Bridesmaid to Bride by Terra Weiss Release Blitz! @indie_pen_pr

A pact between best friends and one stress-relieving tryst that turns into two…three…whatever. It’s a wedding—who's counting? I don’t want it to end, but I’m supposed to land the powerful New York attorney hand-selected by my father. I think I’m in love with the wrong guy. Sweet mother—now what? Readers who enjoy reads with golden retriever heroes will love Bridesmaid to Bride by Terra Weiss, a steamy, friends to lovers, forbidden romance, romantic comedy.

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So one tiny tryst with your BFF turns into two...three...whatever.

It's a wedding—who's counting?

It's my twin sister's live, televised circus...I mean wedding, and my BFF, West Quinn and I make a pact: I help him become next season's reality dating TV star, and he helps me land the rich, powerful, and connected suit my father's hand-selected.

Easy, right?

Actually, it is. West and I make a great team, as always—he'a a brilliant techie with an off-the-wall sense of humor. We sneak away for one tiny stress-relieving tryst...that turns into two...that turns into a craze. Hello, mind-blowing!

But it's all in good fun. Dad would have a second heart attack if I ended up with West and not the New York attorney poised to join me in taking over my family's firm.

Ugh—I don't want this pact to end, and it's not just about the help. West accepts me. Is always there for me. Encourages me to follow my passion for baking.

Oh, God. I think I'm in love with the wrong guy! It's too late, not to mention that West and I can never happen.

Sweet mother—now what?

*Bridesmaid to Bride is a witty, heartfelt interconnected stand-alone romcom with adult language and steamy, open-door chemistry that will have you rooting for a happily-ever-after.

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Excerpt

Copyright 2024 Terra Weiss

A massive jolt sends a few pieces of luggage crashing out of the overhead bin. The engine revs as the plane tips sideways, and the loose suitcases go rogue. Then, we’re nose up again.

Screams echo through the cabin.

I grip my phone so it doesn’t fly away, then sit in agonizing disbelief. I’m going to die young, just like my mother. Except I can’t! I just got Dad to agree to let me work for his New York law firm remotely so I can stay in Atlanta. I’ve been a major screw-up over the last few years, at least in his eyes, and I’ve finally got my shit together. And there’s so many things on my bucket list! “I’ve never had a three-way,” I say, clearly no longer in control of what’s spilling out of my mouth. “I haven’t tried a space dunk Oreo!”

The oxygen masks fall, and a symphony of screams and gasps echo through the plane.

I’m only twenty-nine! Skye, my psychic ex-stepmom, said I’d die at ninety-two. 

Wait. Ninety-two, twenty-nine. Did she get the numbers reversed? Shit!

The motor chugs, stops. More plummeting, more screams. Confessions rush out of my mouth like lava. “I stole a lemon pop cake when I was five! My bag’s a knockoff!” 

After a thunderous grinding sound, my seatmate says, “That was just the landing gear.”

“Why bother?” I bark through chattering teeth. I know I’m going to die someday, but like this? They’re going to have to pressure wash me off the runway!

The plane goes vertical. West Quinn, my BFF, flashes through my mind. He and I were inseparable for two and a half years, and he clearly wanted a relationship with me. But I was afraid of ruining my favorite friendship, shoulder to lean on, and confidante. Then, he went on Bridesmaid to Bride, a reality show that ends in a proposal, featuring my twin sister Paige, which caused a rift between us because, hello, he dated my sister—well, kind of. Worse, he kissed her. He left the show immediately after the smooch because he swore he felt nothing, and I believe him, which went a long way to repair things between us. But still—it’s weird. Since West became tight with the guy Paige picked, he’s the best man this weekend. And I’m the maid of honor, so we’re all here together. Perfect.

We head deep into another free fall that takes my stomach with it. I glance back to see our only flight attendant tightly strapped into her seat, chugging down two nip-sized bottles of Tito’s. 

That’s when I know.

We’re toast.

I send a group text to everyone telling them how much I love them. Then, I punch out a text to West.

Me: Plane in jeopardy

My fingers take control.

Me: I want to kiss your face off.

After I hit send, I squeeze my eyes shut and get into crash position, a waste of time, I know, since we’re probably about to explode into a ball of fire. But the aircraft safety card gave these instructions, and come heaven or hell, Eva Steinberg follows instructions. I’m ready. I’m bracing. I’m waiting. Pre-death is feeling peaceful, smoother, as if—

I crack an eye and realize the plane has leveled off. What the…?

Hope hangs in the tension-filled air, everyone frozen, as if moving a muscle will break the spell.

The wheels touch the ground like the tarmac is made of butter. We decelerate at a pleasant pace before coming to a gentle stop. Claps and cheers roar out. 

So, I’m not going to die. 

“Dammit,” I mumble under my breath. I just told my BFF that I want to kiss his face off.

Buy Now on Amazon!

Terra Weiss is a romcom author with a knack for witty banter and gift for capturing authentic family dynamics. Readers love how her stories steer away from typical romcom cookie-cutter formulas and show how real-life people find real-life love.

When Terra's not spilling the tea on what happens in the big and small towns that live in her heart, you'll find her with her spunky daughter, mad scientist husband, wacky and wonderful mother, and the two six-pound dogs that run her house. She enjoys jogging at a snail's pace, reading from her iPhone, and piling bright orange mountains of squeezy cheese on her crackers.

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This Exquisite Loneliness by Richard Deming Book Tour! Spotlight, Excerpt and Guest Post @Bookgal Instagram: @therealbookgal

 

At an unprecedented rate, loneliness is moving around the globe—from self-isolating technology and political division to community decay and social fragmentation—and yet it is not a feeling to which we readily admit. It is stigmatized, freighted with shame and fear, and easy to dismiss as mere emotional neediness. But what if instead of shying away from loneliness, we embraced it as something we can learn from and as something that will draw us closer to one another?

In This Exquisite Loneliness, Richard Deming turns an eye toward that unwelcome feeling, both in his own experiences and the lives of six groundbreaking figures, to find the context of loneliness and to see what some people have done to navigate this profound sense of discomfort. Within the back stories to Melanie Klein’s contributions to psychoanalysis, Zora Neale Hurston’s literary and ethnographic writing, the philosophical essays of Walter Benjamin, Walker Evans’s photography of urban alienation, Egon Schiele’s revolutionary artwork and Rod Serling’s uncanny narratives in The Twilight Zone, Deming explores how loneliness has served as fuel for an intense creative desire that has forged some of the most original and innovative art and writing of the twentieth century.

This singular meditation on loneliness reveals how we might transform the pain of emotional isolation and become more connected to others and more at home with our often-unquiet selves.

Excerpted from This Exquisite Loneliness.

From Chapter Four: The Art of Being Invisible

WARNINIG: Language

During the worst period of my active addiction, I was a black-out drinker because I wanted to make myself disappear. The loneliness that I have wrestled with since I was a little kid stood at the core of my substance abuse. Where Zora Neale Hurston found visions as a means to navigate the pain of loneliness, I found instead drugs and alcohol. 

Even before the drinking, I had come to feel that I was a ghost haunting my own life. Looking into a mirror was like seeing a shadowy figure pass by an empty window at midnight, and the drinking and the drugs were a way to either propel myself through that emptiness or to slip inside it, as if stepping into that mirror.

Many nights during some of my worst, most vulnerable times, I roamed the streets of Boston with a flask of Jack Daniels tucked in my coat sleeve, asking random strangers what time it was. I never asked more than that, never tried to prompt a conversation—it was a form of existential sonar. I sent out waves that people bounced back to me, proving, at least provisionally, that I did exist. Other nights I might sit in the apartment and call random phone numbers.

“Is Paul there?” I would ask, pleasantly, my tongue slushing the last word around in my mouth like a sloppy peppermint. I didn’t actually know anyone named Paul, but, of course, that wasn’t the point.

“There’s no one by that name here,” or, more pointedly, “fuck off,” the voice that answered would explain. Sometimes a Paul would in fact come on the line and I would have to sputter out that I must have had the wrong name. No call lasted more than thirty seconds. I would repeat this process several times in succession, and then I would drink myself into oblivion.

The pattern was clear: a need for connection, no matter how anemic; a frustration with the transience of that unsatisfying connection; a retreat into a state of radical, profound disconnection between myself and a world that I thought had no interest in me, i.e. blackout drunkenness. That, as became clear to me, as I am reminded all the time, was not sustainable. In the years of my sobriety, I’ve sought out new methods for understanding and reframing that recurring feeling of being outside-it-all. If I had to live with loneliness, I wanted to, needed to discover what it had to teach me.

What I have learned about loneliness from Walter Benjamin is, in part, that it can actually heighten one’s sense of attention. Feeling outside of things can offer a widened perspective on what surrounds us all the time. If we try to burrow into the hidden lives of things, for instance, rather than hide out, or pretend to be asleep, or get drunk or high, there’s a chance of uncovering a sheer volume of meaningfulness. That insight can create some sense of connection between a person and his or her or their surroundings, a tether to hold onto, even when it feels like we’re hurtling ever outward. If loneliness is ultimately an affliction of perception, then the task is to find ways to work with perspective.

+++

During my nightly journeying across Berlin, from time to time came rushing back to me those evenings years before when, drunk and high, I had stumbled through the streets of Boston, milling around the then shabby (and now stringently gentrified) Kenmore Square, lying in the shadow of Fenway. I’d slip (without ID) into the Rat, the rough-hewn punk/new wave club, hustle past the homeless encampment under the Bowker Overpass, maybe pausing to score some pills or hash, then head up to Tower Records. 

There were clear differences between these experiences of loneliness, however. In Berlin, later in life, after years of sobriety, I could still feel that keen pang of wanting to belong as I drifted along, but instead of dulled and blurred, objects and people became distinct, vivid, even in their distance. I felt as if I was seeing the city—the lights, the cars, the people using small spoons to make tight circles in their espresso cups. It appeared to me with sudden acuity, as if everything was a vehicle for meaningfulness not despite but because of its ordinariness.

Once, just past 1 AM on a brisk night at the end of March, I sat in a fairly empty subway train barreling through the heart of Berlin. There were small pockets of people, but mostly, here and there, solo riders such as myself. I looked to my left and saw a nattily dressed businessman asleep, his left eye half-open and lolling up and down. The light on the roof of the car flickered and I turned toward a young woman wearing combat boots, her face covered in piercings, talking to a small brown dog at her feet.

“Blumen, Blumen,” she was saying to the terrier mix, the word for “flowers,” as she dipped her head and stroked the animal’s chin. For a moment, I imagined calling out women’s names, one after another, until she turned her head in acknowledgment. At a stop in Kreuzberg, the more bohemian part of the city, I got off and passed a ground-floor apartment with its wide window opened onto the street. On a table inside sat lemons sitting in a bowl full of water and wafts of cigarette smoke drifting into the folds of the curtains. A few blocks on, in an American-style diner, sat two gray-haired women eating toast and jam, a neon sign trembling above them.

I had no specific place to go, so I just kept walking, and looking. It was while walking the streets of that same city that Walter Benjamin arrived at the conclusion: “Solitude appeared to me as the only fit state of man.” Berlin, Boston, Columbus, London, Buffalo, Cuernavaca, New York, Singapore: I think of all the cities I have walked deep into the night, all by myself. At night, in the corners, there’s the same thrum of loneliness. Perhaps it isn’t that urban spaces, when empty, create a feeling of palpable absence, but rather, when they are empty, we can catch the hum of the feelings of abandonment and isolation that crisscross like power lines below the paved surfaces and concrete.

In the mid-1970s, Robert Weiss, a sociologist then on the faculty of Harvard’s Medical School, posited that there are six key social needs that, if unmet, in part or altogether, can lead to feelings of loneliness. They are attachment; nurturance; a sense of ongoing, dependable relationships; counsel in intense, emotional situations; and a reassurance of one’s value or worth. If we combine what Benjamin and Weiss have said, perhaps the key to navigating loneliness is to look at spaces, and people, the way an artist does—not as beautiful, but as rewarding attention with significance. The path to that feeling of a sense of worth can come from this: being the one who sees the everyday meaningfulness in that which is perpetually overlooked due to the intensity and buzz of life in a city, no matter its size.

Richard Deming's first collection of poems, LET'S NOT CALL IT CONSEQUENCE (Shearsman Books, 2008), won the Norma Farber Award from the Poetry Society of America and was a finalist for the Connecticut Book Award. He is also the author of Listening on All Sides: Towards an Emersonian Ethics of Reading. In 2012, he was awarded the Berlin Prize by the American Academy in Berlin. He is currently Director of Creative Writing at Yale University.

Visit Richard at his website

 https://www.richarddemingbooks.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some Unique Things About Being a Writer

Writers are very odd people. Throughout our lives most of us jump from career to career to career. The experience is more important to us than what we own. Always.

I think one of the most annoying aspects of being a writer (for other people) is our ability to just drift off from a conversation. Our eyes will glaze over, and we start nodding as if we’re listening, but really, we’ve hit an idea and we’re working the scene out in our heads. For that reason, we keep very few friends, who are required to have an unbelievable amount of patience.

And as for a mate, that person has to understand that he/she will be the caretaker. We writers can barely take care of ourselves; we’re too busy taking care of whole worlds. And we need solitude. Lots of that, until we emerge from our writing hole, ready to interact with people again. We’re needy people. We need to hear the truth about our writing, gently if it’s a bad truth. But we also need our poor little writer ego stroked too.

It’s very much an introvert’s perfect job. Until the marketing end of the whole book process hits us. Then we run around screaming, “I can’t! I can’t! I won’t! I can’t!” It often takes a bit of work to calm us and get us in the groove of where we need to be.

Eccentric is a very good word for writers.

Amazon

http://amzn.to/3KjjgFd

Goodreads

 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75665889-this-exquisite-loneliness

Praise:

“Loneliness is everywhere these days. But this book will chase some of it away, and maybe replace it with connection.” — Patton Oswalt, Emmy and Grammy winning comic

"This Exquisite Loneliness is a beautifully written, informative, intimate, and insightful meditation about working with loneliness, a central and intrinsic feature of human existence, and not through it.” — Psychology Today

"...Rich and sensitive... [Deming's] ability to limn loneliness and isolation, and trace the ways in which his six subjects explored them, is one that Mr. Deming comes by honestly."

—The Wall Street Journal

Tightrope Eve Townsend – Serial Killer Hunter Book 1 by Mark Lukens Book Tour! @SilverDaggerBookTours#EvaTownsendSerialKillerHunter @MarkLukensBooks

Each serial killer Eve Townsend tracks down brings her

 closer to Tightrope, the monster who killed her parents

 and abducted her sister. 

Tightrope

Eve Townsend – Serial Killer Hunter Book 1

by Mark Lukens

Genre

Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Mystery 

Ten years ago, when Eve Townsend was seventeen years old, Tightrope killed her family and took her younger sister, Maddie. Eve was left alive - the only survivor. After inheriting her family's fortune, Eve has dedicated her life to finding Tightrope, training her body and mind, honing her skills, using every resource at her disposal to track down Tightrope ... and others like him.

Her years of hunting Tightrope have turned up nothing - he's a ghost. But now a nearby family has just been slaughtered in much the same way her family was. Is Tightrope back? Eve believes he is, and so does Special Agent Parker - the agent on the scene when Eve's family was killed. Everyone lives in fear, waiting for the next attack.

Eve receives a cryptic message from Tightrope ... he claims he didn't kill that family - it was a copycat. He gives Eve a string of clues to find the copycat, but he also promises that each clue will bring her closer to him, and closer to the truth about what happened to her sister.

Follow Eve Townsend as she navigates the dark and twisted world of Tightrope, chasing clues that lead down a labyrinth of horror to a shocking end.

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

Mark Lukens has been writing since the second grade when his teacher called his parents in for a conference because the ghost story he'd written concerned her a little.

Since then he's had several stories published and four screenplays optioned by producers in Hollywood. He is the author of many bestselling books including: the Ancient Enemy series, the Dark Days post-apocalyptic series, Sightings, Devil's Island, The Exorcist's Apprentice, Followed, and more. He is a member of The Horror Writers Association.

He grew up in Daytona Beach, Florida. But after many travels and adventures, he settled down near Tampa, Florida with his wonderful wife and son . . . and two stray cats they adopted.

Website * Facebook * X * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

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 giveaway!

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Novice Threads by Nancy Jardine Blog Tour! @nansjar @cathiedunn @nansjar2023 @thecoffeepotbookclub

 

Book Title

Novice Threads

Series

 Silver Sampler Series

Author

 Nancy Jardine

Publication Date

 15th May 2024

Publisher

Nancy Jardine with Ocelot Press

Page Length

 356

Genre

 Victorian Scotland Saga / Historical Fiction / Women’s Fiction

A thirst for education. Shattered dreams. Fragile relations.

1840s Scotland

Being sent to school is the most exhilarating thing that’s ever happened to young Margaret Law. She sharpens her newly-acquired education on her best friend, Jessie Morison, till Jessie is spirited away to become a scullery maid. But how can Margaret fulfil her visions of becoming a schoolteacher when her parents’ tailoring and drapery business suddenly collapses and she must find a job?

Salvation from domestic drudgery – or never-ending seamstress work – comes via Jessie whose employer seeks a tutor for his daughter. Free time exploring Edinburgh with Jessie is great fun, but increasing tension in the household claws at Margaret’s nerves.

Margaret also worries about her parents' estrangement, and the mystery of Jessie's unknown father.

When tragedy befalls the household in Edinburgh, Margaret must forge a new pathway for the future – though where will that be?

This title is available to read on #Kindle Unlimited.

Universal Buy Link

 https://mybook.to/NTsss

#VictorianSaga #HistoricalFiction #Scotland #WomensFiction #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Nancy writes historical and contemporary fiction. 1st Century Roman Britain is the setting of her Celtic Fervour Series. Victorian and Edwardian history has sneaked into two of her ancestry-based contemporary mysteries, and her current Silver Sampler Series is set in Victorian Scotland.

Her novels have achieved Finalist status in UK book competitions (People's Book Prize; Scottish Association of Writers) and have received prestigious Online Book Awards.

Published with Ocelot Press, writing memberships include – Historical Novel Society; Romantic Novelists Association; Scottish Association of Writers; Federation of Writers Scotland; Alliance of Independent Authors.

Website

 http://www.nancyjardine.com/

Twitter

 https://twitter.com/nansjar

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/NancyJardinewrites/

LinkedIn

 https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-jardine-a919b03a/

Instagram

 https://www.instagram.com/nansjar2023/

Bluesky

 https://bsky.app/profile/nansjar23.bsky.social

Pinterest

 https://www.pinterest.co.uk/nanjar/

Book Bub

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/nancy-jardine

Amazon Author Page

 viewauthor.at/findmybookshere

Goodreads

 https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5139590.Nancy_Jardine

Tour Schedule Page

https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/04/blog-tour-novice-threads-by-nancy-jardine.html

A Chain of Pearls by Raemi A Ray Spotlight! @Bookgal @therealbookgal

The last thing she wants is to dig up the past…

When the body of a celebrated journalist is fished from the Edgartown Harbor, the official report rules his death accidental. But why was he alone on a senator’s yacht during a nor’easter? That’s only the first question London-based lawyer Kyra Gibson has when she arrives on the idyllic island of Martha’s Vineyard to settle her estranged father’s affairs.

She’s not looking for closure. She’s not seen him in decades since he left her with her aunt following her mother’s death. But as Kyra delves deeper into her father’s life, she learns he had many regrets and wasn’t as retired as she believed. The more Kyra discovers, the more questions she has. With the help of world-weary detective, Tarek Collins, they uncover a web of intrigue and corruption involving a powerful senator, a dubious energy company, and brutal murder.

As they chase down clues, Kyra and Tarek flirt with danger and race against time to solve the murders and uncover the dark secrets lurking beneath Martha’s Vineyard’s picturesque façade of old money wealth and privilege.

This is the first book in the Martha’s Vineyard Murders series. The second novel, The Wraith’s Return, will be available later this summer, followed by Widow’s Walk in the fall.

 A Chain of Pearls is a top indie mystery and crime pick from Barnes & Noble!

Raemi A Ray’s travels to Martha’s Vineyard and around the world inspire her stories. She lives outside Boston. When not writing or traveling she earns her keep as the personal assistant to the resident house demons, Otto and DolphLundgren.

Website

https://raemiray.com/

Instagram: @miss_raemi

Amazon

http://amzn.to/3Jenei0

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/211099064-a-chain-of-pearls

The Light Beside the Sea by Connie di Marco June 3-28, 2024 Virtual Book Tour!

 

The Zodiac Mysteries

So many deaths . . . An elusive shaman, a creature of the underworld, Here to unleash evil? Or bring justice to the wronged?

San Francisco astrologer Julia Bonatti has been haunted for years by the hit and run death of her fiancé, Michael Sefton. The driver of the vehicle was never apprehended. The lone witness to the accident spoke to no one and now is dead. Even the cold case detective assigned to the case died before any resolution was found. Every time Julia thought she might be getting close to an answer, each clue led only to a dead end.

Michael, a graduate student, had just returned from an archeological dig in Guatemala when he was killed. But why did he mail his journal to Julia for safekeeping before his return home? What was he afraid of? Why did another graduate student fall to his death on that trip? And now, another man connected with that journey has been murdered closer to home. And the murderer hasn’t finished.

When Julia finally finds the courage to delve into the journal Michael sent to her years before, she learns of the undercurrents, jealousies and anger between members of the group. She begins to understand the pressure and fear her fiancé was coping with and his suspicions of their University mentor who was most likely engaged in unethical and illegal behavior.

But events soon take a darker turn when Julia finds a likeness of the Maya god Hunhau, god of death and the underworld, on her doorstep. A strange man covered with markings and tattoos keeps appearing to her but no one else seems to see him. With guidance from another professor she’s introduced to a world she never knew existed.

Is the man she sees human? And is he under the sway of the Maya god of death?

Will he unleash evil or is he here to right a wrong done to his people?

Julia must move quickly or her death will be the next.

Book Details:

Genre: Traditional mystery
Published by: Indie
Publication Date: May 6, 2024
Number of Pages:370 est
ISBN: 979-8989009596 | eBook 9798989009589
Series: The Zodiac Mysteries, Book 5
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

Rafael was silent on the drive along Market Street. He turned south at Van Ness and followed that wide boulevard until we reached the corner of Folsom and 21st. We were away from the fog in the western part of the city and the sun had dipped below the horizon. The dash lights cast his face in long shadows. I was starting to regret accepting his invitation but his curiosity was contagious. I wanted to know as much as I could about this collection of tiny bones and what it could mean. Mostly, why it was dumped on my doorstep and why was I seeing things no one else could see. “You seem to really know your way around the city,” I remarked. “Angelenos usually hate driving in San Francisco.”

He turned his head and broke into a wide smile. “I grew up in the Mission. Long before it was a trendy place to live. It’s certainly changed a lot over the years, but I know the place like the back of my hand.” He pulled to the curb in front of a well-maintained rather plain two-story Victorian painted a soft blue. “This is the place. This lady’s name is Manuela. She has . . . certain talents.”

“Do you think she’ll see us now?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “I’ve known her most of my life. I planned to visit her on this trip to the city anyway.” He climbed out of the car and walked around to the passenger side, opening the door for me. I followed him up the long wooden stairway where he knocked and rang the bell. A lamp was lit at the front windows and through the curtain I could see a light burning at the end of a long hallway, a kitchen light. A few moments later, a figure appeared backlit by the light. The door opened to reveal a stout woman somewhere in her sixties, with a smiling round face and a mop of gray curly hair. She wore a long colorful dress with bright patterns of red, green and orange.

“Ay,” her smile became wider. “Mijo, how are you?” She spoke in heavily-accented English.

“I’m fine, Doña Manuelita.” He leaned over and gave her a warm hug. “I hope it’s okay, I brought a friend who has some questions. This is Julia,” he said. “I’m hoping you can help her.”

“Si, si, of course, of course, come in.” We stepped inside the entryway. Manuela turned to me and took my hands in hers. She closed her eyes for a few moments as she held tight to my hands. “Si, okay,” she said. I felt as if I had just passed an inspection. She turned and without another word led us through an archway into a central room where the windows were covered with heavy drapes. She switched on a small lamp at a side table and sat down. She waved a hand to indicate we should sit and Rafael and I sat on either side of her.

“Julia, show Manuela the talisman you received.”

I pulled the narrow box out of my purse and pulled the top off. I pulled back the cloth covering and left the figure of bones resting in its bed. I pushed it across the table to Manuela. She moved it closer and gazed at it for a long moment. She held a hand above the bones without touching them. A faraway look came into her eyes. She sighed deeply then stood and reached for a heavy candleholder from the credenza. She lit the candle and turned off the lamp. Other than the flickering flame, the room was completely dark. Rafael sat silently, watching her. She placed her fingertips gently on the bones and leaned back in the chair, her eyes closed. Her breathing became heavier. I was reminded of Zora and the way she appeared when going into a trance state.

“Aaahh,” she breathed a long sigh and began to tremble. She moaned and began to mumble in words I couldn’t make out. Then she uttered a long stream of words in a language I didn’t recognize, peppered with a few words in Spanish. After several minutes of this, she finally fell silent and opened her eyes, glancing first at Rafael and then at me. She spoke rapidly in Spanish to Rafael. He nodded in acknowledgment and turned to me.

“Manuela says there is great danger. That someone has come here from far away. He is human, like a shaman, and he is in the sway of terrible forces we cannot understand. No harm is aimed at you. He is here to cure something, to right a wrong, like . . . lancing a boil. She doesn’t know what he intends to do but it has something to do with his culture, with righting a wrong against that culture. You must be very careful that you are not near those who have done wrong otherwise you would not be safe. Your death could also result.

I took a deep breath. “Is that all she said?”

“That’s the gist of it.”

Manuela grasped my hand. “This,” she said, indicating the talisman, “is to tell you he is here. Bad things will happen.” She turned to Rafael. “You explain better to your friend.”

“I will,” his face was quite serious. He turned to Manuela, “I’ll come back for a real visit. Tomorrow?”

Her face lit up. “Si, come then.” She stood and turned the lamp back on, blowing out the candle. She made the sign of the cross on her breast and took my hands in hers once more. “Tenga cuidado, señorita.”

I had been present at psychic readings and seances, but there was something about this evening that chilled me to the bone. I followed Rafael out to the front door and turned to Manuela. “Gracias, Manuela.”

She smiled widely, “De nada.”

***

Excerpt from The Light Beside the Sea by Connie di Marco. Copyright 2024 by Connie di Marco. Reproduced with permission from Connie di Marco. All rights reserved.

Connie di Marco is the author of the Zodiac Mysteries featuring San Francisco astrologer Julia Bonatti, a woman who never thought murder would be part of her practice. The Light Beside the Sea is the fifth novel in the series. Earlier books are The Madness of Mercury (Zodiac #1), All Signs Point to Murder (Zodiac #2), Tail of the Dragon (Zodiac #3), Enter a Wizard, Stage Left (an e-book prequel novella), and Serpent's Doom (Zodiac #4).

Writing as Connie Archer, she is also the author of the national bestselling Soup Lover's Mysteries from Penguin Random House: A Spoonful of Murder, A Broth of Betrayal, A Roux of Revenge, Ladle to the Grave and A Clue in the Stew. You can find her excerpts and recipes in The Cozy Cookbook and The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook. Visit her website at ConnieArcherMysteries.com.

 Facebook.com/ConnieArcherMysteries and X/Twitter@SnowflakeVT.

Connie is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Crime Writers Association (UK) and Sisters in Crime.

You can learn more about the Zodiac Mysteries and read excerpts at:
ConniediMarco.com
Goodreads
BookBub - @Connie_di_Marco
Instagram - @Connie_di_Marco
Twitter/X - @AskZodia
Facebook - @connie.di.marco.author

 

 

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⁣⁣The Heroine’s Labyrinth by Douglas A. Burton Book Blitz! #DouglasABurton #instabooks #bookish #booklover #greatreads #booknerd #nowavailable #fortheloveofreading #bookstagrammer #bibliophile #releaseblitz #bookaholic #mustread #authorsofinstagram #bookblogger #amreading #XpressoTours @XpressoTours⁣

 

The Heroine’s Labyrinth
Douglas A. Burton

Publication date

 March 24th 2024

Genres

Non-fiction

For decades, the hero’s journey has had a major influence on storytelling and story structure. Now, Douglas A. Burton presents a groundbreaking new paradigm for writers everywhere. Sourced entirely from heroine-led fiction—a stunning new narrative form takes shape with familiar archetypes in a never before seen outline. Burton adds something original and fascinating to the world of storytelling. Discover the dynamism of story, conflict, character development, archetypes, and heroism in an entirely new light. From myth to literature, from TV to film, The Heroine’s Labyrinth explores recurrent themes and patterns modeled by heroic women in fiction. The labyrinth model has the potential to turn conventional understanding of story structure upside down.

Inside, you’ll encounter 18 archetypal designs that form a distinctive narrative arc, each one rich with profound insights and powerful new perspectives. Discover how stories are constructed through powerful archetypes such as the Masked Minotaur, the Sacred Fire, the Beast as Ally, the Poisoned Apple, and more. Novelists, screenwriters, RPG gamers, and memoirists will gain waves of creative inspiration while reading The Heroine’s Labyrinth. You won’t be able to put it down.

“Douglas Burton has cracked the code.”
—Christopher Vogler, author of The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers

“Burton’s prose is accessible, lucid, and concise without sacrificing detail: He moves quickly through the traits that make up his “Heroine’s Labyrinth,” substantiating his theories with more than 200 examples from texts, from the Bible to Barbie. “
—Kirkus Reviews

“The Heroine’s Labyrinth is a must-read for storytellers seeking to expand their craft and embrace the transformative potential of female-centric storytelling.”
—K.C. Finn, author of the Shadeborn series

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A DIFFERENT KIND OF JOURNEY

So, why a labyrinth? While watching the film version of The Shining, I concluded that the story is actually about Wendy Torrance, the true heroine of the tale. 

The star power of Jack Nicholson misled me into thinking the story was about Jack Torrance. Once I rewatched the film as a story about a heroine, my entire understanding of the story shifted. 

Near the beginning of the film, Wendy tours the Overlook Hotel and comments, “I feel like I have to leave a trail of breadcrumbs.” Her statement, which also references the cautionary folktale, Hansel and Gretel, struck me as an intriguing piece of story exposition. 

The tour showed Wendy the many hallways, chambers, and dead ends she’d soon have to navigate at the Overlook Hotel. Wendy Torrance was in a labyrinth. As if to further emphasize this thematic reality, a real labyrinth—the infamous hedge maze—lay just outside, a perfect literary complement to the symbolism of the heroine’s setting.

Th is first and most basic orientation sets the tone for the entire story you plan on telling, whether it’s fiction, a personal memoir, or even a roleplaying adventure. The nature of the journey determines the nature of the conflict, which often defines the villain. These are organic structures that emerge within a story. Th e hero’s journey plots a linear course, traveling from point A to point B, ever onward, further from home and into unfamiliar environs before returning home.

 However, many heroines in fiction go on a different journey, one characterized by repetitive circles and often closer to home. Indeed, most heroines never leave the native culture. The adventure hides behind closed doors and interior spaces of otherwise familiar places. The journey travels inward and creates incredible friction while the heroine develops her sense of identity and self-realization. So, many heroine-centric stories feature heroines in conflict with their native culture, and this conflict lays the groundwork for the entire narrative structure I call the “Heroine’s Labyrinth.”

Douglas A. Burton is a novelist and storyteller whose various works emphasize heroic women in fiction. Burton’s debut historical novel, Far Away Bird, brought Byzantine Empress Theodora to life through an intimate biographical account. The novel collected numerous awards including gold medals for the IBPA’s Best New Voice in Fiction, Readers’ Favorite Historical Personage, and eLit’s Best Historical Fiction eBook. Far Away Bird was also a finalist for the Montaigne Medal (Eric Hoffer Book Award) and Screencraft’s Cinematic Book competition. Burton’s newest book, The Heroine’s Labyrinth, is a nonfiction writing craft book that offers a paradigm shift for story structure. Presented as a distinctive counterpart to the well-trodden hero’s journey, Burton explores the unique narrative arc and archetypal designs that recur in heroine-led fiction. He currently lives in Austin, TX with his wonderful wife, Crystal, and two energetic boys, Jacob and Lucas.

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 ⁣⁣#DouglasABurton #instabooks #bookish #booklover #greatreads #booknerd #nowavailable #fortheloveofreading #bookstagrammer #bibliophile #releaseblitz #bookaholic #mustread #authorsofinstagram #bookblogger #amreading #XpressoTours @XpressoTours⁣

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