Bestselling Author Bernadette Marie is known for building families readers want to be part of. Her series The Keller Family has graced bestseller charts since its release in 2011. Since then she has authored and published over thirty books. The married mother of five sons promises romances with a Happily Ever After always…and says she can write it because she lives it.
Someone has decided to become the moral compass for the women in town, and now they’re turning up dead. It will be up to Detective Lacy Pratt to find their killer before her relationship with Declan Matthews, brother to one of the victims, marks her as a target.
Deb Atwood holds an MFA and lives in California with her husband and rescue dog Nala. Her time-slip novel Moonlight Dancer was selected as a front page Featured Review by Book Ideas. Deb’s work has appeared in numerous anthologies. Her interests include ghost fiction, Korean culture, quilting, and, of course, reading.
Q&A With the Author
What is the hardest thing you’ve ever done?
Like most people, I have suffered the loss of family members and other loved ones, but none of those losses required a decision on my part. The hardest decision I ever made was to euthanize my dog Emma. Emma had been with the family since she was eight weeks old. She had her flaws–she didn’t particularly like most men, and she could be unfriendly with other dogs. Some dogs she liked, some she didn’t. But she and I shared a sort of parent-child bond. If Emma was hungry or misbehaving, it was always my eye she sought first.
When she was ten, she had an attack of vertigo and nausea that landed her in the hospital for several days. She recovered, but the vertigo never left and was followed in the next couple of years by deafness, cloudy vision, incontinence, and finally, an inability to walk. I carried her, all 50 pounds. Had she been in intractable pain, the decision to euthanize would have been far easier. Emma did not feel pain. She just had no enjoyment of life. I knew the time was nearing, but I didn’t know how to make the decision. Unfortunately, dogs can’t talk. I had to balance her maximum chance at life with the quality of that life. It felt like an awesome responsibility, but then I rescue spiders.
At last I accepted that it was time, and we took Emma to a caring clinic where she experienced a peaceful death.
It was three years before I took on another dog. Now we have Nala, a rather naughty rescue Chow/German Shepherd. I continue to feel the bond of human to canine. The novel I’ve published, along with all the others in various stages of writing, features a dog. I’m currently writing a young adult book that contains a service dog.
What do you fear most?
I fear earthquakes. Ha! The irony of it, you think…I live in California. True, but that’s where my family, friends, and business are located. Recently, my book group read Falling to Earth by Kate Southwood, a heart-wrenching novel about the worst tornado in US history, so I suppose if I lived in the Midwest, I’d fear tornadoes. One way I find tornadoes less scary than earthquakes, though, is that with tornadoes, you often have some warning. Earthquakes can attack you in your sleep. That’s the thing I try not to think about when I go to bed at night.
“As readers of Deb Atwood’s blog Pen In Her Hand know, Atwood is passionate about ghost fiction. Since 2011, Atwood has read, re-read, and written about ghost literature. 31 Ghost Novels to Read Before You Die presents a selection of the best of these posts.
Among the books discussed are old favorites (The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson) as well as some indie gems few people will know about (The 20’s Girl, the Ghost, and All That Jazz by June Kearns). There are ghost novels for every reader, in genres ranging from historical to literary to romance. “
I had great fun dipping into The 20’s Girl, the Ghost, and All That Jazz by June Kearns. I loved reading about the main character Gerry draped in her Aunt Leonie 20’s designer fashions from Patou to Vionnet, embellished with guipure lace and tiny seed pearls, especially since the creations are ostentatious in Texas and outdated in England. Gerry often observes herself in social situations overdressed but outdated and with no alternative since she cannot afford to buy a stitch. Nor would she if she could, for she never feels closer to her aunt than when she is wearing her clothes.
This novel will interest people looking for a clean, no-sex romance and would make a fitting mother-daughter book club selection. The Girl, the Ghost, and All That Jazz is not a chilling novel that will send you scurrying to check the deadbolts. Instead, you’ll find yourself warmed by non-traditional family ties and the sparks that fly when romance, along with a high-spirited ghost, is in the air.
To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page
Nichole Giles, the author of DESCENDANT, BIRTHRIGHT, and WATER SO DEEP, has lived in Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and Texas. She is a huge fan of all things paranormal and magical. Her dreams include owning a garden full of fairies, riding a unicorn, and taming the pet dragon she adopted at a recent local ComiCon. His name is Zane. She also loves to spend time with her husband and four children, travel to tropical and exotic destinations, drive in the rain with the convertible top down, and play music at full volume so she can sing along.
Q&A With the Author
Please, tell me a story. It can be long or short. From your childhood or last week. Funny, sad, or somewhere in between. Just make sure it’s yours. What’s your story?
Okay, this is actually relevant to my most recent release, Legacy.
We moved around a lot when I was young. Around the time when I was turning eight, we moved into a rental house on a hill in a mountainous area. One day, as I was exploring our new place (I’m pretty sure I was avoiding helping my parents unpack—or otherwise stalling) and closed myself into the bathroom. For some reason, I climbed up on the counter, and in doing so, pulled just right on the middle of the tri-sectioned mirror. That mirror opened up and revealed a secret crawlspace, where I used to hide from my (then) three younger brothers and two sisters. Eventually, one of my brothers found out, and the two of us made a pact to not tell the others. It was our secret hideout for the whole time we lived there. I can’t remember if my parents ever knew about that crawlspace, and thinking back, it’s super creepy that it even existed where it was. And yet… I wrote that same crawlspace into Legacy, spurred by a burst of inspiration while completing the last chapters of Legacy. So yes, that crawlspace was real, but no, I absolutely could never find that house again to go see what it really was. But that’s what imagination is for!
After the chaos of Mexico, Abby and Kye have lost everything but each other. They’re on the run with no purpose, no allies, and very little money. To make things worse, Abby’s wound from the Arawn Dagger is draining her power, leaving her unable to access her Light, or her Healing ability.
While the hunt for her long-lost father takes them back through Abby’s childhood homes, they’re forced to question everything they’ve been taught and everyone they’ve ever trusted—including each other. After a desperate attempt to Heal Abby’s wound goes horribly awry, and with the demons they thought they’d lost hot on their heels, the star-crossed couple is forced to face some painful realities that will change life for everyone they know.
When Abby’s best friend is kidnapped by demons, Abby and Kye abandon their search and launch a rescue attempt that morphs into a battle, the outcome of which will determine if Abby and her friends have what it takes to rid the world of demons, or if the royal bloodline and the Gifted generation will be obliterated once and for all.
I am the oldest of eleven children: two biological sisters, four biological brothers, and four step-brothers.
I don’t like to read books that don’t involve some kind of romance, kissing scenes included.
I must have lived during the regency period in a past life, because I love corset-style dresses and costumes. For Halloween, I’ll probably dress up, even though my kids won’t.
My favorite ice cream flavor was discontinued over 10 years ago, but I still hold out hope that Ben and Jerry’s will bring back their Island Paradise flavor.
My favorite food in the world is steamed snow crab.
Whenever I struggle with creating or writing, I like to go for a drive with my convertible top down. I’ve even been known to do this with snow flurries in the air.
My ultimate dream house is on a white-sand beach, with lots of windows, palm trees in the yard, a huge patio, and within walking distance to a number of friends’ homes. Also near great shopping. It should also have a dedicated library where I can write.
I have a growing collection of fairies. Statues, paintings, etc. And I’ve started picking up mermaids as well. I love to be surrounded by fantastical creatures.
I have four kids. Two boys, two girls, all nearly grown.
When I was in high school in Arizona, my friends and I haunted a local hangout, where I became highly proficient at playing air hockey.
During my junior year, I had the opportunity to go to New York with my choir, where we sang in Carnegie Hall. We also toured the city, largely without supervision.
My favorite candy includes Kookabura licorice and Black Forest gummies. All varieties of both.
I have kissed a stingray, petted a shark, high-fived a sea otter, and hugged a dolphin, but I have never wrestled an alligator or tried to housebreak a lion—and I don’t think I ever will.
Thanks for hanging out with me for thirteen random facts. You can learn more about me and my books at www.nicholegiles.blogspot.com.
To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page
Marni Graff had a successful career as a registered nurse who wrote on the side before writing full time. She has a degree in English Lit and studied Gothic Mystery at Oxford University in England. She also wrote articles for Mystery Review magazine, where she interviewed many of the authors whose work she admired.
Marni is the award-winning author of The Nora Tierney Mysteries, set in England. The Blue Virginintroduces Nora, an American writer living in Oxford. The Green Remainsand The Scarlet Wenchtrace Nora’s move to the Lake District where murder follows her. In process is The Golden Hour, set in Bath, England. Premiering in the next few months will be Graff’s new Manhattan series, Death Unscripted, featuring nurse Trudy Genova, a medical consultant for a New York movie studio. This new series is based on Marni’s favorite nursing job in real life.
Marni is also co-author of Writing in a Changing World, a primer on writing groups and critique techniques. She writes crime book reviews at Auntie M Writes and is Managing Editor of Bridle Path Press, an author’s cooperative. A member of Sisters in Crime, Marni runs the NC Writers Read program in Belhaven which allows writers experience reading their work out loud and getting immediate feedback.
Q&A With the Author
What is the hardest thing you’ve ever done?
Persevering to get that first book into print. I wrote for years on the side, then finally was able to write full time. Once I had been signed by an agent I thought I’d made it, but three years later he hadn’t been able to sell either of my first two books. Then I met a group of women and one started her own indie press and I decided to take the plunge and bring out the books with her. I’ve never looked back.
Please, tell me a story. It can be long or short. From your childhood or last week. Funny, sad, or somewhere in between. Just make sure it’s yours. What’s your story?
My first trip to England happened in my early 20’s. I stepped off the plane with my (then) husband for a week of rugby games and despite never having traveled outside the US before, felt like I was coming home. Despite the streets and names and towns all being new to me, there was a sense of recognition that happened and has happened each time I travel back to anywhere in the UK. I’ve been fleetingly in Scotland and Wales and want to explore those more. I know England the best and have spent several trips doing research for the English mystery series by taking long train rides to new areas, all set up to explore potential settings for the books. Each area has its own feel and customs; each area feels ‘right’ to me, as if I’ve been there before. Whether I visit Cornwall, Devon, the beaches of Brighton, the lights of London, the glorious Lake District–it’s all in my memory banks with a sense of familiarity and rightness. Maybe I have lived there in another life?
Despite a planned move, the mysterious death of photographer Bryn Wallace keeps American writer Nora Tierney glued to Oxford in order to clear her close friend, artist Val Rogan, who has been wrongfully accused of Bryn’s murder. Or has she?
Nora quickly becomes embroiled in the murder investigation, much to the dismay of two men: Detective Inspector Declan Barnes, the senior on the case; and Simon Ramsey, the illustrator of Nora’s children’s book. Simon’s efforts to save Nora from herself become increasingly frantic as Nora is forced to push her way into Declan’s case, using her wits and her wiles to prove Val’s innocence.
The first in a series of Nora Tierney mysteries based in the UK, The Blue Virgin is a compelling story of love and intrigue. Nothing, Nora learns, is what it seems, and even the most innocent of choices can lead to murder and revenge. Set in the ancient city of golden spires, the setting lends itself to mystery, as any Inspector Morse fan will agree. The novel is written in classic English style, complete with a cast of characters and chapter epigraphs that add to its literary feel.
David Harris Lang, a current resident of Hong Kong, has lived and worked in Asia much of his life. Besides being a prolific author of Asian-based thrillers, he is an international architect who brings an indelible sense of place’ to his writing as well as a deep understanding of Asian cultures, locales, and customs. His vivid fight scenes come from a life-long practice of the martial arts. A Devil in Hong Kong is David Lang’s third book.
Q&A With the Author:
What is the best vacation you ever went on?
We visit Maui a lot as one of my daughters lives there. Clean ocean, clean air, beautiful beaches, together with family. I always have a memorable time.
How do you come up with character names?
One great source of names for me is the name badges on airline employees (I fly a lot). For example, in ‘A Devil In Hong Kong’ there is a character named Saffron Lam. Someone with that name works for Cathay Pacific.
On a snowy day in the year 889, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had an epiphany: he was not immortal. His jade carver created the most beautiful jade burial suit in history, finishing just three weeks before the Han Emperor died. When the priceless two-thousand-year-old jade burial suit suddenly goes missing in modern Hong Kong, a brutal competition to find it ensues between rival Chinese, Burmese, and Japanese factions. As they battle for the priceless artifact, a psychotic killer with a Maori tattoo on his face surfaces leaving a trail of dismembered corpses strung together like traditional Burmese puppets. Detectives Ian Hamilton and Angela Cheung follow a trail of hacked bodies and terror through contemporary Hong Kong in their search for the killer.
Top Ten List:
Being out in nature hiking.
Snorkeling in water so clear it is like it is not there.
Fishing. Don’t even have to be catching, I am happy even with a line in the water.
Cooking with my daughters.
Wrestling with my dog.
Writing a chapter and having no idea where the ideas came from, feeling like I am channeling some writing muse.
Exploring exotic places and ancient architecture.
Communicating successfully in a language other than my native tongue.
Slipping a jab.
Being warm under the covers when it is storming outside.
To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page
Tim Hemlin is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, having studied with poets Charles Simic and Mekeel McBride. He has published in poetry journals, anthologies, and magazines–most notably in Ellery Queen. Currently he has six published novels, two short stories and is included in an anthology.
By day he is an educator; however after teaching ELA for 22 years he decided to put his master’s degree to work and is now a high school counselor. In addition, he is an avid marathoner, fly-fisherman, and outdoorsman. He lives just outside Houston, Texas with his wife Valerie, two dogs and a cantankerous cat.
Q&A With the Author:
What writers inspired you to become an author?
When I was in 7th grade my English teacher, Mr. Perry Onion, handed out this thick paperback to the class and at first I groaned. The Hobbit? What in the world was a hobbit? It sounded dumb. The only books I’d read at that point had been about sports, and they had pictures, too. Mr. Onion introduced the book and read the beginning to us. He then told us to take it home and read the next couple of chapters. I read that and more. I couldn’t put it down. I decided right then and there I wanted to be Gandalf when I grew up. When I told Mr. Onion how much I liked The Hobbit, he mentioned there were three other books like it. My parents were shocked when I told them I wanted to read The Lord of the Rings, and they went right out and bought me the series. I read every word. Finding myself in Middle Earth surrounded by all these fantastical creatures not only made me want to read more, it made me want to become a writer.
Not long after being introduced to Tolkien I read Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea. Quite a different style but it only reinforced my desire to write. Other authors who have influenced me include Donald Hall, John Gardner, Robert B. Parker, Dashiell Hammett, Phillip K Dick, Frank Herbert, Stephen King, Virginia Woolf, T.S. Eliot, Kurt Vonnegut, and the indomitable Henry James.
“Neil Marshall is a graduate student in the University of Houston’s creative writing program and a promising young poet. However, facing a financially and emotionally draining divorce has him worried about more than paying tuition. So to make ends meet, Neil moonlights as a chef for a high society caterer. Just when Neil’s life seems bleakest, his oldest friend, racehorse breeder Jason Keys, is murdered. And Neil becomes the prime suspect. To avenge his friend, clear his name, and rescue a missing championship thoroughbred, Neil infiltrates the dark underworld of horse theft and illegal breeding. Neil’s friends—his attractive writing teacher, his cooking colleagues, and a freckle-faced teenage horsewoman—offer their support. But their cheers quickly turn to gasps when Neil becomes the hunted.”
Dana Provo has always loved books and reads everything from young adult fantasy to adult historical romances. When she’s not reading or writing her next novel, Dana can be found riding her horses and getting ready for competition. Dana lives with her husband and two house plants in Richmond, Virginia.
Q&A With the Author:
Please, tell me a story. It can be long or short. From your childhood or last week. Funny, sad, or somewhere in between. Just make sure it’s yours. What’s your story?
Happily Ever After
I remembered opening my eyes for the first time that morning. The sun shinedbright through the curtains and coffee filled the spacious room. It was my wedding day. After years of promises and plans, the day was here. I pushed the comforter off my legs and stood from my hotel bed; I was really getting married. My mom and sisters rushed into the room, calling out congratulations with wide smiles and busy hands. They bustled around me, pulling me in all directions, waiting to get ready for my day.
Shortly after we all dressed and ate breakfast, we made our way to the salon for hair and makeup. The day had not flown by like I thought it would. Everything was scheduled and timed perfectly. The only thing I needed left to do was put my dress on and walk down the aisle with my dad. Hours later, pictures with my bridesmaids were done, I stood in the back room waiting for the ceremony to start.
As the music cued and everyone else walked down the aisle, it was my turn. I didn’t anticipate the nerves I felt. I knew exactly who I was marrying. Kyle was my best friend, my confidant, my other half. He was my everything. There was no reason to be nervous, but I was. My father took my arm and led me down the aisle. My eyes never left my husband to be. He was handsome. All the nerves I had been experiencing had disappeared. We were joining our lives and becoming one for eternity. I couldn’t have been happier.
Orphaned at an early age, now twenty-four- year-old Camryn Lucks is ready to commit to find that special someone, and so accepts a date from a charming, gallant, handsome stranger. The last thing she imagines after accepting that first date with Carson would actually be the beginning of her worst nightmare.
Red roses, a reminder of her parents’ killer, soon become an emblem of horror for Cami as one by one, those closest to her fall victim to a serial killer. Cami becomes an obsession for Carson, the man she had finally allowed herself to love. Not only is he vying for her heart, but also her life.
Finding herself in a whirlwind of torments shadowed by the blood-colored bloom Cami finds solace in Isaac, a neighboring police officer. She’s desperate to escape the haunting memories, but she must revisit them in order to catch her would-be killer. Living life in constant fear has driven Cami to second-guess every choice she makes. Will the police catch the illusive murderer, or will Cami be forced to face him once again?
Ashley was born and raised in Oklahoma, where the wind really does sweep down the plains, and horses and carriages aren’t used as much as she’d like. When she’s not writing (haha, like that EVER happens!), she’s probably working out or pretending she’s Sherlock Holmes. Her obsession with writing began after reading the Lord of the Rings in the eighth grade. Since then, she’s loved everything Fantasy–resulting in an unhealthy obsession with the ‘geek’ tab on Pinterest, where all things awesome go.
Author’s Favourite things:
Cooking & Working Out – I know, I’m probably in the minority here. BUT, let me just say, while I don’t always love either of these things, I do them consistently and they always make me feel AMAZING about myself and about my day. Starting a day with a workout, and eating well throughout the day makes me have a better day, I’m convinced. Some of the things I cook are below!
Delicata Squash Salad
Vegan Shepard’s Pie!
Music – I love to write with music, and certain sounds get me into a certain mind set so I can convey the feeling of what I’m writing better (or so I think). Here are some songs I’ve been listening to recently:
3. Purple – I love the color purple. I have purple in my hair, the curtains in my office are purple, I even plan to have purple as a color for my future wedding.
Notorious pirate Barren Reed has one thing on his mind: Revenge against the man who killed his father. So kidnapping his enemy’s fiancé seems a perfect plan…until he actually does it.
Larkin Lee is more than a pretty face and fiancé to a powerful man. Her fierce personality is enough to make any pirate want to push her overboard.
But when the King of the Orient comes to Barren with a task—to find the Bloodstone, a powerful gem thought only to exist in legend, Barren sees another opportunity to destroy his enemy. Together, Barren, Larkin and a crew of pirates set off to find the stone, only to discover it caused the death of Barren’s own mother and Larkin’s, too. As his strongest allies turn into his greatest enemies, and the life of the girl he kidnapped becomes more important than he ever dreamed, Barren’s quest for revenge becomes a fight to save the Orient.
Flintlock:
Barren Reed hopes to protect the Orient from his tyrant uncle, but his plans to make the King’s life a living hell aren’t supported by the Elders of the pirate community. As it stands, Barren has earned the Elders’ disdain for his carelessness, and they threaten him into exile if he makes one more mistake.
Barren’s not the only one feeling the Elders’ wrath—they don’t trust Larkin either. Worse, Barren can’t comprehend Larkin’s wish to have a relationship with her father, and the secrets she’s forced to keep create a tension that may pull them apart forever.
When the Pirates of Silver Crest begin to die, bullets laced with dark magic are to blame. With more and more of these weapons infiltrating the Underground, discovering who’s behind the dissemination is no easy feat. As fear and tension mount among the people of the Orient, Barren and his crew find themselves in a race against time to stop the spread of dark magic before the world of Mariana spirals into collapse.
Cannon (coming soon!)
The king is dead, the Network is destroyed, and Barren Reed has been exiled by the Elders of Silver Crest. To make matters worse, the black spot–a curse of dark magic–continues to devour him. It’s true purpose is still unknown, but one thing is certain: It will corrupt Barren in the worst way.
With her greatest secret revealed, Larkin Lee flees Maris. Accused of slaying the king, there’s only one place to go–Silver Crest. But Barren isn’t happy to see her, and their reunion leaves more questions unanswered, including whether they have a future together.
As Datherious rises in power, Barren and Larkin must work together to find the fifth Relic to complete the King’s Gold and prevent Datherious from obtaining control over dark magic, but the black spot has other ideas, and the closer they get to finding the final Relic, the more corrupt Barren becomes. Larkin finds herself in a head to head battle with the only man she’s ever loved and the reality is harsh–only one can walk away alive.
Ann lives in Texas with her husband and rescue pets. She taught reading and other subjects for a number of years before leaving to devote more time to her first love—writing. Reading with children was always her favorite part of teaching.
Cool Well Press published her ghostly series for the young at heart, Stevie-girl and the Phantom Pilot, Stevie-girl and The Phantom Student, and Stevie-girl and The Phantom of Crybaby Bridge.
Her adult novels—All For Love, women’s fiction, and the suspense trilogy Stutter Creek, Lilac Lane, and Copper Lake, are all published by 5 Prince Publishing.
Takers, Ann’s foray into speculative fiction, was released earlier this year.
She has won several awards for fiction since her college days and has had short stories and essays published in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, The Binnacle, Timeless, an anthology, Seasonal Sweet, and Suspenseful, an anthology, Jitter Press, Fictionterrifica, The Rusty Nail, The Sandstorm, Reflections, an anthology, and Blue Mountain Review.
Q&A With the Author
Please, tell me a story. It can be long or short. From your childhood or last week. Funny, sad, or somewhere in between. Just make sure it’s yours. What’s your story?
Once upon a time, I went on a date with a firefighter. “I want to show you one of my favorite places,” he said. And then he took the doors off his sparkly green Jeep and drove us to a caliche pit outside town where we raced up and down the hills catching air beneath our axles like crazed fools. When we came upon an abandoned farmhouse at the top of a rise, we dared each other to go inside. Together we climbed in through a broken window illuminated by a pearly moon.
Dust covered every surface and drifted up in the corners like small, red dunes. We’d barely crossed the large room when we heard the chilling sound of a dog pack barking and baying as if on the hunt. We stopped in our tracks and looked at each other across the dim expanse. Where were they? Were they close? Inside the empty house, it was hard to tell. The sounds bounced from wall to wall.
Without a word we turned and hightailed it back out the window—snagging my favorite sweater on a nail—and ran to the Jeep just as the dogs materialized out of the gloom. The pack leader appeared to be a Doberman followed closely by some sort of Collie mix. I saw two or three others, but couldn’t make out their breeds. My heart leapt into my throat. I really wished he hadn’t removed the doors. Even inside, I didn’t feel safe.
He shoved the Jeep in gear and stomped on the gas. The big tires bit into the earth and threw up a huge red rooster tail of dirt. We roared down one hill and halfway up another before we lost traction and began to slide. I thought we were going to tumble backward, end over end, but then he gunned the motor and twisted the wheel and the slide was halted. In seconds we’d made it back to level earth, leaving the barking behind.
It’s a wonder I ever went out with that fireman again, but thirty-seven years ago, I married him. It’s been an adventure ever since.
When a small planes crashes behind Jase’s rural home, strange things begin to happen. But no one believes him. After all, there’s no such thing as a ghost, right? Then he sees his pretty, quiet schoolmate, Stevie-girl, about to enter the legendary haunted house, and he knows if anyone can help him solve the mystery, she’s the one.
Book 2 – Stevie Girl and the Phantom Student
Stevie asks Jase to help her find out why the ghost of a girl keeps appearing in her mirror. They think it has something to do with the new student at their school, a boy who has Tourette syndrome. Both the new kid and the new phantom seem to need some kind of help. When the new kid falls prey to the school bullies, Stevie knows they must act. But will they be too late, or will a tragic moment in their school’s history be repeated on Halloween night?
Book 3 – Stevie-Girl and the Phantom of Crybaby Bridge
The summer his parents treat them to a camping trip in New Mexico, the two friends can’t wait to visit the legendary Crybaby Bridge. Right away, they hear the crying baby. Is it a phantom, or is someone playing tricks on them?
I am a retired high school English teacher. A devourer of books growing up, my profession introduced me to writings and authors from times long past. Through my studies and teaching, I fell in love with the Ancient and Medieval Worlds. Now, I hope to inspire young readers and those young-at-heart to read more through my Quest Books set in these worlds.
Q&A With the Author:
Please tell me a story. It can be long or short. From your childhood or last week. Funny, sad, or somewhere in between. Just make sure it’s yours. What’s your story?
My childhood is filled with a variety of stories that I’ll always remember. Here’s a few:
Walking up to the firehouse on Saturday nights with my brother and his friend and my friend to play Bingo.
Standing by my mailbox when I was around 4/5 with a balloon. The kids were walking home from school, and someone walked up to me and popped my balloon. I cried for a long while.
Picking cherries in the grandparent’s orchard.
Swiping rhubarb from the corner garden up the block.
2014 EVVY Merit Award for Historical Fiction from CIPA (Colorado Independent Publishers Assoc.)
Reviews:
“A delightful way to bring history to children.”
“We are using this as resource for world cultures for home school.”
“What I liked about this book was that it gives a glimpse into the everyday life of Tut, before and after his rise to Pharaoh. It was like a fly on the wall peek at his life without it just being part of a much larger plot.”
“And what a tale it is! King Tut tells us his entire life story from when he was a boy and not yet acknowledged as heir to the throne of Egypt, through his father’s death and his own ascension to the throne; we learn of his love for Ankhesenpaaten, whom he married, the sadness they experienced at the loss of a child, and the politics and hierarchy of ancient Egypt with its court intrigue.”
Long ago the old texts of ancient Egypt alluded to scrolls in which King Tut spoke to the people from beyond the tomb. Many archaeologists put this down to an incorrect translation of the ancient Egyptian texts. Others swore to the accuracy of the translation. But, Tutankhamen Speaks isn’t a story about the lost scrolls. It’s about the story written down on those ancient scrolls: Tutankhamen’s story.
I enjoy traveling, reading, spending time with my family, and working in the yard. I’m definitely not a housekeeper.
How I relax:
Sitting on the beach in Puerto Aventuras, Mexico!
My favorite color:
Blue’s always been my favorite color. It’s the color of my eyes, of the sky, and of the ocean.
My favorite drink:
Just can’t pass up a good margarita!
My favorite snack:
I devour nachos and Auntie Anne’s pretzels!
My your favorite movies:
Star Wars, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, and The Mummy. I’ve watched each of these so many times that I’ve lost track, and my husband shakes his head when he sees one on and says, “Really?” I just smile.
I am a night owl.
I don’t usually go to sleep until midnight, and now that I’m retired, I’m comfortable not seeing the sun come up in the morning:)
My favorite food:
That would be a smothered shredded beef burrito washed down with a good margarita.
My favorite authors:
I grab anything by the writing duo of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs, and I also love their individual books. David Baldacci’s books are also favorites. I’m addicted to blood & guts & spy thrillers!
If I could live anywhere, it would be in Colorado.
We have the best weather—All four seasons. I live next to the foothills, and a drive up in the Rockies is a cure for any ailment. I can see the world famous Red Rock Amphitheatre from my couch, and if the wind is just right, we can hear the concerts. My immediate family is all here, except for one sister who lives in Texas, poor soul. In addition to being a retired teacher, I’m also a retired airline employee. So, when I need a change, it’s so easy just to hop a plane and go to the beach.
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Bestselling Author Bernadette Marie is known for building families readers want to be part of. Her series The Keller Family has graced bestseller charts since its release in 2011. Since then she has authored and published over thirty books. The married mother of five sons promises romances with a Happily Ever After always…and says she can write it because she lives it.
Someone has decided to become the moral compass for the women in town, and now they’re turning up dead. It will be up to Detective Lacy Pratt to find their killer before her relationship with Declan Matthews, brother to one of the victims, marks her as a target.
Nichole Giles, the author of DESCENDANT, BIRTHRIGHT, and WATER SO DEEP, has lived in Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and Texas. She is a huge fan of all things paranormal and magical. Her dreams include owning a garden full of fairies, riding a unicorn, and taming the pet dragon she adopted at a recent local ComiCon. His name is Zane. She also loves to spend time with her husband and four children, travel to tropical and exotic destinations, drive in the rain with the convertible top down, and play music at full volume so she can sing along.
Marni Graff had a successful career as a registered nurse who wrote on the side before writing full time. She has a degree in English Lit and studied Gothic Mystery at Oxford University in England. She also wrote articles for Mystery Review magazine, where she interviewed many of the authors whose work she admired.
