it, intending to find the croquet set and leave the home so quietly his mother would never even know he had been there.

As he turned the doorknob, the bedroom door slid slowly open, offering him a small and then ever-increasing slice of vision. As the opening grew wider, Lucas suddenly saw. There was a stranger in his bedroom. 

The stranger was looking out his window. Her face was fully turned away. However, he did not need to see her face to realize the stranger was the drifter. The very same drifter he had seen earlier in the day. The same clothes, the same sweat, the same hair.


He thought back to the questions he had considered earlier in regards to her age. Whatever her age, she was old enough. Old enough to know how to break into an older woman’s home and steal her blind. 


Author bio and links


Jordan R. Samuel is a former public school teacher and administrator who enjoys her current work as an Assistant Professor of Education. She spends her days with her husband and her three children as she teaches, studies and writes. She immensely enjoys travelling, and penned many parts of this particular story while relaxing in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina.


I asked Jordan why she prefers to write in this genre. This is what she answers:

I probably shouldn’t admit it, because I am sure it will come across as a little lazy, but this is the genre I love to read myself! As I wrote the book, I kept thinking – “wow, I can’t wait to finish so I can relax, lay on the couch, and read this book!”

I love simple romances, with a little bit of mystery. And as I started writing On the Eighteenth of May, I started picturing all the people in my mind who probably loved this type of book as well and were all just waiting for me to finish!
I have already started writing my next novel, The Broken Bridge, and I am happy to share that, yes, it is the same general type of genre. A sad romance that will pull on your heartstrings and leave you cheering for characters even though you suspect, against all hope, that a rough road is ahead – just around the curve.
I belong to a book club and we met recently to discuss a historical fiction that we had just read. I was so relieved when everyone started sharing how hard it was for them to “get into it”. It was then that I knew, I’m not alone. Sometimes we all just need a sad love story to engross ourselves in, as we lay on the beach or sit on our couch or swing on our front porch.
I hope you and your readers will enjoy On the Eighteenth of May!


Links:



Sunday, July 12, 2020

A String of Stories

Today we welcome author Ann Chiappetta. Ann is doing a Virtual Book Blast Tour for A String of Stories: From the Heart to the Future, a short story collection/general fiction available now from DLD Books. The Book Blast Tour will take place July 13 - 17, 2020.



Ann Chiappetta will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Please use the following link to place your comment:

Blurb

A demon deer and a ghost cat. Sibling rivalry and sexual awakening. Self-image and self-confidence. The chance for an offworlder to breathe free at last on a new planet. Those are just some of the diverse themes of these remarkable stories. Some endings are happy, some are sad, and some are intriguingly open-ended. But once you step inside the author’s world, you cannot emerge unmoved.


Excerpt

Excerpt from "A Temporary Perspective"

Sloane had ordered Chinese take–out, a treat on their fixed income. Josh loved eggrolls, and his smile upon seeing the containers made her day.

After clearing the dishes and stowing the leftovers in the fridge, Sloane noticed Josh watching her.

“Josh, what is it?”

“Can I talk to you?”

“Sure, honey.” She put her hands in her lap to hide her nervous fidgeting.

“Mom, now that I’m in 8th grade, I’ve been thinking about what I want to do after high school.”

“You mean, like college?”

“Kind of. But not really. Mom, I want to join the military.”

Sloane stopped fidgeting, shocked. This wasn’t how the conversation should go, she thought. He was supposed to say something different. “Mom, I want to learn all about computers.” Or “Mom, I want to run my own business.” But the military? She must have looked confused, because she saw the barest flick of an eye roll from her usually respectful and stoic son.

“The military?” she asked.

“Yes, the Army—the Reserve Officer Training Corps, actually. It starts in 9th grade.”

Sloane didn’t know how to respond. Part of her was relieved, and the other part wasn’t happy at all. “That means you’ll be going away a lot.”

“Not until after high school,” he said. “Besides, Juan and Mark are joining ROTC, too.”

“Sounds like you’ve done your homework on this one,” she said. “I’ve tried my best to raise you to make good decisions and be practical.”

They sat in silence at the dining table. Sloane couldn’t help finding the irony in what was clearly her own inaccurate thinking. Josh wasn’t even thinking of her as an embarrassment or of himself as the only son of an abandoned single mother who was going blind.

“It could be dangerous,” she said. “I’ll worry.”

“Mom, it’s what I want. There are kids who get all messed up just crossing the street.”

Sloane shook her head in defeat. There was no arguing with the invincibility of youth.



Author bio and links


Ann Chiappetta M.S. author and poet.

Making meaningful connections with others through writing.

Ann’s nonfiction essays have been printed in Dialogue magazine, among others. Her poems are often featured in Poesis, The Pangolin Review, the Avocet, and Magnets and Ladders. Her poetry is also included in Breath and Shadow’s 2016 debut anthology, Dozen: The Best of Breath and Shadow. 

Her first two books, a poetry collection, UPWELLING: POEMS C 2016 and memoir, FOLLOW YOUR DOG A STORY OF LOVE AND TRUST C 2017, are available from all eBook sellers in electronic and print softcover, and as audio books from Audible.

Ann’s third book WORDS OF LIFE: POEMS AND ESSAYS   C 2019 can also be purchased in all eBook formats and in softcover. The Audible audio book will be released in Fall 2020. Ann’s newest title, A String of Stories: From the Heart to the Future C 2020, is also available as an eBook and softcover.


Ann’s blog: www.thought-wheel.com

Ann’s personal website: www.annchiappetta.com

Ann’s author page: www.dldbooks.com/annchiappetta



Thursday, July 9, 2020

Holiday at the coast

We've been staying here at the North Sea coast for almost a week now. The weather, up to now, doesn't co-operate too much. We've only had the one sunny day! For the rest, there are clouds and some days even rain.

Here in Heist (part of the city Knokke-Heist) it's rather quiet. Not many tourists. So not much danger of catching corona. In Knokke, it's different though. There the streets are more crowded and especially at night there are problems. All pubs must close at 1 am and when they do, hundreds of youngster gather around to make trouble. For a couple of consequent nights, the police had to use force to make them leave and go home.

I often get the notion people go a bit crazy  now that the corona rules are less severe. Just be glad that you can go to a restaurant or pub. Before you couldn't. And why do young people need to stay out until early morning? When we were young, we went out at Friday or Saturday night around 8 pm and came home by midnight. And we were happy with that and had great fun. But now they only leave their homes around midnight and return when other people go to work... Wouldn't be bad if corona could bring a change to this pattern.

According to the weather information, we are having the last of this bad weather, and from the weekend on it should become more sunny once more. I really long for it, as I love to feel the sun on my skin! When the weather is nice, you can do so much more. We'd like to go to Bruges one day, and it's nicer when you don't have to wear a raincoat or bring an umbrella. Or go cycling. You don't do that when it rains.

Monday, July 6, 2020

A Convenient Escape

Please welcome author Sara R. Turnquist today. Sara's doing a virtual book blast tour for A Convenient Escape, a sweet historival romance available June 30, 2020. The Book Blast Tour will take place on July 6 - 10, 2020.


Sara R. Turnquist will be awarding a $30 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Please use the following link to place your comment:

Blurb

She has nowhere to go. He has nothing to lose.

Lily McAllen has known nothing but hardship and rejection. Her brother, the only person she can lean on, takes a job at the Miller ranch. Now with no ally, she is alone, confined, and vulnerable. She becomes desperate to get away…by any means necessary.

Despite his best intentions, Daniel Hayworth is drawn into a fatal mishap. He feels responsible. And is prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure Lily is cared for…even if that means proposing marriage.

Complicating matters, Geronimo and his raiding band terrorize the surrounding areas. Troubles mount and tensions challenge the growing attraction between Dan and Lily.


Will they make it to the church? Or find themselves victims of lies, disillusionment, or the ire of an Apache rebel?

Excerpt

She leaned into Dan’s arm, her head on his shoulder. “I just don’t know what to do, you know?”

Dan turned his face toward hers, his lips nearly brushing her forehead.

“I can’t believe he’s gone. Really gone.” Her voice cracked into a whimper.

More tears would come.

What did she need? What did he want when faced with death?

Consolation.

Dan slid an arm around her. Now she was drawn to his chest. And he embraced her from the side.

As much as she shook, she soon settled into his arms. Did she find some measure of comfort there? In the arms of the man responsible?

He closed his eyes. This wasn’t right. But could he take away what peace she found there because of his selfish desire to share the truth?

No, he would be strong and let her pull from his strength. For now.

The truth would come later.

Dan glanced at the house. How might they appear to her father? It was not appropriate for him to be embracing a woman who was not his sister or his betrothed. Or for him to find such enjoyment having her in his arms.


As he shifted his focus back to her, he saw a curtain move. Had someone been watching?

Author bio and links


Sara is a coffee lovin', word slinging, Historical Romance author whose super power is converting caffeine into novels. She loves those odd little tidbits of history that are stranger than fiction. That's what inspires her. Well, that and a good love story.

But of all the love stories she knows, hers is her favorite. She lives happily with her own Prince Charming and their gaggle of minions. Three to be exact. They sure know how to distract a writer! But, alas, the stories must be written, even if it must happen in the wee hours of the morning.

Sara is an avid reader and enjoys reading and writing clean Historical Romance when she’s not traveling. Her books range from the Czech lands to the American wild west and from ancient Egypt to the early 1900s. Some of her titles include The Lady Bornekova, Hope in Cripple Creek, The General’s Wife, Trail of Fears, and the Convenient Risk Series.

Happy Reading!




Website:                                 http://saraturnquist.com/

Twitter:                                   @sarat1701
                                                https://twitter.com/sarat1701

Facebook Author                   @authorsararturnquist
Page:                                       https://www.facebook.com/authorsararturnquist/

Instagram:                              @sarat0103
                                               https://www.instagram.com/sarat0103/


Pinterest:                                @saravturnquist
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YouTube:                               Sara Turnquist
                                               https://bit.ly/sara-youtube

                      Free on Kindle Unlimited!

Thursday, July 2, 2020

Preparing for a longer stay

Tomorrow we'll head to our place at the coast to spend most of the summer there. As we've been having this place since 1993, we have pretty much everything we also have at home in Dendermonde. We have a washing machine and dishwasher, there is linen and clothes + shoes.

But nevertheless you need to take some measures when you'll be away from home for a longer time. I need to ask a neighbor to keep a reserve key (our former neighbor Willy used to do this, but he passed away last year in October) and check if everything's allright every now and then. We had to apply to have our post send to the other address (filling in a form with BPost and paying for the weeks involved). Have to keep my finances up to date and kept on USB, so I can transfer them to my pc in Heist. Not forget my sunglasses! Count out my pills to last me until the end of August...

All small things, but they keep you occupied for some time. Hopefully it's going to be a nice summer. As long as it doesn't rain too much, it'll be okay for us. Sunshine is appreciated but not necessary.

And what about your summer?