Please tell us about yourself.

My name is Alyssa Gangeri and I am a pastry chef, author, restaurant owner and consultant in New York City. I am a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and I try and keep myself as busy as possible!


Tell us about your book.
Mimi’s Adventures in Baking is my answer to the lack of cookbooks for kids...or should I say fun cookbooks for kids. This series is a fun interactive way to get children in the kitchen where they are learning skills such as following direction, counting, measuring and so much more all while having fun at the same time. I think cooking and baking should be a fun project for kids and adults alike. Mimi is brought to life in this first ever storybook cookbook that walks a child through learning how to measure, mix and bake their very own creations.
 
What inspired you to write Mimi's Adventures in Baking Gingerbread Men?

I always wanted to write a cookbook but I never knew what was going to separate mine from the thousands of others on the shelf. I have worked for such amazing chefs where I acquired and created so many recipes that I eventually wanted to share with the world. I found myself one day wandering through the children’s section and started to realize there really were not a lot of cookbooks for children. I found my calling, but also realized this was going to be a lot harder than a traditional book. I wanted to create a cookbook that children could relate to, and enjoy reading because lets be honest most cookbooks are probably pretty boring to children. Recipe, picture, boring procedure.. who wants to do that? This is where Mimi came to life. I think that children are visual learners and why not create a visual cookbook that they are learning along side Mimi while she learns to crack an egg, or the difference between measuring dry ingredients as opposed to wet ingredients. I wanted to bring the fun and excitement back into the kitchen and that’s just what Mimi does.

How much time per week do you spend writing / editing your work?

I do have a restaurant, and a boutique cake company that keep me pretty busy most days but I really try and carve out time at night where either I am editing, brainstorming, or writing. Whether that be hours or 20 minutes I try to set aside as much time as I can to work on my books. 

What are you working on at the moment?

I am currently working on two more books to be released next year. I really try and broaden Mimi’s and the readers horizons where they learn a different type of baking skill in each book. Yes most skills carry over from one book to the next, but I think its important to teach all aspects of baking whether that’s technique or the importance of certain ingredients.

About the Book

Title: Mimi’s Adventures in Baking Gingerbread Men
Author: Alyssa Gangeri
Genre: Children’s Book
Embark on a baking adventure with Mimi where she will measure, mix, and bake her way to the perfect batch of gingerbread men. If Mimi can do it, so can you!
Mimi’s Adventures in Baking Gingerbread Men is the third book in the Mimi’s Adventures in Baking series.

Author Bio

Chef Alyssa has been baking since she was a little girl in her grandmother’s kitchen. Since graduating from the Culinary Institute of America she has worked for famous chefs and elite companies such as the Ritz Carlton, Tom Colicchio, Norman Van Aken and Gray Kunz. She currently is the Executive Chef at Riverwalk Bar and Grill on the Historic nook of New York City, Roosevelt Island. She also has a boutique custom cake company called AllyCakesNYC where she creates cakes to appease the imagination. Through her journey of baking she developed Mimi, her very own miniature version of herself.
As a child she loved baking and everything that came with it. As an adult and food lover she realized there was something missing when she frequented bookstores. A interactive children’s cookbook. And we are not talking about a boring old cookbook for kids with lots and lots of recipes, and some pictures. Children these days have just as much interest in the kitchen as there parents do, but the ordinary cookbook is just not going to cut it. She created Mimi’s Adventures in Baking  to give children and adults a way to get into the kitchen and allow the child to become the chef and the adult the assistant. Each book has one recipe and an interactive storyline the child can read, and at the end go into the kitchen and do what Mimi did!  And for the “non-baking” parent, these elite pastry chef recipes are tested and ready for even the most inexperienced baker! Impress other moms with Mimi’s creations!

Mimi’s Adventures in Baking will also teach children how to measure, mix and bake their way through the kitchen while also giving safety tips along the way. No more boring cookbooks! Now there is a fun, exciting and educational way to learn how to bake!

Links

Buy the book on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Htmeht
Website: www.mimisadventuresinbaking.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mimisadventuresinbaking
Instagram: @agangeri
Twitter: @allygan

Book Excerpt

What Is Your Favorite Sexual Position? Why? 
Not sure I needed to address why this question is fun, but, if you feel I need to elaborate, let's go with… imagine the look on your Mom's face reading this chapter. Boom, you're welcome! (Yes folks… that just happened!)
Overwhelmingly, it looks like there are two favorites: doggy style and cowgirl. Not sure what to make of that, but I'll leave you with an off-color joke. Since I live in the South, and we love the South… What is a Southern couple’s favorite sexual position? Doggy style… that way they both can watch NASCAR!
Okay… not my best joke, but eh, what can you do?

• While I believe every position can be pleasurable, I’m going with the flying lotus, preferably if he’s NOT in the kneeling position. Those of you that do yoga, you know what I’m saying, those that don’t look it up and thank me later. Why – maximum penetration, in addition to the tantric breathing brings a deeper sense of intimacy. When done right, you can feel like you’re breathing in each other’s soul.

• Nicole Delacroix, F, USA, Atlanta GA, 29 until I tell you otherwise, Straight and Single, Aries

Wow, I just read that again and totally called myself a Hippy.
 

• Inverted A+ common with Friday sauce smeared all over.

• M, USA, 44, Straight in a Relationship

See, now I'm not sure if you're being a smart ass or if you're serious… it's a coin toss. If you’re serious… what is Friday sauce?
 

• ANY and ALL! Sex is great!! 

• F, USA, 31, Straight and in a Relationship, Aquarius

YES, YES it is… but, why are we yelling?
 

• Doggie style, because I can reach down and… contribute. ;)

• F, USA, 21, Straight in a Committed Relationship, Libra

So, my dirty, little mind went to places it should not have. Thanks for that one, I’m giving you ‘made me take a cold shower’ bonus points.
 

• Cowgirl on a chair. I like eye contact and using a chair allows for better and deeper stimulation.

• M, USA, 38, Straight and Married, Aquarius

Remind me not to sit down at your house… J
 

• Missionary. Depth of penetration and watching bouncing boobs amazing.

• M, USA, 30, Straight and Engaged, Pisces

Bonus points for the bouncing boob comment. Yes, I giggled.
 

• Doggy, so I can get spanked and hair pulled.

• F, Canada, 20, Pansexual and Single, Cancer

See, I was disappointed you were the only one that brought up spanking. You get naughty bonus points.
 

• Cobra, it’s intense with just the right kind of stimulation.

• F, USA, 28, Bisexual and Dating, Capricorn

Another Yoga enthusiast! I’m just saying people, buy a copy of the Kama Sutra… you’re welcome.
 

• Snuggle-fucking. Like spooning.

• F, USA, 21, Flexible in an Exclusive Committed Relationship, Leo

Is it wrong that I love the name of this one… Hehehehe.
 
<Please note chapter has been truncated as sample chapter>

About the Book

Title: Sexual Confessional: Confidential Admissions from Social Media
Author: Nicole Delacroix
Genre: Non-Fiction Humor / Essay
Discovering secrets is titillating.
Everyone wants to peek under the covers, be a fly on the bedroom wall, or read someone’s diary. The juicier the secret, the more people want to know it, and sex is the most taboo of all subjects.
It’s human nature to be curious about what everyone else is doing. What do people like about sex? What are their fantasies? How far are they willing to go to please the one they love? These questions and more are explored, where everyday people offer up their most intimate secrets about sex.
One part social experiment – one part personal journey mixed with a little shock value, a whole lot of confession, laugh-out-loud comedy, deceptively thought-provoking questions and answers, all in the name of self-awareness. A foray into the inappropriate Sexual Confessional is a brash, unfiltered look at sex in the new millennium as seen by social media. A cautionary tale that warns “be careful what you ask the internet for, you may just get it…”

Author Bio

Nicole Delacroix was raised with a deep love for words and literature. This appetite for reading was the foundation fuelling her creative passion for writing. With a strong will and precocious nature, she is the atypical Texan Southern belle, preferring the fantastical, science and reason. Growing up in the buckle of the Bible Belt, writing was her saving grace.
A fan of all genres, she will most often be found buried in fantasy, science fiction or nonfiction, favoring George RR Martin, Douglas Adams and Michio Kaku, while Joan Rivers, Mae West, Madonna and Audrey Hepburn are personal role-models, each possessing a strength she admires. Diversity extends to her writing as well, as she writes about anything that strikes her interest, with a keen eye for character and the absurd.
A blogger, author, and IT professional for a major ISP, she is consistently sought out to provide guest blogs and the oft-maligned tech manual, and receives many requests to review new works from fellow authors. She believes life is about possibilities, which challenges her to write outside her comfort zone, trying new projects and meeting new people.
Fiercely loyal to friends, family and pets, she is a proud member of the Atlanta Writer’s Club, avid Tweeter, and closet Anglophile with addictions to British Tea, Doctor Who and Soccer. Above all, she maintains sarcasm is a legitimate art form and strives to challenge conventional thinking.

Publishing History
Books:
Glimpse of Darkness, April 2014 – October 2014
 
Blog Posts:
Common Misconceptions About Literary Agents, January 21, 2015 Post Link
Guest Post: How Many Frogs Do I Have To Kiss?, January 19, 2015 Post Link
Guest Post: Books Vs. E-readers, December 21, 2014 Post Link
Guest Post: Using Createspace, December 21, 2014 Post Link
Guest Post: Author Social Media Checklist, December 6, 2014 Post Link

Links

www.nicole-delacroix.com
http://www.facebook.com/writer.nicoledelacroix
http://twitter.com/NicoleDelaCroix
http://www.google.com/+NicoleDelacroix
http://instagram.com/nicoledelacroix/
http://www.pinterest.com/wrtrndelacroix/
http://nicoledelacroix.tumblr.com/

About the Book

Title: Rebecca’s Initiation
Author: Gary Green
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rebecca’s Initiation is a fast paced fantasy adventure about a young girl who loses her mother in a car accident and has to go live with her grandmother. Her grandmother, Naomi, is an extraordinary woman who lets Rebecca in on her secret and initiates her into a world of magic populated with fairies, gnomes, elves and a dragon. Rebecca soon learns that her mother’s death was not an accident and that she was the intended victim. An ancient god has marked her for death and without the help of her new magical friends she is doomed. She has to learn how to defend herself—and learn fast. Rebecca’s Initiation will keep you guessing from beginning to end.

Author Bio

It has been a long journey from depressed, lonely and alcoholic farm-boy to internationally known, award winning author. Using insight he gained from his own struggle he helped hundreds of individuals move from misery to joy during the many years he worked in the human services field. During his journey he also taught many other care-givers how to improve their ability to help others.
During this time he became a practiced listener and a good story teller.
Now he divides his time between his small farm and writing inspiring and educational books.
His writings have helped many learn the skills needed to:

• Reduce feelings of worthlessness and isolation
• Increase feelings of happiness
• Conquer addictions
• Reach new levels of spiritual understanding
• Improve relationships
• Find hope

He has long lived by the motto “Inspire Joyful Sanity”. So, what the heck does that mean? Well, the inspire part is obvious. His definition of sanity is to understand and accept the universe and the rules that make it work. The joyful part refers to the idea that joy is the default state of the human mind. The idea is that as you understand and accept the rules of the universe you remove the barriers to being in a joyful state. His goal is to inspire joyful sanity in himself and others.
His first books were inspirational self-help. However, all his life he has been a fan of sci-fi and fantasy. Rebecca’s Initiation is his first attempt at writing fiction and the first of a planned series called Redemption.


Links

my website: https://authorgarygreen.wordpress.com/
my Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gary-Green-159863234040/timeline/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26209773-rebecca-s-initiation

Book Excerpt

Midnight. She really should get up, clean the paintbrushes, and go home. Then crawl into bed and sleep for, well, she groaned, six hours. If she was lucky.
Just five minutes.
As every muscle in her body relaxed, Mikaela smiled to herself and wondered what the homeowner would think if he knew he had the highest paid painter in the city.
Mikaela woke with a start to the sound of voices. Disoriented, in unfamiliar surroundings, she looked down at her short shorts and loose shirt covered with spatters of paint. Painting, of course. She must have fallen asleep in the chair, and checking her watch, she saw that it was two o’clock in the morning. Shit. She rubbed her eyes and yawned. Pulling herself out of the chair, she listened to the voices. One voice was female, sounding impatient and unhappy and one male, sounding apologetic and resigned.
“I know it’s not ideal, Sophia, but it’s what I want. I’m tired of the large city, the tertiary care center, and all the politics. I’m tired of all the meetings and all the committees. I want a smaller hospital in a smaller city. I want a life.”
“Nonsense, Sam,” the woman shot back. “You don’t know what you want or what’s good for you. You need to pay your dues now to reap the benefits later.”
“Look, I don’t expect you to understand. I’m grateful you’ve agreed to help me out, but . . . ”
Mikaela wandered into the hallway and stopped when she saw the two of them at the front door. The woman had unbuttoned her coat, and as she put her hands on her hips, there was a flash of the red cocktail dress she wore underneath. The man was a foot taller and wearing a suit. A very nice fitting suit, Mikaela mused, as she came up behind him.
The woman noticed Mikaela first, and her startled gasp had the man looking over his shoulder. Mikaela wasn’t sure who looked more shocked, the man, who moved to shield the woman, or the woman, who raked her gaze over Mikaela from head to toe. As Mikaela fought the urge to straighten her shirt and fix her hair, she decided, definitely, the woman.
The woman’s eyes narrowed, the hands on her hips became clenched at her sides, and her face flushed red. Mikaela held her breath.
The woman pushed at the man’s shoulder and spun him around to face her. “Why you! You! ‘I can’t invite you in, the house is being painted,’” she mimicked. “Is that the new code word for ‘mistress?’ You could have just told me we were through. Well, I’m done. This is the last straw. You pig!” The woman spun on her heel and wrenched the door open.
“Sophia, wait!”
“No, wait,” Mikaela added. She lurched forward, now wide-awake.
The woman stormed out and slammed the door.
The man turned to Mikaela. “Who the hell are you?”

About the Books

Perfectly Honest

You never know where your words will take you . . .
When Mikaela Finn agreed to be Sam’s ‘fiancée’ for a weekend, she probably should have told him that she’s a doctor.
Sam O’Brien, a.k.a. ‘Dr. Eye Candy’, is trying to shed his playboy reputation and convince a small town hospital that he’s ready to settle down. But when his ‘fiancée’ helps deliver a baby in the middle of the meet and greet, it’s a bit of a shock. If he’d known the whole truth, Sam might have done things a little differently because somehow his ‘fiancée’ ends up stealing his job and his heart. Not exactly the change he wanted.
Lies and deceit— it’s a match made in heaven!

Perfectly Reasonable

Love what you do and do what you love. Sounds perfectly reasonable, but chances are, you’ll find your passion in the last place you look . . .
Margo MacMillan finished medical school, but in the process, her self-confidence and self-esteem took a beating. So for the sake of self-preservation, she’s stepped away from medicine to re-group. In the meantime, painting soothes her soul and pays the bills.
Trace Bennett set his sights on a medical degree and has to prepare the perfect medical school application. His big plan is to paint his condo for a little feng shui divine luck. When Margo shows up to paint, he realizes he’s found exactly what he’s looking for. He just has to convince Margo to share more than the art of medicine.
She’s got it. He wants it. It’s Perfectly Reasonable.
Author BioLinda has been writing romance novels for three years and sincerely thanks Debby Gilbert at Soul Mate Publishing for the ultimate encouragement to her writing – with the leap to publishing. She has many titles including Doctor, Mom, and proud Canadian, but “Linda O’Connor – hereinafter called the Author” is one of the sweetest.
Contemporary romantic comedies are her favorite novels to read and write. Linda balances writing with her work as a physician at an Urgent Care Clinic and being a mom to three sons (luckily grown and capable of throwing together a decent meal, in a pinch). She also likes to keep active and cycle, cross-country ski, skate, walk with her husband or dance every day.
Laugh every day. Love every minute.
Author Website: http://www.lindaoconnor.net
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LindaOConnorAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lindaoconnor98
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Linda-OConnor/e/B00S7CNLEA

Links

Perfectly Honest: Amazon
Perfectly Reasonable: Amazon

- Have you been writing for a long time?
I have always enjoyed writing short stories and finally found the opportunity and time to dedicate myself to writing my first book!  Moving forward from my experience of writing Post Traumatic De-stress, I believe I will continue to write more books and want to explore different genres to expand my reading audience.
 
- What inspired you to start a writing career?
I started writing my book with the focus of producing a product, not of producing myself as an author!  Of course, the two go hand in hand.  Now, I acknowledge my efforts and accomplishment of becoming a published author and feel motivated to continue my writing career with a more focused view rather than a personal hobby.
 
 
- Is this your first book? If not, can you tell us about your first book? 
Post Traumatic De-Stress is the first book I have written and have had published.  I framed the content and the character from a few of my half-finished diaries and drew upon insights of loss experience, to formulate the tone of the book and to create the feeling of a loss journey.

I researched the topics of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, suicide and bereavement.  I took my learnings from my research to build the core of the character, so that it spoke in depth of feeling as well as descriptive experiences.

I purposely wrote the book in the first person in order to create rapport with the reader immediately.  I have applied conversational language to describe the loss feelings, etc so the reader can easily relate with the story and not feel like they are reading a reference text book.

I believe the character of the book could be of any gender, age, race or creed.  I did this on purpose because loss impacts everyone and anyone.  I also did not describe any loss events to avoid the reader valuing their own loss lesser or greater than that of the character's.  The critical message of the book is  that 'it's not the loss event that matters but how you manage the impact of that loss event for the rest of your life'.
 
- Why did you choose this genre?
Based from lived experiences, I think this genre chose me!  Being a Loss Survivor, I manage the effects of loss every day and so it felt like a natural continuation of my daily routine to write a book about sustaining self-awareness and applying self support techniques.
 
- Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Absolutely believe in your art (i.e. believe in your story and how you have written it).  I found that through my belief and passion in my product, I am empowered me to promote my book to others.  I always say to myself that 'my book is my work of art; it may not suit everyone but it's written from my heart'.
 

About the Book

Title: Post Traumatic De-Stress
Author: Pat Joce
Genre: Healing, Spritiualism, Mind Body & Spirit, Non-Fiction
Post Traumatic De-stress is a self-support tool for those impacted from a loss event. The book is written from the perspective of a Loss Survivor and it is not a medical reference. The unique feature of this book is that it is presented as a personal journal of a Loss Survivor and allows for the reader to journalise their own loss journey. The character of the Loss Survivor is fictitious however the journal entries of this character are based on true accounts of loss experience. The content of the book focuses on the particular phases of life after a loss event, which include: • Understanding loss • Knowing and monitoring your loss thoughts and feelings • Using support strategies to manage your loss thoughts and feelings • Communicating your loss story • Managing life after loss • Loss realisation and awareness The book promotes is the critical importance for the Loss Survivor to seek professional medical advice as soon as possible after experiencing a traumatic event.
Author BioPat Joce is the Founder of LADRA™, an organisation which provides non-medical loss awareness support to those impacted from a loss event. LADRA is an acronym which stands for Loss, Anger, Depression, Realisation, Awareness and represents the different stages of a loss journey. The concept of LADRA is about sharing loss survival stories and reflections with other Loss Survivors. LADRA does not focus on the details of a loss event but focuses on the impact that loss event has on a person. The mission of LADRA is that no-one needs to ever walk their loss journey alone.

Pat was motivated to write this book after volunteering in the ‘Mud Army’ in the 2011 QLD flood clean-up. When she saw the look of despair on the faces of those whose possessions had been washed away, she could recall her own despair after experiencing traumatic events that impacted her life.   Pat has managed the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, for over 16 years and with the professional support from her local GP and psychologists, she has developed her own set of support strategies to assist her.

Visit the website, www.LADRA.com.au and the Twitter account #MyLADRA to access the collection of Loss Survivor stories and reflections.

Book blurb: Post Traumatic De-stress is a self-support tool for those impacted from a loss event. The book is written from the perspective of a Loss Survivor and it is not a medical reference.

The unique feature of this book is that it is presented as a personal journal of a Loss Survivor and allows for the reader to journalise their own loss journey. The character of the Loss Survivor is fictitious however the journal entries of this character are based on true accounts of loss experience.

The content of the book focuses on the particular phases of life after a loss event, which include:

• Understanding loss
• Knowing and monitoring your loss thoughts and feelings
• Using support strategies to manage your loss thoughts and feelings
• Communicating your loss story
• Managing life after loss
• Loss realisation and awareness

The book promotes is the critical importance for the Loss Survivor to seek professional medical advice as soon as possible after experiencing a traumatic event.

Links

Author Website: http://www.patjoce.com/
LADRA website: http://www.LADRA.com.au
Amazon (eBook)
Amazon (paperback)

What Are Your Writing Quirks & Must-Haves To Write?
 
 
I hate writing during the daylight hours so I only write when it’s dark. This means I get more writing done in winter than in summer. The only time I’ll write during the daylight hours is when I’m near to completing my manuscript and hence I can see the end in sight and I am determined to finish. Alternatively, in the middle of winter when it’s too cold to go out or any time of the year when it’s pouring with rain I don’t mind writing during the day. In fact, as soon as I am aware it’s going to rain, I say to myself, “This is a good day for writing!” even when it’s not my traditional Saturday night writing night and I’m not at work.
 
Although my writing time is Saturday night, I often get ideas at the oddest moments. When I have an idea I want to include in my book, in order not to lose the idea, I scribble it down on anything I have at hand and then type it into the computer on my Saturday night writing nights. I have been in boring meetings when suddenly I have scribbled down something on the back of the Agenda and the person doing the presentation at the meeting has thought that I was noting things down about the meeting in earnest because it interested me. Fortunately, I wasn’t called up to read out what I had written or asked to add it to the minutes!
 
Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with ideas and hence have to get out of bed and note the ideas down.
 
To get names for characters, I generally ask people what name they would prefer to be called if they could choose their own names. If I like the name, I use it in my book. Otherwise, I just scrounge my bookcase and look at the authors’ names and choose one that interests me. Sometimes a particular name comes to me out of the blue and I use that. A few names, particularly for the “bad” characters, are based on the names of real people but I have somewhat altered the names so that the people I based the characters on don’t recognise them.

About the Book

Title: A Right to Love
Author: Mark Frew
Genre: Gay Fiction / Religious / Psychological
Book blurb: The story is about a non-religious man, called Michael, who is a teacher in a modern college. He meets a student, Polycarp, who is a refugee from Rwanda and who has lost all of his family. Michael decides to travel to Africa to find out if any of Polycarp’s family members are still alive. In the process, he meets a devout Muslim sub-Saharan African man, Ibrahim. Michael and Ibrahim fall in love and as their relationship develops, Michael and Ibrahim have to adjust to each other’s outlooks on life. Throughout the process, the interpretation of both the Bible and the Koran, and how homosexuality can be accepted within this framework are discussed.
Author bioMark Frew is a teacher of English to speakers of other languages. He has a bachelor degree in chemistry and is an avid linguist who speaks several languages. Mark Frew is also the author of Mauritian Creole in Seven Easy Lessons, Michael and the Multicoloured Gospel and Farewell My Pashtun.
LinksBookpal
Amazon
Goodreads

Book Excerpt

The tires crunch the gravel driveway in a satisfying way as she pulls up to the cabin. The sound draws out a memory of summers in New England. Only the gravel was seashells then, millions of them, smashed up and laid down as filler for their family vacation home. Rachel shakes her head, erasing the thought. No memories. Not now.

She parks the Honda and looks over her new home. It isn’t much, just a simple cabin, four walls of weathered clapboard on a raised foundation. The wood is grey and bare except for a few small patches of stubborn flaking paint, likely white at one time, but aged with grime that makes it the same color as decayed teeth. There are long smears of rust from dozens of nail heads that look like draining bullet wounds. Bushes and trees push in on the structure from all sides. Vines cover the south wall, tentacles stretching from ground to roof, fingers dug into the seams between the boards, prying into them and buckling them outward. It looks as if the forest has been caught in the act of choking the cabin to death right before she showed up and ruined all the fun.

“Lovely,” she says, opening her car door. She points to Underwood and Daniels. “You boys stay here. I’ll check things out.”
She closes the door and presses her key fob, chirping the locks. It’s a ridiculous notion as she doubts there is anyone around for miles. But some things are hard-wired into her. A decade of living in New York doesn’t leave a person unscathed.
She walks up to the gate on the picket fence that stretches across the front of the house. She marvels how it hangs slanted on its hinges and creaks back and forth in the breeze in a perfect horror movie way. It makes her smile. As does the bleached white bull’s skull sitting on a rock next to it, thick horns arching up over its cracked bones and vacant, staring eye sockets. Her kind of place.

She nudges the gate open and walks through.

There’s a door halfway down the length of the wall. Because of the raised foundation, there are old, crooked stairs that lead up to a small landing. The wood creaks in protest as she puts her weight on the first step and tests whether it will hold her. She’s not so sure. From where she stands she can see that the top section of the door was a screen at one time, but it’s so shredded and baked by the sun that it looks more like a nest of spiderwebs hanging there. Through the hole she sees the heavier interior door with four window panes. This door’s cracked open, which surprises her.

“Hello?” she calls out. She looks at her watch. She’s early but the person she’s meeting must have arrived before her. But there hadn’t been a car. None that she’d seen anyway. “Anyone there?”

Only the wind answers, rustling through the trees that sway in a slow dance overhead. The frayed strands of the screen lift into the air briefly, then resettle. The interior door doesn’t move.

It would make sense to walk up the three stairs and knock on the door, but something about the whole situation bothers her. She walks past the door and heads around back.

The cabin is right on the water’s edge of the lake and, as far as main attractions go, this one doesn’t disappoint. A small grass yard, surprisingly cut down so it looks like a plot of green suburbia right there in the wild, stretches the thirty feet from the deck attached to the back of the cabin down to the water. It is a gentle slope, which explains the need for the cabin’s raised foundation. A floating dock extends like a single finger into the water and ends with a rectangular platform on which sits a single Adirondack chair. She spies a canoe off to the side, stored upside-down, weeds growing up around it.
But the view beyond the pier is the star of the show. The lake is deserted, the wooded shoreline unbroken by another cottage as far as she can see. Gone are the evergreen pines from the drive down, replaced by the riotous colors of the birch and elm in the peak of their fall transformation. The sun has dropped low on the horizon and sets the forest on fire, sparking a thousand diamonds on the lake surface rippled from the breeze.

“Can I help you?” a man’s voice says to her left.

She’s so taken in by the view that she doesn’t even turn.

“I don’t think you can,” she whispers.

“Will you let me try?” he asks.
She turns as the man walks up from the water, a form silhouetted by the sun. She squints to get a look at him, feeling a tingle of anticipation, hoping.

“I don’t tend to accept help from strangers,” she says.

“And I tend not to rent my cabin to them. First time for everything, as they say.”

“Who says?”

“What’s that?”

“Who says first time for everything?”

The man shrugs and steps forward. “Just people.”

He wears blue jeans and a flannel with rolled sleeves. A few days of beard growth covers face, but it makes him look rustic unlike those pretentious fakes in men’s magazines. Although she figures his strong jaw and blue eyes alone could have gotten him work in one of those publications if he wanted it.

He holds out his hand. “Name’s John.”

She takes his hand and shakes it, noticing it’s softer than she imagined which puts his whole outdoorsy look into question.
“Rachel,” she says.

He smiles like her name is a snippet of attractive music.

“What do you think of the place?” he asks. “Will it work?”

She looks back out over the water. It’s exactly what she needs, the place she would paint as her perfect spot if she had any skill with a brush at all. “It’s fine,” she says.

He grins as if he can see right through her and knows she’s dying to sit in the chair on the dock, feel the wind on her skin, the sun on her face. Just her, a notebook and Mother Nature in all of her soothing grace.

“Okay, it’s more than fine. It’s perfect,” she says. 

About the Book

Title: The Torment of Rachel Ames
Author: Jeff Gunhus
Genre: Thriller / Horror
Suffering from writer’s block, novelist Rachel Ames escapes to a lake cabin to calm her mind and regain a sense of herself. The location is perfect. Isolated. Beautiful. Inspiring. It even comes with a good-looking landlord who shows an interest in her. But she can’t shake the sense that something terrible has followed her to the lake, something just beyond her consciousness, something out on the edge where the sounds of a raging fire and sirens linger whenever she slows down to listen. Determined to make the cabin work, she tries to settle in and give her new life a chance. But when strange things begin to happen around her, she wonders if she’s made a terrible mistake. As the darkness that’s followed her manifests itself in inexplicable ways, her concept of reality is stretched thin and she realizes nothing at the lake is what it seems. As she fights to survive with her sanity intact, she understands too late that the location she’s chosen for herself is far from perfect.

Author Bio

Jeff Gunhus is the author of thriller and horror novels for adults and the middle grade/YA series, The Jack Templar Chronicles. The first book, Jack Templar Monster Hunter, was written in an effort to get his reluctant reader eleven-year old son excited about reading. It worked and a new series was born. His books for adults have reached the Top 100 on Amazon and have been Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Finalists and Gold Medal Winners.
After his experience with his son, he is passionate about helping parents reach young reluctant readers and is active in child literacy issues. As a father of five, he leads an active lifestyle in Maryland with his wife Nicole by trying to constantly keep up with their kids. In rare moments of quiet, he can be found in the back of the City Dock Cafe in Annapolis working on his next novel.

Links

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Torment-Rachel-Ames-Jeff-Gunhus-ebook/dp/B015545GBI/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26308383-the-torment-of-rachel-ames?from_search=true&search_version=service
Author Site: www.Jeffgunhus.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jeffgunhusauthor
Twitter: @jeffgunhus

About the Book

Title: Dead of Knight
Author: Nicole J. Persun
Genre: Fantasy
Book one of the Joined Trilogy.
After a night of turbulent starfall—a grievous omen—six individuals begin an intersecting journey that even the gods could not have predicted.
The Rebel and the Countryman --
Growing up in the city of Eresther, Elise learned the importance of pride, confidence, and freedom. When King Orson del Yelhart plots to siege Eresther and the other Free Territories, Elise orchestrates a covert rebellion to stop him.
Ryan left his simple home in the farmlands of the Free Territories to become a virtuous and honorable soldier. But an unexpected encounter with Elise des Eresther compels him toward a much more dangerous adventure.
The Mystic and the Captain --
Due to their demonic reputation, women with magical abilities are hunted and executed. After being forced into hiding, Gwen starts her life anew by cross-dressing as a male sailor. Just when her life feels like it’s under control, she meets a ship captain who sways her toward an entirely different course.
Captain Adrian catches a glimpse of Gwen’s true nature on the streets of Amaray and yields to his curiosity when he approaches her with a sailing contract aboard his ship. He quickly discovers that he is in over his head—yet Adrian has a secret of his own to conceal.
The Madmen --
King Orson and King Odell—both former knights undeserving of their thrones—are power-stricken, grieving, and mad. As they wage war over the bounty of the Free Territories, it appears as though they’re merely in it for the glory. But their struggles are deeper and darker. As battles are fought, their true crusade is exposed: to mend that which neither of them can repair—their minds.


Author Bio

Nicole J. Persun started her professional writing career at the age of sixteen with her young adult novel, A Kingdom’s Possession, which later became a finalist for ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year Award. Aside from novels, Nicole has had short stories, flash fiction, poetry, and essays published in a handful of literary journals. Her inspiration is drawn from the latest studies and findings in biology, astronomy, archaeology, psychology, and any other form of scientific, historical, or artistic discovery. She often speaks at libraries, writer’s groups, and writer’s conferences across the country. Currently getting a degree in creative writing, Nicole lives in Washington State. For more information, visit Nicole’s website at: nicolejpersun.com.
 
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About the Book

Title: Sexual Confessional: Confidential Admissions from Social Media
Author: Nicole Delacroix
Genre: Non-Fiction Humor / Essay
Discovering secrets is titillating.
Everyone wants to peek under the covers, be a fly on the bedroom wall, or read someone’s diary. The juicier the secret, the more people want to know it, and sex is the most taboo of all subjects.
It’s human nature to be curious about what everyone else is doing. What do people like about sex? What are their fantasies? How far are they willing to go to please the one they love? These questions and more are explored, where everyday people offer up their most intimate secrets about sex.
One part social experiment – one part personal journey mixed with a little shock value, a whole lot of confession, laugh-out-loud comedy, deceptively thought-provoking questions and answers, all in the name of self-awareness. A foray into the inappropriate Sexual Confessional is a brash, unfiltered look at sex in the new millennium as seen by social media. A cautionary tale that warns “be careful what you ask the internet for, you may just get it…”

Author Bio

Nicole Delacroix was raised with a deep love for words and literature. This appetite for reading was the foundation fuelling her creative passion for writing. With a strong will and precocious nature, she is the atypical Texan Southern belle, preferring the fantastical, science and reason. Growing up in the buckle of the Bible Belt, writing was her saving grace.
A fan of all genres, she will most often be found buried in fantasy, science fiction or nonfiction, favoring George RR Martin, Douglas Adams and Michio Kaku, while Joan Rivers, Mae West, Madonna and Audrey Hepburn are personal role-models, each possessing a strength she admires. Diversity extends to her writing as well, as she writes about anything that strikes her interest, with a keen eye for character and the absurd.
A blogger, author, and IT professional for a major ISP, she is consistently sought out to provide guest blogs and the oft-maligned tech manual, and receives many requests to review new works from fellow authors. She believes life is about possibilities, which challenges her to write outside her comfort zone, trying new projects and meeting new people.
Fiercely loyal to friends, family and pets, she is a proud member of the Atlanta Writer’s Club, avid Tweeter, and closet Anglophile with addictions to British Tea, Doctor Who and Soccer. Above all, she maintains sarcasm is a legitimate art form and strives to challenge conventional thinking.
Publishing History
Books:
Glimpse of Darkness, April 2014 – October 2014
 
Blog Posts:
Common Misconceptions About Literary Agents, January 21, 2015 Post Link
Guest Post: How Many Frogs Do I Have To Kiss?, January 19, 2015 Post Link
Guest Post: Books Vs. E-readers, December 21, 2014 Post Link
Guest Post: Using Createspace, December 21, 2014 Post Link
Guest Post: Author Social Media Checklist, December 6, 2014 Post Link

Links

www.nicole-delacroix.com
http://www.facebook.com/writer.nicoledelacroix
http://twitter.com/NicoleDelaCroix
http://www.google.com/+NicoleDelacroix
http://instagram.com/nicoledelacroix/
http://www.pinterest.com/wrtrndelacroix/
http://nicoledelacroix.tumblr.com/

About the Book

Title: Concrete Stilettos
Author: Mya Kay
Genre: Urban Romance / YA
Mya Kay’s Concrete Stilettos: A Love Story, is a fierce, urban romance that will leave the people in the pews and the parlor screaming for more.
She’s as real as they come and as hard as they make them. And her heart still belongs to God…
Seventeen-year-old Taz Elizabeth Green is every man’s fantasy, every girl’s women crush and the envy of many of the women she strips with in Philadelphia. But she’s not your average stripper. A virgin whose parents were murdered when she was 12, Taz only dances because she truly loves it – not because she’s broke and hungry. Not one to make an excuse or take part in self-pity, she wiggles her way into private parties for politicians and police officers, adding to the stash her parents left her. Even the Grady’s, the family that adopted her when her parents were murdered, have no idea the double life Taz is living. They sent her off at sixteen to UCLA, a genius that had been skipped twice in school, to get a degree in Business and Design. Only, Taz returned to Philadelphia a year later with more than just college credits to her name. The only thing Taz fears is her father, Officer Drew Grady, painting the town red when he finds out.
Her best friend Daylen believes in her and so does her cousin Shamiyah. With encouragement, she learns to manage Shamiyah’s lingerie store and takes baby steps to a purpose filled life. She even increases her church attendance and prays more, seeking answers to unknown questions. Enter Curran Kilman, the UPS driver who delivers to the store and suddenly, Taz’s desire for fun in the nightlife changes to nighttime picnics and strolls in the park on the weekend. She can tell Curran might be “the one” and she feels he may be getting closer to making a commitment. But not before she’s exposed at the church she’s been attending – on the Sunday her and Curran go together. And to make matters worse, Daylen’s leukemia diagnosis brings out a family secret that could add layers to Taz’s demons – and for once, she’s not sure how to fight. Not to mention every time Taz leaves the hospital or her condo, there’s a black SUV parked outside and she is sure she’s being followed which is confirmed when Taz almost meets death on more than one occasion. Pleasure and purpose collide in Concrete Stilettos: A Love Story, the story of a teen girl who’s lost in a world full of judgment and sin, but knows God is calling her name.

Author Bio

Mya Kay is the author of three previous self-published titles, Speechless: Short Stories, Butterfly Faith and A Song for Jordan. Concrete Stilettos: A Love Story is her first urban romance novel under Royalty Publishing House, an independent publishing company based in Atlanta. For more information, visit Mya on the following social media channels.

Links

Website: www.writermya.com
Blog: http://writermya.com/blog/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/writermya
Instagram: www.instagram.com/writermya
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/writermya