Fearless: Connor & Ronni by Kaylene Winter Blog Tour! #XpressoTours @XpressoTours

 

Fearless: Connor & Ronni
Kaylene Winter

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

A Steamy, Feminist, Protective Irish Hero Rockstar Romance

“Family is everything, I protect mine with my life…”
Connor McLoughlin had it all, a great family, a college scholarship and music.
Tragedy forced him to grow up too fast.
When his life finally is on track, Ronni Miller appears like a dream.
Kindred spirits in the most unlikely of circumstances.
There’s only one thing in the way— her dark past he’s determined to protect her from.

Will Connor’s protective instincts drive Ronni away for good?

“When your innocence is stolen, trust is a precious gift…”
Actress Ronni Miller tasted fame at a young age.
Her path to stardom was riddled with tragedy.
She never imagined falling for Connor McLoughlin, a rogue, Irish rock star.
The thing is? Ronni’s got revenge on her mind.
Regardless of the risk or the consequences— Or losing the one thing in her life that makes her feel alive.
Connor has only ever asked Ronni for one thing: her heart.
She risks losing the man who would do anything for her.

What happens when Ronni’s bravery is couched in lies?

When your future has been tainted by innocence lost, learning to trust is an uphill battle.

For Connor & Ronni, the fight for true love is FEARLESS.

The Connor & Ronni Duet:

Goodreads / Amazon

Sun streams through the filmy blinds when I wake up.

My mouth is incredibly dry. I reach for my bottle of pineapple Hint water on the nightstand. Drink what’s left and set the empty down. A couple of yawns later, I pat the bed next to me.

Empty.

It’s a devastating pattern. Missing time with my husband. My family. Then again, my work schedule is mostly to blame. The past couple of weeks, I’ve crawled into bed hours after Connor and he’s up long before me to take care of the boys.

I pad across the plush carpet to the bathroom. Pee. Pull on joggers and my favorite old LTZ sweatshirt and head down the hallway. I hear little giggles and Connor’s deep voice coming from the nursery. I lean against the doorway and watch for a minute. My husband is beaming at Torin and Tristan, who are standing on their own. Assisted by the denim sofa they both cling to in order to keep themselves upright.

“Wow, they’re both standing.” I cross the room to sit next to Connor, who’s freshly showered and dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. My boys squeal when they see me and fling themselves into my arms. I smother them with snuggles and kisses.

He pulls me and the boys to him. “Morning, love. I let you sleep in; it seemed like you needed it.”

Tristan plops himself in my lap. Mama’s boy through and through. I smooth his reddish-brown wisps around his ears. “They’re at such a critical age. I feel like I miss something every day.”

“It’s temporary. I’m happy to step up,” he reassures me. I know he’s trying to be supportive, but it doesn’t make me feel any better.

Connor plucks Torin up and sets him next to his brother. Then stands and strides to the door. “Why don’t you spend some quality time with them this morning? I’ll go check to see if Yolanda has their breakfast ready.”

“Stay.” It comes out shriller than I’d intended.

He stops and turns. “Okay.” He closes the door behind him, pads back over and crouches so he’s at my level. “What’s up?”

“Nothing. I just miss my family. And my life’s about to get busier.” I kiss the tops of my boys’ heads. 

Connor drops to the ground opposite me and encloses us all with his long legs. “You’ve worked ridiculously hard to get here. Once you see these projects through, they’ll be plenty of time to reassess. All of this was in motion before you got pregnant.”

When she was only 15, Kaylene Winter wrote her first rocker romance novel starring a fictionalized version of herself, her friends and their gorgeous rocker boyfriends. After living her own rockstar life as a band manager, music promoter and mover and shaker in Seattle during the early 1990’s, Kaylene became a digital media legal strategist helping bring movies, television and music online. Throughout her busy career, Kaylene lost herself in romance novels across all genres inspiring her to realize her life-long dream to be a published author. She lives in Seattle with her amazing husband and dog. She loves to travel, throw lavish dinner parties and support charitable causes supporting arts and animals.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

GIVEAWAY!

• A signed personalized copy of the Fearless & Fearless-Encore Duetduet

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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The First State by @TshekediWallace Spotlight Tour! @iReadBookTours #iReadBookTours #authors #giveaway @laurenireadbooktours

 

Book Title:  THE FIRST STATE  (The Judgment series Book 1) by Tshekedi Wallace
Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 237 pages
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Review Tales Publishing & Editing Services
​Publication Date: August 18, 2022.
Content Rating: G 

Book Description:

​England is run by the dictator and tyrant Gregory Christopher in the year 2079 from London Metropolitan state. He is crushing the citizens will by enforcing unfair laws using his statesmen, and he has used the police and his alpha hunters to put fear in the people’s hearts. Kofi Achebe and the urban fist revolution factions are fighting the evil head statesman and the men he uses to inflict pain on those who go against him as he continues to rule over the masses. The battle between the state police, unified security services, and the urban fist militia starts to become brutal and gruesome as the mad leader slowly begins to tighten his grip. He knows that he must keep the citizens in line so he can continue to rule. Slowly the despot leader begins to feel that his power is being challenged to the point where he must make the people suffer. Kofi and the urban fist militia leader Trevor Brown know that they must fight to break free of the statesmen’s evil regime and destroy the system they created once and for all. The final war in London Metropolitan becomes a fight to the death that will decide the fate of many citizens.

Buy the Book:
Amazon

Tshekedi Wallace is named after Tshekedi the Great, the King of the Bamangwato of Botswana. In keeping with his namesake, Tshekedi Wallace, who was born in Leeds, is a committed advocate for freedom due to his upbringing. He was born into a well-known family of struggle heroes who fought for the liberation of their people. He grew up listening to vigorous debates about politics, history, and issues of the day mostly discussed at the dinner table. This has given him an enduring love for history, literature, art, and politics. Although he likes to read books across all kinds of genres, he has a special love for science fiction, thrillers, poetry, and non-fiction. In his spare time, he avidly follows what’s happening in movies. He loves music from all cultures and is steeped in African culture in all its manifestations, particularly in the Caribbean and the Americas. In his spare time, he writes poetry.

connect with the author: twitter ~ instagram

FIRST STATE SPOTLIGHT Book Tour Giveaway

The Watson Letters Volume 6: The Haunting of Roderick Usher Book Tour!

 

The Watson Letters Volume 6: The Haunting of Roderick Usher

An invitation. A ghostly spectre. A criminal mastermind.

When Sherlock Holmes is invited to visit an old school friend, he and Doctor Watson are plunged into the first of three adventures involving the Dark Arts and the supernatural. From the ghostly spectre of a dead sister to the search for an ancient book of spells, the detecting duo learn that each case is connected, leading them into a final showdown with their deadliest adversary yet.

Adult humour throughout.

Purchase Link - https://geni.us/dymvutk

Extract from: The Watson Letters Volume 6: The Haunting of Roderick Usher by Colin Garrow

Following an invitation to visit Sherlock’s old school chum, Roderick Usher, Holmes and Watson travel by train to the village of Clovenhoof, where they are dropped off at the lane leading to the House of Usher. Setting off towards the house, the pair begin to experience a sense of despair.

Doctor Watson’s Diary.

‘I have to say, Watson,’ muttered Holmes as we advanced towards the house, ‘a certain feeling of trepidation has come upon me about this place.’

‘The geography does have a sense of gloom about it,’ I said, gazing around. ‘But I expect your chum will make us feel welcome.’

Gradually, the house itself came into view and I discerned a drabness to it that reflected the state of the surrounding area. It may indeed have at one time been a truly grand edifice, but its best days were behind it. As we drew nearer, I could make out a few details—carved into each of the pillars at the main door, were a series of hideous gargoyles and other mythical creatures, their repugnant features doing nothing to allay the growing feeling of melancholy that seemed to engulf the place.

Eventually, we advanced to the great door and Holmes raised the goblin-like face of its massive iron knocker. Letting the thing go, it made a terrific clatter that gave me a start and must surely have echoed throughout the house.

Nevertheless, if was a minute or two before we heard footsteps approach.

The door opened and standing there before us was a tall man with a face etched in pain. Dark sunken eyes glowed in the increasing darkness and his downturned mouth did little to brighten an unhappy outlook.

‘Ah, Holmes,’ he said, in a deep baritone voice. ‘How overjoyed I am to see you at last.’ He grasped my companion’s hand in his and shook it vigorously. Then, turning to me, he muttered, ‘And the infamous Doctor Watson. How wonderful to meet you. I am a fervent fan of your fascinating tales.’

I shook the man’s hand, wondering which ‘fascinating tales’ he might be talking about.

Our host stepped back and said, ‘Please, come into our humble abode.’

He clumped off like a small elephant wearing pit boots. We followed him into a vast hall where he took our coats and waved us into what I found to be a well-stocked library.

Seating myself next to Holmes on one of several dusty sofas, I marvelled at the range of reading matter on display. There were volumes on every subject under the sun, from alchemy and modern science to vampirism and sexual abnormalities. Usher stood before us, hands clasped, as if waiting to deliver some pre-planned homily.

‘Dinner will be served at eight, gentlemen, and then, if you will permit, I shall tell you a little of our lives here.’

‘Jolly good,’ said Holmes with more enthusiasm than I would have expected.

‘And will your sister be joining us, Mr Usher?’ said I, eager to meet the mysterious sibling.

‘Alas, Doctor, Madelaine’s condition has deteriorated since my recent missive, and she is now confined to bed.’

‘Oh, I’m so sorry,’ I said. ‘Perhaps, might I examine her?’

‘I think not, Doctor,’ he said, then with a forced smile, added, ‘Perhaps I could interest you in an aperitif?’

We thought this a good idea and Usher disappeared back into the hall.

‘Jolly rum place, this,’ I said to Holmes. ‘I’d rather share a house with Moriarty. At least he has a sense of humour.’

‘Yes, Roddy does appear to have altered a little since we last met.’

We sat on a sofa that looked out onto the front aspect. Though the day had darkened considerably, there was no mistaking the figure of a woman walking past the windows, her pale face and staring eyes turned towards us.

‘I say, Holmes,’ I whispered, in case Usher happened to be listening at the door, ‘d’you think that’s the sister?’

‘Hardly likely, Watson, not if she’s ill in bed. Probably one of the servants out for a walk.’

This seemed a reasonable assumption, if a little odd, but I couldn’t help thinking Roderick Usher’s sister would prove to be even more of a weirdo than her brother.

Unfortunately, I was right.

True-born Geordie Colin Garrow grew up in a former mining town in Northumberland and has worked in a plethora of professions including taxi driver, antiques dealer, drama facilitator, theatre director and fish processor. He has also occasionally masqueraded as a pirate. Colin’s published books include the Watson Letters series, the Terry Bell Mysteries and the Rosie Robson Murder Mysteries. His short stories have appeared in several literary mags, including SN Review, Flash Fiction Magazine, The Grind, A3 Review, Inkapture and Scribble Magazine. These days he lives in a humble cottage in Northeast Scotland.

Website (Adults) https://colingarrow.org/

Website (Children) https://colingarrowbooks.com/

The Watson Letters https://thewatsonletters.com/

Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B014Z5DZD4

Twitter https://twitter.com/colingarrow

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/colingarrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/colingarrowthewriter

Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/colin-garrow

Under the Cloud by B.R. Erlank Book Tour!

 Under the Cloud

by B.R. Erlank

GENRE:   Thriller

They call themselves The Settlement Bureau. A faceless, soulless organization coercing individuals with threats to expose their improprieties and vulnerabilities. Inhumanely persistent, they’ve secretly driven hundreds of victims into bankruptcy, despair – and several even to suicide.

But when this organization tries to blackmail IT expert Terry Reynolds, they make a serious mistake. Terry is down on his luck. He is penniless, divorced and in a dead-end job. Yet, the abuse of his personal information stirs Terry out of his lethargy and he fights back. He embarks on a digital game of cat-and-mouse with the cold, calculating minds behind The Settlement Bureau – and in doing so, uncovers a sprawling criminal conspiracy.

Under The Cloud is a chillingly plausible new thriller by B.R. Erlank. With a plot ripped straight from the headlines, advance readers warn, “this book delivers a roller coaster ride right up to the final pages.”

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

Excerpt

Charlie’s canine senses were on high alert. He growled and stared across the street. There was a commotion in the shadows of a tree. Then Terry heard a frail, plaintive voice, “No, no, leave me. That’s mine. Let go!” 

Terry knew that voice; it was Joe. What sort of low-life attacks an old homeless man? There was a thud and a howl of pain. Charlie was the first to react; the dog raced across the street with Terry behind him. Under the streetlamp, Terry could make out the old man’s face, bleeding and distorted with fear, as he shouted, “You imbecile, you don’t know…” 

The attacker was dressed in black and was at least six inches taller than Joe. The assailant pushed Joe hard, then his fist smashed into the old man’s face. Joe slumped against the tree, and the thug pulled back his fist for another punch.

Terry shouted, “Hey! Leave him!”

The man briefly turned and hesitated. Then, before he could plant the fist again, Charlie lunged and sank his teeth into the man’s wrist. The attacker cursed, and a knife appeared in his other hand. The blade glinted in the streetlight, and Charlie’s bark turned into a surprised yelp, then a whimper. The attacker ran.

For a split second, Terry’s rage commanded him to follow, but the sight of Joe and Charlie, both crumpled and bleeding, stopped him in his tracks. He knelt by the old man, whose face was smeared with blood, one eye beginning to swell. His breath was coming in desperate rasps.

Boris Erlank grew up in Southern Africa. He has lived and worked in places as diverse as Luanda, Cape Town, Singapore and San Francisco. Boris recently gave up his job as Global Privacy Manager with a Fortune 100 company to focus on writing full-time.

He has an extensive background in IT, data privacy and cybersecurity, and has drawn on that experience to craft his latest novel, Under the Cloud. His previous novel, Catch You Later, is a murder mystery set in Cape Town.

Boris lives with his family and two dogs in the foothills of Mount Diablo, east of San Francisco. He likes to cycle and hike. “Those solitary pursuits give me time to dream up the characters and plots for my novels,” he says. Boris also enjoys choir singing, travel, and listening to audiobooks.

Amazon link: https://amzn.to/3nH9JNa

Website: www.brerlank.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082184847881

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/boris-erlank/

The book will be $0.99 from November 15 - November 22.

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

GIVEAWAY

B.R. Erlank will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Ghosts & Gravity!

 

Title: Ghosts & Gravity 

Authors: BT Urruela, Anne Malcom, Morgan Locklear, Jennifer Locklear, Shani Struthers, Becca Vry, Susan K. Swords, Kris Babe, Rumer Haven, Ai Tran, A.S. Orten, Christopher Winks, D.L. Hartman 

Genre:Short Stories Romance Paranormal Romance Cozy Mystery Historical Romance Ghost Fiction 

Release Date: December 7, 2022 

Hosted by: Buoni Amici Press, LLC.

New York City, 1972.

 Between Central Park and the East River sits an apartment building as tall as a castle and as orange as a sunset. The Wellraven barely pricks a skyline so grand, but its curious history reaches out through occupants, young and old.

 Eleven stories chronicle the life and times of characters who cross paths and share destiny’s fire escape. Ghosts, gravity, romance, and secrets weave the communal narrative.

 Step into the elevator. Push any button, but try to remember your way back out. Not everybody makes it.

 Proceeds from this limited edition anthology will benefit VETSports, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing Veterans with continuous opportunities to reintegrate into their communities through sports, community service, events, and partnerships.

AMAZON | APPLE BOOKS | NOOK | KOBO | 

BT Urruela: Author. Filmmaker. Model. Songwriter. Photographer. BT Urruela strives to promote a positive and healthy lifestyle through his work and contributions to various charities, as well as his commitment to the arts. http://www.bturruela.com/

Anne Malcom: Anne Malcom has been an avid reader since before she can remember, her mother responsible for her book addiction. Finding writing about alpha males and happily ever afters more fun than reading about them, Anne is not about to stop any time soon. https://www.annemalcomauthor.com/

Morgan Locklear: Morgan Locklear is a novelist and musician living on the Oregon coast. He writes romance adventures with a focus on humor, and few ghosts thrown in from time to time. https://www.locklearbooks.com/

Jennifer Locklear: Jennifer Locklear writes the “wildly erotic” Constellation series in addition to Exposure, a Hollywood based romantic comedy, co-written with her husband, Morgan Locklear. https://www.locklearbooks.com/

Shani Struthers: Born and bred in Brighton, UK, Shani Struthers is the author of twenty-four supernatural thrillers (so far), some set in various locations in England, others in more far-flung destinations such as Venice and America. https://www.shanistruthers.com/

Rumer Haven: I've grown up (sort of) as a lover of books, Buffy, travel, and tarot. I'm an old soul with a penchant for the past and paranormal, and am probably the most social recluse you could ever meet. My writing loves to creep inside those interiors, spelunking through dimensions of time, love, and the soul. https://www.rumerhaven.com/home

Becca Vry: President & Founder of Muse Creative Consulting LLC, Best-Selling Author, Copywriter, Speechwriter, Artist, Soul City Corridor/Creative SOULutions collaborator, and Creative Consultant. https://musecreativeconsulting.wordpress.com/

Susan K. Swords: Susan is a lifelong reader and a lifelong aspiring author. She is also currently writing a sci-fi/fantasy novel. It’s never too late to follow your dreams. If you work for it, they’ll come to you. https://tinyurl.com/ypd5yb7z

Kris Babe: Reader, writer, editor. Marketer by day. Politically opinionated. Not fully dressed without a scarf. So many books, so little time. https://tinyurl.com/yadhhhyz

Ai Tran: Ai is from a family of historians, philosophers and story tellers. A Bay Area native ,if she isn’t exploring the city or hiking in the woods, you can find her behind her notebook free-writing paranormal comedies. https://tinyurl.com/yckejd65

D.L. Hartman: Deb has been writing poems, short stories, and just nonsense since she could hold a fat Crayola. She always dreamed of someday being published. Now at the age of 65, her dream is coming true. She has spent much of her life moving around the USA, 43 times in her 65 years. She is an avid reader. https://tinyurl.com/muwzs5dp

A.S. Orten: No author bio yet available. https://tinyurl.com/bdhjham7

Christopher Winks: No author bio yet available. https://tinyurl.com/5f22h8e3

The Monsters of Saint Mark's by @jahuss Book Blitz! #jahuss #THEMONSTERSoFSAINTMARKs #XpressoTours⁣ @XpressoTours

 

MONSTERS OF SAINT MARK’S SERIES
JA Huss writing as KC Cross

Publication date: December 6th 2022
Genres: Paranormal Monster Romance

THE MONSTERS OF SAINT MARK’S is a fun paranormal monster romance series about a girl named Pie who accidentally stumbles into a monster’s 2000-year-old curse only to find she’s exactly where she’s supposed to be.

******
When I answered an ad for a caretaker at Saint Mark’s Sanctuary, I thought I’d be dusting chandeliers and polishing floors. I didn’t expect to be tricked into a curse, going in debt to a monster, and being forced to take a self-paced “Let’s Learn Magic” course so I can fix a two-thousand-year-old problem.

And that monster?
Not your ordinary, everyday beast.
He has hooves, and horns, and fur on his legs.
But ya know where he doesn’t have fur.
Yep. There.
Which is fine.
Except he doesn’t wear pants.

Nothing at Saint Mark’s is exactly what it seems.
The entire inside is magic, the hallways upstairs are nothing but parties from the past, and the super-hot guy who lives in the dungeon?
Yeah.
Not human.

My name is Pie and all I want is to be a normal girl with an average life.
I refuse to get stuck in this curse.
I refuse to learn magic to break it.
And there is no way in hell I will fall in love with a monster.

Famous.
Last.
Words.

SERIES COMPLETE!
FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Goodreads / Book One- Damaged Gods / Book Two – Savage Saints / Book Three – Royal Beasts

—

JA Huss is a New York Times Bestselling author and has been on the USA Today Bestseller's list 21 times. She writes characters with heart, plots with twists, and perfect endings. Her books have sold millions of copies all over the world. Her book, Eighteen, was nominated for a Voice Arts Award and an Audie Award in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Her audiobook, Mr. Perfect, was nominated for a Voice Arts Award in 2017. Her audiobook, Taking Turns, was nominated for an Audie Award in 2018. Her book, Total Exposure, was nominated for a RITA Award in 2019.

Find her here: www.jahuss.com

Website / Facebook Page / Facebook Group / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Amazon / Audible

GIVEAWAY!

Hosted on jahuss.com website HERE: https://wp.me/p2C2YB-3hV

PRIZE – Pie’s Apothecary Box of Bookish Fun

OPEN INTERNATIONAL

GIVEAWAY STARTS ON DECEMBER 6 AND ENDS OF DECEMBER 13

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All Signs Point to Murder by Connie Di Marco Book Tour!

 This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Connie di Marco will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Rob Ramer was the perfect husband until he committed the ultimate family faux pas—he shot his sister-in-law to death. Believing himself under attack by an intruder in his home, he fired back. But when evidence is discovered that Rob’s wife, Brooke, was plotting his murder, Brooke is charged with conspiracy in her sister’s death. Geneva, a third sister, is desperate for answers and seeks the help of her friend, San Francisco astrologer Julia Bonatti. Geneva’s lost one sister and now it seems she’ll lose the other. Was this a murder plot or just a terrible accident? Julia vows to find the answer in the stars.

Read an Excerpt

A young woman in her early twenties peeked through the curtain and hesitated.

“Hi, Shandra,” I smiled. “Please, have a seat.”

The girl looked terrified and sat with her hands clutched around her purse. She was dressed in overalls and a T-shirt with a scarf wrapped around her curly brown hair. She gave me her birth information and even the time. I quickly sketched out her chart.

“It looks like your progressed Moon is approaching your natal Ascendant.” I looked up. “Are you planning to get married? Or perhaps making a big emotional commitment, moving in with your boyfriend?

“Yes,” she breathed. “That’s amazing you could tell that. We’re supposed to be getting married in a month. The wedding invitations have been sent out already.” Her voice quavered.

“I see. Well, that’s exactly what the progressed Moon hitting the Ascendant signifies in a chart, particularly a woman’s chart. But you’re having second thoughts aren’t you?”

She nodded but offered no further information.

I took a deep breath and dove in. “In your natal chart there’s a difficult aspect, one that has colored your early years, your childhood. So, undoubtedly, your fears are connected with this placement.” Shandra stared but did not acknowledge my statement. I knew I was on the right track.

I turned the pad of paper towards her. “You see, your Sun is near the fourth house cusp, the nadir of your chart and it’s next to Saturn. Opposing that conjunction is Neptune, up here near the tenth house cusp, the Midheaven. It’s just half a degree away from that axis – the nadir and the Midheaven of your chart. This axis relates to parental influences in your life, and since Saturn conjuncts your Sun, I’d say this pertains more to your father than your mother. You’ve suffered a great deal in your life because of the lack of a father figure, but you’ve been very strong. The Saturn conjunction has given you strength and you’ve been able to compensate.”

“Yes. That’s true.”

“Did he abandon you or your mother? Did he disappear in some fashion? Maybe even close to the time you were born?”

Shandra nodded. “He . . . he drowned in an accident when my mother was pregnant with me. Just before I was born. It took them a long time to find his body. It was terrible for my mother.” Her face crumpled and she started to quietly cry. I passed her the box of tissues. Neptune, I thought, the ruler of watery places. How terrible and how apt.

“I’m sorry. I haven’t thought about this for a long time.”

“And your mother raised you alone?”

“My Mom and I are very close.” Shandra blew her nose and wiped her eyes. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to come here and blubber.”

“It’s okay. We all blubber sometimes. Even me . . . especially me,” I smiled.

Shandra laughed nervously.

“Let’s get back to the wedding invitations. Do you love him?”

“Yes. Very much.”

“And he of course loves you.”

“Yes,” she smiled shyly.

“Well, let’s look at his birth information. Even if you don’t have all the information now, you can always call me later with it. We can set up a very quick chart for your boyfriend and see if there are any real problems.” She gave me his birth date and I quickly sketched out his approximate chart.

“My Mom really wants to see us get married. I think she’s afraid I’ll be alone and won’t have anyone to look after me.”

I thought of my grandmother. This all sounded very familiar. “I can understand that. So what are you afraid of?”

She stared at me silently. I let the silence lag, and then asked her softly, “You’re afraid if you marry him, he’ll die. If you invest in this, you’ll be left like your mother?”

“Yeeees.” At this, Shandra burst into tears again. I passed her the tissues once more and handed her a glass of water.

“Don’t feel bad about crying. Crying’s great, it gets all the demons out into the light of day.”

“It sounds so stupid when you say it like that, but I guess that’s why I’m afraid.”

“Okay, now look at this.” I pointed to the monitor. “Here’s the solar chart of your boyfriend. What’s his name?”

“Rick”

“Okay. Rick seems like a pretty well-balanced guy. There are many many good connections between your charts. He balances you out very well. You’re complementary to each other in lots of ways. With the information I have, I don’t see anything negative here. It’s very positive. What does your mother have to say about this wedding?”

“Oh, she’s got her heart set on it, that’s why I’ve been so upset. I’ve been thinking of calling it off. I’ve been so scared and I didn’t want to hurt her or hurt Rick. I’ve backed out twice before, and this time, he says he can’t do it anymore. He loves me, but he says if I don’t want to marry him, he just has to go away.”

“Well, the decision is yours of course. No one should force you to do anything you don’t want to do.” I waited to see her reaction.

“What do you think I should do?”

I have such a hard time biting my tongue. “I really can’t tell you what to do. But I can give you some good advice. I think this is a very positive relationship. You’re good for each other and frankly, with his Saturn return coming up this year and your Moon progressing to your Ascendant, this is the right time. The Saturn return is considered ‘the astrological coming of age.’ Usually happens sometime between the ages of twenty-eight to thirty. That’s the time we are most free to make decisions that will affect our path for the next twenty-eight or so years. It’s a terribly significant time. And your progressed Moon on your Ascendant . . . well, you may not be fully aware as yet . . . but you’ve already made the commitment.”

Shandra was quiet.

“I also think it would help you to see a therapist for a little while, to sort out your father’s death and separate that event from your current life. I can give you a few names of good psychologists, if you like.” I thought about my therapist, Paula. Maybe I should give her a call soon myself, but it wouldn’t do to recommend her to an astrology client. I’d hate to bump into one of my clients in a waiting room. They’d wonder why astrology didn’t answer all my questions and doubts. Astrology can offer a lot of support, but it’s still no substitute for dredging through your own, very illogical emotions.

“Now that it’s on the front burner this would be an excellent time. There’s no need for you to carry these old wounds and fears into a very promising future.”

“Maybe I should give that a try. I’ve been so stuck and so scared to make a move, but I’m really terrified I could lose Rick.”

“That’s it, my dear. I’m afraid our time is up.”

“Oh, thank you. I can’t thank you enough.” She mumbled. “Can I come back and see you again?”

“I’m not always here, but let me give you one of my cards if you need to see me, okay?”

Shandra took my card and stared at it. She looked up at me. “You’re . . .”

I didn’t respond. I knew what was coming next and I dreaded it.

“You’re the astrologer who rescued that woman from the crazy religious cult, aren’t you?

I sighed. I had hoped all the notoriety from months ago had been forgotten. I took a deep breath and smiled, “That’s me, all right.”

“You’re famous!” Shandra’s eyes grew wider.

I shook my head. “No, really, I’m not. It’s just that they printed my name in the paper.”

“Ohmigod, I had no idea!”

“Well, please don’t hold it against me,” I laughed.

“Wait till I tell my friends that I had a reading with Julia Bonatti.”

I groaned inwardly. The events of last winter still haunted me. I don’t like the idea of being in the glare of any kind of publicity, but when my client’s sister was lured into a religious cult that had no good intentions, I really had no choice.

Shandra tucked my card into a pocket of her overalls. “Thank you so much!” She stepped through the curtain. Through the gap, I could see her two girlfriends waiting anxiously for her. One reached over and gave her a hug as they exited to the street.

I heaved a sigh. I’ve come to the conclusion it’s a universal law. We are constantly confronted with the very issues we have trouble dealing with in our own lives. If Shandra could overcome her fears, then maybe there was hope for me too.

I managed to get through five more readings in my cramped little space, one elderly woman worried about her grandson, a businessman concerned about a move, a housewife considering full-time work, a single woman worried about marriage, and a professional gambler asking about amulets to help his luck. Thankfully, no one else recognized me or my name. Finally, I heard the bell on the closing door ring for the last time.

I peeked out. “Is that it?”

“Yes. Thank heavens. I’m beat!” Cheryl turned the lock on the front door, and flipped over the sign to read CLOSED. “If I have to smell any more patchouli, I’m gonna throw up all over my shoes. Want to get some Chinese? I need to inhale something totally different before I scream.”

“Sure. I’m starving. Where do you want to go?”

“Let’s leave the cars. Did you park in the back?”

“No. My car’s at Gloria’s. I walked over.”

“Let’s go to that dim sum place up the block.”

“The Twin Dragons? Okay.” I slipped on my jacket and grabbed my purse and the new books.

“Would you check in the back and make sure everyone’s gone and the door is locked?”

I dropped my purse and books on the counter and stepped into the back room. I couldn’t find the light switch but felt my way past stacked boxes to the door. A small amount of light from the alley filtered through the dusty window. I heard breathing and the skin on my arms tingled. I wasn’t alone in the back room. A shadow moved across the light source from the front of the shop. Powerful hands grabbed my shoulders. My breath caught in my throat.

“You!” I heard Zora’s raspy voice.

My heart was thudding wildly. I took a deep breath. “I thought everyone was gone.”

Zora’s powerful grip on my shoulders tightened. “Babe,” she rasped at me in the half dark, “You don’t know this yet, but you’re in danger.”

I froze. “What?”

Pressing her finger into my chest, she barked, “Don’t be a do-gooder. Keep your nose out of other people’s business, okay?”

She flung the back door open and stepped out into the alleyway. I watched her bulky form cross the tiny parking lot, her shawls flying in the breeze.

Cheryl appeared in the doorway behind me. “Was that Zora? What did she say?”

“Nothing. Don’t worry about it.” I took a deep breath. “She scares the hell out of me.”

Connie di Marco is the author of the Zodiac Mysteries featuring Julia Bonatti, a San Francisco astrologer who never thought murder would be part of her practice: The Madness of Mercury, All Signs Point to Murder, Tail of the Dragon, Serpent’s Doom and Enter a Wizard, Stage Left (a prequel e-book novella). Writing as Connie Archer, she is also the author of the national bestselling Soup Lover’s Mysteries from Penguin Random House. You can find her excerpts and recipes in The Cozy Cookbook and The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook. Connie is a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Crime Writers Association (UK) and Sisters in Crime.

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