THE NEW YEAR’S MAN by Michael Scott Clifton—LSLL Book Campaign: Review and Giveaway

THE NEW YEAR’S MAN

by Michael Scott Clifton

Romantic Fantasy / Romantic Comedy

Publication Date: September 11, 2026

SYNOPSIS

Landry LeBlanc has everything he wants: a luxury condo, a fast-rising legal career, expensive taste, and an ironclad rule against falling in love. Relationships, to him, come with expiration dates—and New Year’s Eve is his favorite time to end them.

But when Landry takes his latest girlfriend to the mysterious Fairy Lights Brasserie, his perfectly controlled life comes apart in spectacular fashion. One brutal breakup later, he finds himself face-to-face with Stella: a cigar-smoking, wand-wielding fairy godmother with questionable fashion sense, a faulty temper, and a mission to thaw his hardened heart.

Stella has one simple plan: make Landry fall in love.

Landry’s plan is simpler: get rid of Stella.

Then he meets Allie Beck—brilliant, fearless, unpredictable, and every bit his equal. As legal games become personal and magic keeps crashing through his carefully ordered world, Landry must face the past he buried, the heart he protected, and the possibility that love isn’t a weakness after all. Funny, romantic, and touched with fairy-tale chaos, The New Year’s Man is the story of a man who breaks hearts every New Year’s Eve.

This year, magic will break his.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael Scott Clifton is an award-winning author celebrated for conjuring tales where magic and mystery collide, including the 2024 Reader’s Favorite Book Award winner Pringle Prawn and the 2026 Reader’s Favorite Bronze Award winner The End Game. His diverse body of work whisks readers into fantastical worlds and across genres, from the enchanting Conquest of the Veil series to gripping stand-alone novels like The Treasure Hunt Club, the haunting The Janus Witch, and the acclaimed sports romance The End Game. Recognized for imaginative plots, compelling characters, and heart-pounding adventure, Clifton invites readers to explore more at michaelscottclifton.com.

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REVIEW

A delightfully comedic romp of a romantic fantasy story, The New Year’s Man by Michael Scott Clifton is a fast read that lightens up the Big Dark of winter.

It’s refreshing to read a romance from the male lead’s point of view. Landry, however, is not your typical Romance hero. He wasn’t a sympathetic figure at the beginning of the story—a cocky, ruthless lawyer with a reputation for ending relationships before the calendar flips to the new year and who holds love in contempt. Readers will hate him before they fall for him, and that credits the author’s talent. A rough backstory alone doesn’t deliver that effect. It must be paired with a massive leap in character growth. Mr. Clifton achieved that in this book.

The chaotic set of fantastical characters and series of events not only affected the change in Landry, but also provided the humor that made this story especially entertaining. Stella, the unconventional fairy godmother, was a total hoot. So were her accomplices, Hank, Brad, and Barnaby. Landry’s exploits in fairyland recall Alice’s adventures in Wonderland.

Allie is an ideal female love interest, with qualities that believably explain Landry’s change of heart. She was bold and capable and made Landry earn her love. A worthy Romance heroine.

The story’s pacing is quick, but effectively controlled. It lends the book an unputdownable quality that encourages readers to finish in one sitting. I did, and I give kudos to Michael Scott Clifton for another entertaining read.

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UNBREAKABLE TEXAS WOMEN by Joanne Easley— LSBBT Cover Reveal Book Blast

UNBREAKABLE TEXAS WOMEN

By JOANNE KUKANZA EASLEY

NEW COVER REVEAL

SYNOPSIS

SWEET JANE

She ran from her mother’s life. Then she had to go home and face it.

By six, Janie already knows what most children never have to learn: vodka doesn’t just make Mama mean — it destroys everything it touches. Growing up in the dust and hard living of 1950s Odessa, Texas, she vows she’ll never become her mother. At sixteen, she runs, hitchhiking west just as the Summer of Love begins — chasing freedom, and finding instead the same old patterns of pain in new places.

Seventeen years later, Jane looks like she’s won. She’s sober, married to a psychiatrist, working toward her graduate degree — a life rebuilt from the ground up. But when news of her estranged mother’s death pulls her back to Odessa, the past she’s spent two decades outrunning finally catches her. Old wounds. Buried truths. A discovery that forces her to question everything she believed about the woman who raised her—and the woman she’s become.

Told in alternating voices — young Janie’s raw first person and adult Jane’s reflective third — Sweet Jane is a dual-timeline story about family secrets, generational wounds, forgiveness, and the long, unglamorous work of healing from it. Winner of the Texas Indie Author Project and a finalist for the Sarton and Eric Hoffer Awards, this is West Texas storytelling with an authentic drawl and a hard-won hopeful heart.

I’LL BE SEEING YOU

Some women spend a lifetime running from the past. Others finally find the courage to face it.

Even as a girl in Palo Pinto County, Texas, Ruby Eaton knew she would never become a ranch wife. At sixteen, she’s spotted at the 1940 Fort Worth Stock Show and swept into Manhattan as Lauren—a Powers Girl chasing glamour, jazz clubs, and a life that looks nothing like the one she left behind. When the dream collapses, she drowns the wreckage in liquor, lovers, and one-way tickets. Widowed and divorced by twenty-four, she keeps running, certain every fresh start will erase the woman she used to be.

Now sixty-one, sober for twenty-four hard-earned years and successful in Austin, Lauren believes she’s finally made peace with her past. Then Brett—the husband she left more than three decades ago—walks back in and asks for a second chance. Unsure, she turns to the one person who knows every scar: her AA sponsee, Jane, the unforgettable heroine of Sweet Jane.

I’ll Be Seeing You is a raw, sweeping saga of ambition, addiction, shattered dreams, and the long, gritty road to redemption.

HIGHER LOVE

At sixty-one, Lauren has finally found a peaceful life with Brett. Then a teenage girl arrives at her door: Stephanie, claiming to be her granddaughter, the child of the baby Lauren gave up for adoption over four decades ago. Family secrets split open. With Brett’s steady presence beside her, Lauren must raise a wounded, complicated girl while confronting the past she thought she had buried.

Told in raw, alternating chapters from Lauren’s and Stephanie’s points of view, Higher Love traces the long reach of intergenerational trauma and the uneasy dance between blood ties and chosen family.

When financial disaster threatens Stephanie’s future, Lauren sacrifices nearly everything to send her granddaughter to college. Then a bittersweet twist of fate—one that echoes the deepest regrets of Lauren’s own youth—forces the family to find a new way forward.

An unflinching multi-generational saga of extraordinary emotional depth, Higher Love will resonate with readers of Mary Beth Keane, Ann Patchett, and Elizabeth Strout.

JUST ONE LOOK

Dani Marek firmly believes the first cut is the deepest and sets out to prove she’ll never love again after the tragic loss of her first love. As she grieves, her life spirals, bereft of self-examination. After trying to break as many hearts as hers has been broken, she marries a man she doesn’t love, planning to use him for college tuition, then leave him.

After a night Dani would rather forget, an unplanned pregnancy derails her ambitions. Dani achieves her freedom from the loveless marriage in an unexpected way, and at the age of twenty-four, she’s left with a baby, a small fortune, and two ghosts.

Set against the backdrop of the turbulent 60s and 70s, Just One Look is the story of a woman who learns to navigate loss, shame, and redemption, arriving at a place where she can love again.

Perfect for the readers of Anne Napolitano and Mary McGarry Morris, this novel is a beautifully written coming of age story that will pull at your heart strings.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joanne Kukanza Easley, a retired registered nurse with experience in both the cold, clinical operating room and the highly charged world of psychiatric hospitals, lives in the Texas Hill Country, where she writes fiction about complicated, twentieth-century women. Her multi-award-winning debut, Sweet Jane, was named the adult fiction winner at the Texas Author Project and shortlisted for the Sarton Award and Eric Hoffer Award, among others. Just One Look, Joanne’s second novel, was a May 2022 Pulpwood Queen Book Club Pick. I’ll Be Seeing You, her third novel, features characters from Sweet Jane. Higher Love, the fourth in the series released in spring 2025. Her prize-winning short stories and poetry have appeared in several anthologies.

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INDIGO, THE DEEP by Kellye Abernathy – LSBBT Book Campaign: Review and Giveaway

INDIGO, THE DEEP

by Kellye Abernathy

Teen and YA / Coming of Age / Fantasy

Publisher: Atmosphere Press

Publication Date: July 7, 2026

SYNOPSIS

“In the heart of the deepest sea caverns, there is a stillness. Learn to surrender to it.”

Fifteen-year-old Condi Bloom knows the magic will happen again. The autumn equinox is looming. Strange currents are sweeping through her coastal town. Tides are turning wild, and a mercurial mist cloaks the lonely rock tower known as Windy Hollow, long believed to be haunted.

When a silent threat glides into the cove, altering the fragile ecosystem and drawing sharks close to shore, Condi ignores the danger. A fierce surfer, she insists on pushing her skills to the limit, hoping to heal a broken heart. Meanwhile, seventeen-year-old Firth Cristo, a bold free diver, is tormented by a past he cannot reveal. Guided by the Beachlings, the mystical women who teach the secrets of the deep, he dares to explore remote underwater sea caverns, navigating the pulsing tides of a shimmering enchantment.

Inspired by the certainty of wonder and the uncertain nature of time, Condi and Firth dive into their rawest places, discovering that healing—of nature, of others, and of themselves—is found in the bounty of a limitless sea.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

An avid reader and writer, Kellye is the author of the YA science-fantasy series: The Aquamarine Surfboard (2022), Amethyst, The Shallows (2024), and Indigo, The Deep (2026). A former wireless business executive and a graduate of the University of Kansas, Kellye teaches practical life skills, creative writing, yoga, and mindfulness within the trauma-survivor community in Plano, Texas. She hopes to inspire healing through body and breath awareness, creativity, consistency, and compassion. Her joys are many and varied, among them neuroscience, oceanography, swimming, biking, family adventures, and great conversation. She believes in staying curious, showing up, and keeping her heart open.

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REVIEW

I’ve enjoyed my previous visits to Dipitous Beach, and this time is no different. Ms. Abernathy’s fantastical world, inhabited by unique individuals, is a fascinating and delightful read.

The themes of community, found family, friendship, and environmental stewardship are highly appealing to me; that is why I follow this series closely and own all three books. The mixture of fantasy, adventure, and a little romance makes for a highly original work.

All I know for sure is that the people we love never leave us.”

The author’s talent for imbuing each character with a distinct and unforgettable personality is quite admirable, given the growing number of the cast with every new installment. The Beachlings, in particular, are dear to me, and every possibility of loss evokes sadness. The kids, especially those who were given the privilege of interacting with Koan and visiting the deep (Conti, Isaac, and Firth), come across as authentic and relatable. They still act their age while displaying maturity under great stress. The supporting characters also stand out and contribute significantly to the overarching story.

“Whatever is destined cannot be prevented.”

Ms. Abernathy’s descriptions are always top-notch and infuse her books with an excellent sense of place. The action scenes are evocative and play like a film in readers’ imaginations. The dialogue between the characters is meaningful and moves the story along quite well. The pacing is on-point. The multiple points of view make sense and are never confusing. A mark of great writing.

Cinematic, touching, and relevant, this book deserves a high rating.

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SALLOWSFIELD by Cliff Hudder – Book Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway

SALLOWSFIELD

by Cliff Hudder

Literary Fiction / Humor / Saga / Texas / Yorkshire

Publisher: Texas Review Press

Pages: 390

Publication Date: October 21, 2024

SYNOPSIS

Wyatt W. Sallow, MBA—poet, business ethics professor, and coach of the 8th ranked collegiate chess team in East Texas—travels to the heart of northern England to trace his family origins in mundane Sallowsfield, only to find his supposed ancestry a mirage. He does have a real past, however: one that stalks him across the green hillsides in echoes of his catastrophic marriage, the lingering shadow of a lost child, and—there, in person, inexplicably emerging from the town’s faux-Victorian train station—“X,” the enigmatic object of his unrequited passion and a figure as perplexing as an algebraic variable.

On his eight-day tour/pilgrimage/mock epic journey, Wyatt pursues the specter of his lost love and crosses paths with the citizens of this down-at-its-heels market town as they struggle to grasp the all-consuming obsessions, ghosts, and X-factors that confound their days.

Thought-provoking yet dryly humorous, Sallowsfield weaves diverse elements into a story both light-hearted and philosophical, exploring along the way universal human touchstones of obsession, ruined love, and the inexplicable mysteries that shape our lives.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cliff Hudder received an MFA in fiction writing from the University of Houston in 1995 and a PhD in American Literature from Texas A&M in 2017. He has been an archaeological laborer, a film and video editor, photographer, air compressor mechanic, electrical lineman, and educator. His fiction has appeared in Alaska Quarterly Review, The Kenyon Review, The Missouri Review and other journals and his work has received the Barthelme and Michener Awards, the Peden Prize, and the Short Story Award from the Texas Institute of Letters. His novella, Splinterville, won the 2007 Texas Review Fiction Award, and his novel, Pretty Enough for You, was named a Top Ten Texas Favorite by Lone Star Literary Life in 2015. In 2017 Cliff was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters.

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REVIEW

A departure from my usual choice in fiction, Sallowsfield turned out to be an utterly absorbing read. With its non-linear timeline, numerous locations, multitude of characters, and multiple points of view, this book demanded my attention like no other I’ve read recently. It was hilarious in parts, affecting in others, engaging all throughout.

~*~

I didn’t know what to make of Wyatt Sallow at the start. He was socially awkward, physically clumsy, and appeared quite hapless. But as his story unfolded, I found him sympathetic in the end. He was unintentionally funny, especially in his interactions with his taxi driver Hussein. The scenes with his son Wyn showed his loving heart. And there were flashes of intellect and competence particularly displayed in the chess game with the Professor. What eventually reached me was his earnest search for a reason to claim the town with his name as his very own.

~*~

I have the utmost admiration for the author in managing to flesh out the countless characters in this book by providing them with distinctly fascinating back stories. Also, in accomplishing such a complicated timeline that meandered all over the place only to come full circle in a logical way. He brought Sallowsfield to life. So much so that I searched online if it’s a place that actually exists in England. To have the talent required to accomplish those things deserves kudos.

~*~

The most significant cavil I had was in the overuse of infidelity in the story and the majority of those committing such transgression being women. This is a personal bias I can’t overlook despite my overall enjoyment of the book.

I highly recommend dedicating several days to properly relish this book.

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THE NINE LIVES OF TITO D’AMELIA by Ettore Farrattini Pojani- Book Blog Tour: Feature and Giveaway

THE NINE LIVES OF TITO D’AMELIA

by Ettore Farrattini Pojani

Italian Literature / Historical Fiction

Publisher: Bayou City Press

Pages: 326

Publication Date: October 11, 2024

SYNOPSIS

This is the first (and only) English-language version of the award-winning Italian novel, The Nine Lives of Tito d’Amelia. Nine Lives is a love story about a cat, a family, and an Italian town. Mixing fiction with fact, Nine Lives tells the story of the town of Amelia, Italy, throughout the 32 centuries of its history. In fact, Amelia is considered the first organized city of central Italy, being four centuries older than Rome. The author uses the multiple lives of a cat named Tito as the way to span the centuries.

Author Ettore Farrattini Pojani is the heir of the Farrattini dynasty, a centuries-old family in Umbria whose family palazzo is in Amelia, north of Rome. Tito’s first life occurs in pre-historic Umbria, and his ninth is in the future. Tito’s mission through all nine of his lives is to help the town and the family to succeed.

A changing cast of characters traces the Farrattini line through the centuries, with Tito joining up with a Farrattini in each generation. Using his feline wiles, Tito bends humans to his will, helping them through many challenges from drought to wars to lovelorn marriages to selfish politicization of joint crises.

In this highly imaginative novel, the author mixes fictional lives with non-fictional information about historical figures as well as the Farrattini family and the town of Amelia. Readers are left wondering about details, such as what is fiction and what is fact. The last chapter will evoke surprise, though a clue that the surprise is coming is contained in the very first chapter. Originally published in Italy in 2022, this first English-language translation is published by Bayou City Press in Houston, Texas, and includes additional drawings, maps, lists of characters, a listing of foreign words and special terms, and notes on sources.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ettore Farrattini Pojani is the heir of the noble Italian Farrattini dynasty, whose family palazzo is in Amelia, Italy, north of Rome. A music expert and critic, Ettore has published extensively on music topics and currently is a collaborator on the website Broadwayworld.com.

This, his second book, was published in Italy in 2022 and has won numerous awards. Prior to focusing on writing, Ettore studied art restoration and specialized in furniture restoration. For almost 20 years he had a workshop in Rome in which hundreds of valuable, unique pieces were brought back to their splendor thanks to his dedication and expertise. In 2001 he transformed the family palazzo into a hotel de charme, which he personally ran for 15 years until it was damaged by the 2016 earthquake.

A dedicated traveler, Ettore is fluent in French and English besides his native Italian.

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SHAHRAZAD’S GIFT by Gretchen McCullough – Book Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway

SHAHRAZAD’S GIFT

Gretchen McCullough

Contemporary Fiction / Linked Short Stories / Humor

Publisher: Cune Press

Date of Publication: February 20, 2024

Number of Pages: 198 pages

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Shahrazad’s Gift is a collection of linked short stories set in contemporary Cairo—magical, absurd and humorous. The author focuses on the off-beat, little-known stories, far from CNN news: a Swedish belly dancer who taps into the Oriental fantasies of her clientele; a Japanese woman studying Arabic, driven mad by the noise and chaos of the city; a frustrated Egyptian housewife who becomes obsessed by the activities of her Western gay neighbor; an American journalist who covered the civil war in Beirut who finds friendship with her Egyptian dentist. We also meet the two protagonists of McCullough’s Confessions of a Knight Errant, before their escapades in that story.

These stories are told in the tradition of A Thousand and One Nights.

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Like The Thousand and One Nights collection from which this anthology was patterned, Shahrazad’s Gift is a highly entertaining read.

The interconnected stories are varied. Some are funny, some are sad, and some are both in equal measure. All of them are evocative, always eliciting a reaction from me–laughter and sympathy being the most common. They feature a fascinating cast of multinational characters that are drawn so vividly, they seem like real people. And they all take me to the streets of Cairo, Egypt, fulfilling my goal of traveling through books.

While the tone is easy and most often light, there’s an underlying depth to the themes that’ll make you think, make you reflect, and maybe want to read it all over again.

Having read Ms. McCullough’s previous work Confessions of a Knight Errant, I was not surprised that I thoroughly enjoyed this collection. It has the same cinematic quality, sharp dialogues, irreverent situations, even more quirky characters, and utter craveability. Recommended for everyone who appreciates unique and excellent storytelling.

Gretchen McCullough was raised in Harlingen Texas. After graduating from Brown University in 1984, she taught in Egypt, Turkey, and Japan. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Alabama and was awarded a teaching Fulbright to Syria from 1997-1999. Her stories, essays and reviews have appeared in The Barcelona Review, Archipelago, National Public Radio, Story South, Guernica, The Common, The Millions, and the LA Review of Books. Translations in English and Arabic have been published in: Nizwa, Banipal, Brooklyn Rail in Translation, World Literature Today and Washington Square Review with Mohamed Metwalli. Her bi-lingual book of short stories in English and Arabic, Three Stories From Cairo, translated with Mohamed Metwalli, was published in July 2011 by AFAQ Publishing House, Cairo. A collection of short stories about expatriate life in Cairo, Shahrazad’s Tooth, was also published by AFAQ in 2013. Currently, she is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Rhetoric and Composition at the American University in Cairo.

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PAINT THE STARS BRIGHT by R.G. Gallardo – Featured New Release

Paint the Stars Bright

R.G. GALLARDO

Depressed, desperate, and divorced, Jansen Aquino moves back to California from Colorado to seek the company and wisdom of three men: his aloof father, his carefree brother, and an eccentric therapist.

When you fall down hard, how do you get up and reclaim your life and perhaps get another shot at happiness? Jansen, haunted by his misfortune and failures, is on a personal quest to find out.

***

Three Major Truths About Life:

Life is full of adversities and opportunities.
It is always good to move forward.
It is always good to change for the better.

Paint the Stars Bright is an inspirational fiction and self-improvement book about facing crises with courage. Explore the pages and learn how to deal with adversities by turning them into opportunities.

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R.G. Gallardo studied B.S. Psychology at Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Manila, Philippines. He dedicated eight years to social work and counseling in Southern California and South West Iowa in the US.

He splits his time between the US and the Philippines, exploring writing and photography and doing talks and consultations.

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MY TOP 19 READS OF 2019

I read 190 books in 2019, seventy more than in 2018. Audiobooks made all the difference in my reading habits this year. They contributed to eighty of the books I experienced in 2019, seven of which are in my Top 19.

Here they are in the order I read them. In the interest of full disclosure, I want to inform you that some of the links in this post are affiliate links to Indie Bound store and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman – Probably the best audio I listened to all year. I loved the all-star cast.
New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb – my favorite re-read of the year. One of my Top 5 J.D. Robb books.
How to Seduce a Spy by Catherine Stein – a great debut by a fantastic indie author. I featured her Eden’s Voice here.
Devil’s Daughter by Lisa Kleypas – possibly my favorite of the Ravenels. Gorgeous cover as well.
Death’s Dancer by Jasmine Silvera – great world-building. Now, I want to go to Prague because of this book.
P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han – one of the rare times when I like the second book better than the first.
Unlaced by the Highland Duke by Lara Temple – Lara is a new-to-me author this year whose writing really impressed me.
The Emotion Thesaurus – this book is incredibly useful for writers who want to improve their craft.
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang – I rarely say I can relate to the heroine in a romance not written by a Filipina. I did with this book.
Kulti by Mariana Zapata – hilarious. I have both the eBook and audiobook editions but I prefer the latter because the narrator really brings the book to life.
There Goes My Heart by Bella Andre – how can I not love a book that’s dedicated to me?
Dragonfly by Leila Meacham – I seldom veer away from romance but I made an exception for this one. My full review is here.
Things You Save In a Fire by Katherine Center – In a slew of books where the female main character works in a male-dominated environment, this stands out.
Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan – highly evocative, I can’t believe it took me so long to read this one.
The Magnolia Sword by Sherry Thomas – the only Young Adult book I read all year. I’ll bet when I watch the live-action movie I’ll say, “The book was better.”
Singapore Fling by me – I am incredibly proud of this book. It’s probably the most #ownvoice of my works.
Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh – Kaleb Krychek is my new Book Boyfriend and the Psy/Changeling is my favorite paranormal series.
Paradise Valley by Robyn Carr – the entire series is amazing but this one moved me the most, so it’s my favorite so far.
The One For You by Roni Loren – a highly-satisfying ending to a wonderful series. All five-star reads for me.

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THAT ONE MOMENT by Patty Wiseman – Book Blog Tour/Character Interview/Giveaway

THAT ONE MOMENT

by

PATTY WISEMAN

Genre: Fiction / Romantic Suspense

Date of Publication: May 8, 2017

Number of Pages: 258

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Ricki Sheridan traveled a long way to seek refuge at Wolf Den’s Lodge high in the mountains after a devastating betrayal. Heartbroken, she signed up for a survivalist backpacking trip to live off the land and forget.
An injury on the first day puts her in the capable hands of the handsome trail boss, Kory Littleton. The attraction is instant, mutual, and terrifying. She trusted her emotions once and vowed never to make the same mistake again. Kory’s heart, trampled and bruised, is unprepared to ever love again, until his unexpected reaction to Ricki reveals some things are worth taking a chance on. When evil finds its way back into Ricki’s world, their fragile bond is tested, forcing them to face their greatest fear: can a wounded heart ever trust anew? Betrayal. Desire. Revenge. Which one prevails?

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Praise for That One Moment:

Patty Wiseman, as well as anyone and better than most, sure knows how to write the three basic ingredients of a page-turning and unforgettable novel: mystery, suspense, and romance. — Caleb & Linda Pirtle ~ Here Comes a Mystery

“It was pure perfection!” — Jessa, Amazon Reviewer

“Author Patty Wiseman does a good job of injecting so much action into just the first two pages that I had high expectations for this story. And That One Moment does not disappoint.” — Natasha Jackson for Readers’ Favorite

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE VILLAIN OF THAT ONE MOMENT

By Patty Wiseman

So…they told me to interview the antagonist of this novel. That’s why I’m here. Your name is Russ Desmond, correct?

You already knew that, or you wouldn’t be here.

Sorry Mr. Desmond, just trying to find a starting point here. You were a detective in Dallas before all the crazy happened. Is that right?

That’s right. And a darn good one.

How did you end up in this situation, Russ? May I call you Russ?

You can call me Detective. As far as how I got here, well, it’s Ricki’s fault.

I don’t quite understand, Detective. You stalked her. And if memory serves, you cheated on her. She was through with you.

I don’t call what happened cheating. Men stray occasionally. It’s their nature. I loved Ricki. Nothing was gonna change that. She’s my woman.

But, Detective, Ricki didn’t feel that way. She went to great lengths to rid herself of you.

Ricki misinterpreted what she saw. If she’d just given me time to explain, it wouldn’t have ended this way.

In my notes, it says, the woman was Ricki’s best friend. That’s kind of low isn’t it, Mr. Desmond?

Look, Leila’s a good kid, but nothing I am interested in. Ricki, well, she’s intelligent, beautiful, exciting. I wanted some information from Leila. That was the easiest way to get it. She couldn’t resist.

You believe your good looks and status give you the right to take what you want? Didn’t you realize it would devastate Ricki?

I didn’t plan on getting caught. But Ricki wouldn’t give me time to explain. And then she ran off. I wasn’t about to leave it that way. Ricki is mine.

I’m sorry, Russ, but my time is up. I must say, you don’t seem very remorseful over what happened.

Why should I be? It was innocent. I’ll get her back. Just you wait and see.

Award Winning Author Patty Wiseman is a native of the Seattle, Washington area and attended The Wesleyan College in Bartlesville Oklahoma. Northeast Texas is home now, along with her husband Ron. She is the president of East Texas Writer’s Association, a Lifetime Member of the Worldwide Who’s Who for Professional Women (and named VIP for 2013), and a member of the Northeast Texas Writer’s Organization, East Texas Writer’s Guild, and Texas Association of Authors.

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TWO SIGNED PRINT COPIES, TWO eBOOK COPIES
(US ONLY)
August 14-23, 2018

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8/14/18		Book Trailer		Texas Book Lover
8/14/18		Excerpt			The Clueless Gent
8/15/18		Review			Reading by Moonlight
8/16/18		Character Interview	The Page Unbound
8/16/18		Author Interview	Margie's Must Reads
8/17/18		Review			StoreyBook Reviews
8/18/18		Review			That's What She's Reading
8/18/18		Excerpt			All the Ups and Downs
8/19/18		BONUS Review		Hall Ways Blog
8/19/18		Author Interview	Books and Broomsticks
8/20/18		Review			A Page Before Bedtime
8/20/18		Review			Chapter Break Book Blog
8/21/18		Scrapbook Page		Story Schmoozing Book Reviews
8/22/18		Review			Dressed to Read
8/23/18		Character Interview	Carpe Diem Chronicles
8/23/18		Review			The Love of a Bibliophile