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In a Letter to Our Daughters, the author took a letter to her daughters from the dedication of another of her books as a message of empowerment, belief, and hope. Every daughter, mother, and woman needs to be reminded that they are a gift to the world with incredible talent and unlimited potential.
Jodi Leffingwell Ed. D holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Walden University, an MBA from Pfeiffer University, and a BA from Providence College. She is a field leader for a global organization, and her focus is on leadership development.
In addition to her current publication, A Letter to Our Daughters, Jodi is publishing a book centered on overcoming the obstacles women face moving from mid-level to senior and executive roles. The book is entitled: Life After Coffee: An Every Women’s Guide to Finding a Seat at the Table in Leadership.
She is an award-winning leader recognized throughout her industry as a thought leader, strategic planner, and developer of talent. Jodi’s passions are to challenge people to think, coach, and lead differently through developing their emotional intelligence and sphere of influence. Nothing gives her more satisfaction than seeing someone reach their potential or grow in their career while loving the job that they do.
Jodi resides by the water in Rhode Island, and her favorite role is being a mom to Abigale and Aubrey and wife to husband, Eric.
Mark S. Bacon began his career as a Southern California newspaper police reporter, one of his crime stories becoming key evidence in a murder case that spanned decades.
After working for two newspapers, he moved to advertising and marketing and became a copywriter for Knott’s Berry Farm, the large theme park down the freeway from Disneyland. Experience working at Knott’s formed part of the inspiration for his creation of Nostalgia City theme park.
Before turning to fiction, Bacon wrote business books including “Do-It-Yourself Direct Marketing,” printed in four languages and three editions, named best business book of the year by the Library Journal, and selected by the Book of the Month Club and two other book clubs. His freelance feature articles have appeared in the Washington Post, Cleveland Plain Dealer, San Antonio Express News, Orange County (Calif.) Register, Denver Post and many other publications. Most recently he was a correspondent for the San Francisco Chronicle.
“Dark Ride Deception” is the fourth book in the Nostalgia City mystery series that began with”Death in Nostalgia City”. The first book introduced ex-cop turned cab driver Lyle Deming and PR executive Kate Sorensen, a former college basketball star. “Death in Nostalgia City” was recommended for book clubs by the American Library Association.
Bacon is the author of flash fiction mystery books including, “Cops, Crooks and Other Stories in 100 Words – Revised Edition”.
He taught journalism as a member of the adjunct faculty at Cal Poly University – Pomona, the University of Nevada – Reno, and the University of Redlands. He earned an MA in mass media from UNLV and a BA in journalism from Fresno State.
Do ideas for mystery novels float down from the ether? Do writers lean back in their chairs, arms resting on their heads, waiting for inspiration to strike? Sometimes. More often though, writers rely on their own experiences, their own history as the foundation for stories.
If you look at the background of many mystery/crime writers, sources of their inspiration become clear.
For example, as a young lawyer John Grisham toiled for many hours at a small, struggling Mississippi law firm. And the main character in his early books is typically a young lawyer toiling for many hours at a small, struggling Mississippi law firm.
Tony Hillerman,wrote about the southwest. In his most famous books, Navajo tribal police solve the mysteries. Before writing novels, he was a newspaper reporter in Texas. He patterned one of his main police characters after a local Texas sheriff he knew. Later he lived and taught in New Mexico for more than 20 years becoming familiar with the land and the people.
One of British writer Gerald Kersh’s most well known books isNight and the City. Al Pacino starred in the movie version. It focuses on the seamy side of the wrestling game in London. And while Kersh was learning to write he held a variety of odd jobs. For a time, he was a wrestler.
Dashiell Hammett, before he became a novelist and wrote The Maltese Falcon, worked for the famous Pinkerton Detective Agency. He used that experience as the basis for the Falcon and also for a long series of short stories and two novels that featured a private eye working for a big detective agency.
The setting for my mysteries is a theme park, Nostalgia City. Early in my career I wrote advertising at Knott’s Berry Farm, the large theme park just up the freeway from Disneyland.
Although I spent most of my time writing ads and commercials, I occasionally worked on special events in the park. I got to know some of the costumed employees who entertained visitors and had a behind-the-scenes look at what it took to keep a sprawling entertainment enterprise rolling smoothly. At times it seemed like controlled chaos.
Since my experience at Knott’s I’ve always thought a theme park would make a great setting for a murder mystery. A park can be crammed with tourists to the point of inducing claustrophobia. Or it can be dark and empty at night when the gates are closed, the rides sit motionless and the only sound is the wind whistling through the rollercoaster framework. Theme parks present many possibilities for intrigue.
In my new book, Dark Ride Deception, high-tech secrets for mind-bending new rides are stolen from Nostalgia City. My protagonists, Lyle Deming, an ex-cop now theme park cab driver, and Kate Sorensen, a former college basketball star, are sent on an undercover mission to search offices and workshops at other theme parks. They’re looking for the Perception Deception Effect, a remarkable artificial intelligence-controlled program that will alter theme park rides forever.
Lyle and Kate’s exploration of other theme parks is not unlike my first weeks working at Knott’s, as I tried to find my way around the grounds and learn the secrets of opening doors closed to the public.
Would you like a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card?Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Mark S. Bacon began his career as a Southern California newspaper police reporter, one of his crime stories becoming key evidence in a murder case that spanned decades.
After working for two newspapers, he moved to advertising and marketing and became a copywriter for Knott’s Berry Farm, the large theme park down the freeway from Disneyland. Experience working at Knott’s formed part of the inspiration for his creation of Nostalgia City theme park.
Before turning to fiction, Bacon wrote business books including “Do-It-Yourself Direct Marketing,” printed in four languages and three editions, named best business book of the year by the Library Journal, and selected by the Book of the Month Club and two other book clubs. His freelance feature articles have appeared in the Washington Post, Cleveland Plain Dealer, San Antonio Express News, Orange County (Calif.) Register, Denver Post and many other publications. Most recently he was a correspondent for the San Francisco Chronicle.
“Dark Ride Deception” is the fourth book in the Nostalgia City mystery series that began with”Death in Nostalgia City”. The first book introduced ex-cop turned cab driver Lyle Deming and PR executive Kate Sorensen, a former college basketball star. “Death in Nostalgia City” was recommended for book clubs by the American Library Association.
Bacon is the author of flash fiction mystery books including, “Cops, Crooks and Other Stories in 100 Words – Revised Edition”.
He taught journalism as a member of the adjunct faculty at Cal Poly University – Pomona, the University of Nevada – Reno, and the University of Redlands. He earned an MA in mass media from UNLV and a BA in journalism from Fresno State.
History of the mystery: it stays the same—and changes
by Mark S. Bacon
Who published the first modern mystery story? It happened 180 years ago.
Modern mysteries got started in 1841 when Graham’s Magazine in Philadelphia published The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allen Poe. Known for grim horror stories such as The Telltale Heart, Poe beat Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie by many decades in creating a detective series. The mystery introduces Paris detective monsieur C. Auguste Dupin who used his “analytical power” to solve a series of murders. He appears again in two other stories.
Later, in 1866, Fyodor Dostoevsky published Crime and Punishment. In it, Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, an impoverished student, murders a woman with an axe for her money. After he’s killed her he becomes confused and paranoid. Enter the detective, Porfiry Petrovich, head of the investigation department. Petrovfich questions Raskolnikov at length using psychological techniques to wear him down.
When I read Dostoyevsky’s masterwork several years ago I was struck by Petrovich’s interrogation style. It reminded me of the old TV show Columbo in which Peter Falk would hound a suspect with dumb questions and hypotheticals until he or she confessed. Later I read that William Link, producer and writer for Columbo, actually based his detective’s style on Dostoyevsky.
Shortly after Crime and Punishment, 1868, English writer Wilkie Collins wrote The Moonstone, considered the first classic mystery novel and one that established many of the ground rules for the modern genre. It’s a tale of murder and a stolen diamond from India.
Two years later, Collins’ better-known contemporary, Charles Dickens, started The Mystery of Edwin Drood, but died before he could finish it. Then in 1887 Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes appeared for the first time in A Study in Scarlet.
Leap ahead almost a century and a half and DNA, cell phones and myriad other advanced technologies have replaced the magnifying glass for crime novel detectives. In some mystery and thriller novels today technology almost overshadows the characters. I didn’t want that to happen with Dark Ride Deception, my new mystery.
The story takes place in Nostalgia City, an Arizona theme park where a computer genius has just invented a remarkable new technology that will transform theme park rides forever. But the plans and computer programs that created the Deception Perception Effect are stolen. My protagonists are set off on a mission to solve the theft and the disappearance of the computer genius behind the new technology.
Rather than fill the story with complex tech, however, I focus on the players including my ex-cop turned Nostalgia City cab driver, Lyle Deming, who goes undercover to spy on other theme parks suspected of corporate espionage.
Technology is important to today’s mysteries, but it’s the people, the characters, who have always made tales of murder come alive.
Would you like a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card?Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
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Love Is Coming to Town A Small Town Christmas Romance Anthology with stories by Rebecca Barton, Dawn Luedecke, Danielle Pays, Alexa Rivers, Kaci Rose, Megan Ryder, Bell Splendor, Kate Stacy, and Claire Wilder
What’s a small town Christmas without a little romance?
Fake relationships, second chances, friends to lovers, and sexy brother’s best friends.
Mix in some small town gossip, meddling matchmakers, and Christmas magic and you have a perfect holiday escape.
Finding His Cheer by Claire Wilder He loved and lost. She’s just lost. This Christmas, will love be the thing that finds them both?
Operation: Christmas Seduction by Megan Ryder A sexy bartender seduces his crush of Christmas trees, gifts, and cookies. But when the season ends, will their romance too?
Second Chance Christmas by Alexa Rivers Breaking down outside her ex’s bar wasn’t part of the plan. Could a Christmas reunion reignite their old spark?
Love At Frost Sight by Bell Splendor When two enemies come together, will it be steamy heat, or a melting iceberg of disaster?
Captivated by Danielle Pays Needed: One fake boyfriend for the holidays. She never expected her brother’s best friend, aka her crush, to volunteer.
Twelve Days by Kate Stacy She’s missing her usual holiday spirit, until a secret admirer gives her twelve days of Christmas she’ll never forget.
Christmas at La Villa Rosa by Rebecca Barton Two creatives clashing on a joint project…surely it’s too cold to shut each other out, especially on Christmas Eve?
Her Second Chance Christmas by Kaci Rose Her best friend’s Christmas wedding. A family reunion and the man she never thought she’d see again.
Kiss Me Under the Mistletoe by Dawn Luedecke The only person who can put Sexy Santa in his place is a pain in the butt, and the perfect Mrs. Claus.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
Songs From the Wood (Olympic Vista Chronicles Book 2) by Kelly Pawlik
Genre: YA Horror, SciFi
Delve into the mystery of the strange, small town of Olympic Vista, WA.
In the days following a foray into a dilapidated house, twelve-year-old Darius Belcouer becomes desperate to find another unexplained phenomenon to investigate.
When animal attacks around town are reported in the news, Darius and Adelaide band together to solve the mystery. The trail leads them into the forest beyond Adelaide’s house where the pair discover that much like the small town itself, nothing in the woods is as it seems.
An eager new kid, a deadpan music-lover, a fast-talking troublemaker, an anxious bookworm and a girl torn between popularity and adventure. Follow this group of friends as they delve into the mysteries of their small town while juggling the trials and tribulations of their home lives.
Songs from the Wood is the sequel to Yesterday’s Gone, and the second novella in the Olympic Vista Chornicles.
Praise for the author: “Pawlik has a flare for writing about this period and I could truly visualize the eighties vibes through her description of music, fashion and even food.”
Pick up your copy today and join this motley group of friends as they journey into the strange!
Kelly Pawlik dabbled with story writing from a young age. She spent her childhood reading, dressing her beloved cat, Midnight, up in doll clothes and hunting garter snakes in the backyard. Her favourite cartoon as a child was Jem and she is proud to own the full box set of DVDs. Her childhood dream was to be an author and she is proud to be bringing characters to life with the Olympic Vista Chronicles.
Kelly is a tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) writer and has released multiple RPG supplements with her husband under their micro-publishing company, Dire Rugrat Publishing. She has also contributed to several best-selling works with Kobold Press.
Kelly lives on Vancouver Island, BC with her husband, their three inquisitive children, and two lazy cats.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
Love’s Refrain (The Stardust Duet Book 1) by K.G. Fletcher
Genre: Time Travel Romance
Present Day, Katherine ‘Kat’ Monroe, a celebrated jazz singer, is just ending her first national tour when she meets an elderly stranger who gifts her a locket with a mysterious message tucked inside. Through a series of events, Kat stumbles upon a strange portal in the theater and is suddenly transported to the postwar community of her beloved town…1947.
Kat is thrust into the intrigues of a world that threatens her career and may break her heart. Navigating her way amid risk, passion, and jealousy, she learns her only chance of understanding what has happened lies in Phillip Gordon, a handsome young pianist. What begins in curiosity becomes an urgent need. Kat finds herself torn between two very different versions of Phillip, in two contrasting worlds, one of whom will have to die before the other can fully live again.
Love’s Refrain is Book One in The Stardust Duet – a melodic tale about a man’s devotion, the woman tempting fate to save him, and a bond that transcends time itself.
If you love sizzling romance, edge-of-your-seat action, time travel, a swoon-worthy hero, and a talented heroine in a small town setting, you’ll love KG Fletcher’s dramatic time travel romance books. Each is a standalone with a guaranteed HEA, but an interconnected narrative. Best if read in order.
Buy Love’s Refrain and escape into a lyrical time travel romance adventure sure to steal across the meadows of your heart!
**FAIR WARNING: This book contains scenes of detailed intimacy and adult language. It is intended for readers 18+**
Dubbed, “The Singing Author,” KG Fletcher lives in her very own frat house in Atlanta, GA with her husband Ladd and three sons.
As a singer/songwriter in Nashville, TN, she became a recipient of the “Airplay International Award” for “Best New Artist” showcasing original songs at The Bluebird Café in Nashville, TN. She earned her BFA in theater at Valdosta State University, and has traveled the world professionally as a singer/actress.
She currently gets to play rock star as a backup singer in the National Tour, “Remember When Rock Was Young – the Elton John Tribute,” www.almosteltonjohn.com
She is also a summer artist-in-residence at her alma mater performing roles in musicals for the Peachstate Summer Theatre program, her favorite roles to date being Donna in Mamma Mia!, and Marmee in Little Women the Musical. During lockdown and all through the pandemic, KG got creative using a bedroom closet and used her BFA to full advantage narrating and producing the four books in her Reigning Hearts Series. (Now available on Audio.) She plans on narrating and producing ALL of her stories!
KG is a hopeless romantic continuing her work on her original cabaret act called, “The Novel Romantic – an unexpected evening of sweet & spicy love” to help promote her romance novels. As a full-time indie-artist, a particularly thrilling moment was when her Amazon best-selling romance novel, Georgia Pine became a 2019 Maggie Award of Excellence Finalist.
KG loves to interact with readers on social media, and is a conference speaker sharing how music can enhance a writer’s experience. For more info about tour dates (and FREE concert tickets), go to www.kgfletcherauthor.com/contact.html
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
Orphaned and disillusioned about her career, Diana Gutierrez-Adams is on a routine military assignment when she and her team are kidnapped by a domestic militia. She learns from her captors that her cryogenically-frozen grandfather is at the center of a high-stakes caper to steal technology for greed and great fortune. Challenged by the conspiracy and pulled by emotions she doesn’t fully understand, Diana begins a rescue mission that will change her life.
Set in 2049 America — a world where the elites make all the rules and artificial intelligence enforces them – the real danger is that the technology will be lost in the ensuing chaos. With her life under threat, Diana is forced into a desperate bid to escape, taking with her Gabrielle, her soulmate and the one person she knows she can trust.
To evade a devious enemy who is one step ahead of them at every turn, Diana and Gabrielle must outsmart the global monitoring systems that tracks their every move. On a trail littered with the dystopian remains of middle-class America, they will come face-to-face with an artificial intelligence that threatens the future of all humankind.
What happens to her is unexpected, perhaps miraculous – an adventure that embraces all her hopes for finding her true self and her place in a world dominated by powerful elites and even more powerful artificial intelligence.
John Calia – A Brooklyn-born, second generation American and the eldest of three boys, writing is his third career and the one about which he is most passionate. Following graduation from the US Naval Academy and active duty in the Navy, he embarked on a career in business. He began writing his blog “Who Will Lead?” in 2010 attracting over 120,000 readers. It inspired him to write his first book, an Amazon five-star rated business fable titled “The Reluctant CEO.” Currently he makes his home in Fairport, NY, a village on the Erie Canal.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
Two Rock Springs hearts driven by a higher calling…
Abby
After the death of my parents, I made it my mission to honor their memory by living the life they would have wanted for me. Helping others. Pursuing my career goal of becoming a midwife. Settling down with a nice guy. Unfortunately, as much as my parents would love the guy I’m currently dating, I feel exactly zero chemistry with him. To distract myself from that headache, I’ve opted to visit some freinds in Rock Springs and help out with the church’s annual carnival. Pastor Greg is as cute as they come, but a man of God seems off limits for dating prospects…
Greg
Knowing I’m single has prompted every member of my congregation to try and set me up with any and all available ladies they know. It had become common practice for me to politely decline, and suggest they invite them to attend service instead. Yet when Abby volunteered to help with the carnival arrangements she instantly caught my eye. I didn’t intend to kiss her on top of the Ferris Wheel, but the moment seemed right.
Confused by her own feelings, Abby bolted. Can I convince her to follow her heart? Or will she choose the path she believes would have made her parents happy?
Come meet the small town of Rock Springs Texas with a family that has your back, a town that knows your business, and men who love with everything they have.
This is a Steamy, Small Town, Cowboy Romance. No Cliffhangers. This is Book 9 in the Rock Springs Texas Series. As always there is a satisfying Happy Ever After. If you love steamy romances with insta love, hot love scenes, small towns, and cowboys, then this one is for you.
Kaci runs on coffee, chocolate, and Oreos. She loves her book boyfriends with tattoos, muscles, beards, and a little dirty.
Kaci loves romance books and has been jotting down ideas since she was in high school and is now putting the ideas down on paper. She believes in satisfying, happily ever afters with a lot of steam on the way.
She was born and raised in Southwest Florida but is wholeheartedly a mountain girl. She has been reading as many books as she could get her hands on since grade school and loves to travel when she gets the chance.
Would you like a chance to win a$25 Gift Card to the eBook Store of your choice (Amazon, Apple, Google, Kobo, Barnes and Noble)?Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
Sometimes even the most carefully conceived burglary can take an unexpected turn. Florence Palmer has her eye on concert violinist Aaron Levy’s priceless violin. Unfortunately, she finds it’s already been stolen. Her surprise doubles when the virtuoso she’d planned to burgle offers to hire her to help him steal it back. But they’re not the only ones looking for the missing violin. When Flo inadvertently becomes the prime suspect in a case of murder, she and Aaron need to clear her name. Will they find the real killer and get the violin back to its rightful owner without anyone else, especially themselves, being killed?
Mark Reutlinger is the author of the novels “Made in China,” “Murder with Strings Attached,” and the “Mrs. Kaplan” cozy mystery series, as well as “Sister-in-Law” under the pen name M. R. Morgan. He is a professor of law emeritus at Seattle University. Born in San Francisco, Mark graduated from UC Berkeley and now lives with his wife, Analee, in University Place, Washington. When not reading or writing, Mark enjoys tennis, biking, playing the clarinet (in the Tacoma Concert Band), sports cars, and various arts and crafts. He doesn’t know where he finds time for it all.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
The Calling (The Descendants Series Book 2) by Destiny Hawkins
She was given a second chance to prove that she could fall in line, but with her lack of power, that would be impossible.
Rayah’s entire life, she’d always been different from everyone else, and in Lytonia, being different was treated as a crime, but in her case, she was granted a pass. In only a few months, she had to present her abilities to the council and prove to them that she was worthy of walking the halls of Monroe Academy, but Artemis, her tormentor and superior officer, would stop at nothing to keep her from excelling. Being powerless and not proving herself meant that she would be transitioned into a slave, and Artemis would become her master. What Rayah realized was that she wasn’t as powerless as she thought. For weeks she had been able to do things that only the elite lighters could do, and even though this meant that she was strong, it made her more different than she could have ever imagined. Rayah went from being weak to possibly being as strong as a Gods Daughter, and she couldn’t tell anyone. The standard colors of a Lytonians powers are white, royal blue, and turquoise blue. Hers were black…
Bestselling author Destiny Hawkins brings you the second installment of a gripping dark fantasy where a powerless girl must survive in a society that doesn’t accept the weak…or the defective.
Destiny Hawkins is a multi-genre author with a dark imagination and a love for magic.
She enjoys working on her graphic designing business : Vibrant Designs LLC, writing, listening to music, reading, and of course watching some anime! Her favorite genres to read and work in are Fantasy, LGBT, Paranormal, Romance, Dystopian, Sci-fi, and young adult.
Destiny loves creating stories and building worlds that both teach and entertain! When writing she sticks to her slogan: Where beauty can be found in darkness.
Get ready for The Unbroken, Book Three of The Descendants Series!
Nina Soden 