Wednesday, November 30, 2022

The Girl Who Escaped Book Review and Giveaway


One month ago, four college girls were abducted. Three were brutally murdered. One girl escaped. 

Angie Taylor was traumatized and shocked speechless. 
The police think she killed her friends, and then had a mental breakdown. 
Her psychiatrist believes she has an emotionally unstable personality disorder. 
Can she ever speak up and describe the killer’s face to a police sketch artist? 
Is the murderer stalking her right now, eager to finish what he started? 
Everyone in the city is on edge, fearing the worst, not sure what to believe. 

A visit from a determined FBI agent shakes things up and raises the stakes. FBI Special Agent Brenda Reynolds of the VSRT must investigate whether the mysterious silent girl is a victim, a killer, or has gone insane. 

Grab your copy of the suspense thriller everyone is talking about, and start reading right now.

My thoughts:

Mark Nolan has done it again! This book is suspenseful, emotional, and makes you think about the things that could be happening in the world around you. His descriptions and the twists and turns of the story will keep you on the edge of your seat, keeping you guessing until the very end. I would definitely recommend this for anyone who enjoys a good mystery!

Available to buy from....
Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Paperback
***FREE for Kindle Unlimited users***

Readers are saying... 
"Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start."

 "This was the first Mark Nolan book I have read and it will not be the last. This was a fast-paced, thriller, with an amazing plot and great character building."

 "Great plot; wonderful cohesive characters; talk about action packed; thriller,... oh yeah from page one through the end! Once you start this book you CANNOT put it down - trust me. "

"I have not read a good mystery thriller in such a long time. The Girl Who Escaped was AMAZING! 5 stars AMAZING! Mark Nolan kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time."

Also available from the author
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All six Kindle Unlimited books in the Jake Wolfe vigilante justice thriller series are available to read free with your subscription.

About the author
Mark grew up on the California coast and has lived in the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii. He enjoys being close to the ocean and has enjoyed boating, fishing, scuba diving and exploring in Florida, Mexico, California, Hawaii, etc. His first novel, Dead Lawyers Don’t Lie was a Top 20 Bestseller in the Amazon Kindle Store and a Kindle Unlimited All-Star.

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Thursday, September 22, 2022

Always Her Love Book Review and Giveaway


NEW RELEASE
Some fates are too tempting to deny… 
If you love single-parent romances, you won’t want to miss Always Her Love, an emotionally gripping, funny, and sinfully-hot story of forbidden love, with a much deserved and epic happily ever after. Fall in love on the sandy shores of Silver Island, home to coffee shops, boat races, midnight rendezvous, and the sexy, sharp-witted Steeles. They have a penchant for pranks, a passion for loyalty, and a trunk full of secrets. All Steele novels may be enjoyed as standalone romances. 

In ALWAYS HER LOVE 
"I'm pregnant. It’s yours. I’m having it, and unless you want it, I’m putting it up for adoption.” Those were the words that changed Levi Steele’s life before he was even legally allowed to drink. There was never any question about whether he would keep his daughter, and eight years later, he doesn’t have a single regret. He owns a successful contracting company, he’s part of the Dark Knights motorcycle club, and Joey’s happiness is his top priority. None of that would be possible without the help of Joey’s beautiful and selfless aunt Tara, who’s going to be staying with them over spring break and who he’s been thinking about in ways he shouldn’t. But Tara’s older sister is Joey’s birth mother, and she’s the last woman the dirty-talking biker should want to get his hands on. 

Tara Osten has been crushing on Levi for as long as she can remember. He’s a loving father, a loyal friend, someone with whom she can always be herself, and six-plus feet of deliciously hard, tattooed muscle. At twenty-four, she’s finally realized he will never see her as more than his baby mama’s younger sister. It’s time to let go of her lustful fantasies starring Levi Steele and move on with her life. Step one: Buy her own place and start dating. Step two: Survive spring break without falling harder for the one man she can never have.

My thoughts:

Melissa Foster has done it again, sharing the Steele family and their friends with us and surrounding us with the amazing community that they live in! Levi is an wonderful man, a single dad with a huge heart who focuses everything on his daughter. Tara is her aunt, who has stepped in and helped so many times along the way and has become an amazing friend to Levi.

However, Tara has had a crush on Levi since childhood, and Levi is discovering feelings that he didn't know that he had. However, they think they're off limits to each other, no matter their feelings. As Tara is trying to move away from Levi to let her feelings settle Levi is pushing his way into her life. Can they navigate a new level in their relationship? Or will testing love be the end of their friendship?

Available to buy from ...

melissa newsletter

Audio narrated by Aiden Snow and Ava Erickson

"Melissa Foster is synonymous with sexy, swoony, heartfelt romance!" - NYT Bestseller Lauren Blakely​

"You can always rely on Melissa Foster to deliver a story that's fresh, emotional and entertaining. Make sure you have all night, because once you start you won't want to stop reading. Every book's a winner!" - New York Times Bestselling Author Brenda Novak 

"With her wonderful characters and resonating emotions, Melissa Foster is a must-read author!" - New York Times Bestseller J. Kenner

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Tempted by Love (The Steeles at Silver Island, Book 1)
Enjoy heart-meltingly beautiful and toe-curlingly sexy romance in Tempted by Love, an emotionally riveting story about a man who has lost it all and carries a torturous secret, a divorced single mother who has everything to lose, and the little girl who helps them heal. Fall in love on the sandy shores of Silver Island, home to coffee shops, boat races, midnight rendezvous, and the sexy, sharp-witted Steeles.

In TEMPTED BY LOVE… 
Years ago, bestselling author Jack “Jock” Steele lost his girlfriend and baby in a horrific accident that drove a wedge between Jock and his family, keeping him from sharing a devastating secret. An aging philanthropist saved him from the brink of despair, and for a decade Jock cared for his ailing friend who became his family. Now his friend has passed away and left him a fortune—on the condition that he publishes another book. Jock is floundering, unsure how to rebuild the life he’d walked away from, much less find his muse, have another relationship with a woman, or even think about having a family of his own. But he can’t get his sweet, sexy new friend, single-mother Daphne Zablonski out of his head, and her adorable toddler must know something he doesn’t, because she wraps her tiny fingers around his heart and won’t let go.

Daphne has been through the wringer with her ex-husband and doesn’t believe true love is in the cards for her. Friends she can handle, but letting a man see her mom bod naked? Especially someone as strikingly handsome and unbelievably sexy as Jock? No, thank you. Besides, she has a toddler to chase after and enough fictional boyfriends to fill her lonely nights. If only her book boyfriends could make her body tingle the way one look from her mysterious neighbor does.

As Jock and Daphne’s friendship turns to something too tempting to deny, their lives take an unexpected turn. Can a man who has lost everything find redemption with a woman who has everything to lose? And then there’s that secret…

Available to buy from ...

My True Love (The Steeles at Silver Island, Book 2)
Embracing Her Heart (The Montgomerys Book 1) by [Foster, Melissa] Can a man who resents the hand he’s been dealt and a woman who spends her days grateful for every little thing find true love in each other’s arms—or are their differences stronger than both of them? 
Find out in this funny, sexy, heartfelt romance, and fall in love with Grant and Jules on the sandy shores of Silver Island, home to coffee shops, boat races, and midnight rendezvous.

Even war heroes need a little help sometimes... 
After spending years fighting for his country and too damn long learning to navigate life with a prosthetic leg, Grant Silver returns to Silver Island to figure out a future he couldn’t fathom without fatigues and a gun in his hand. He’d almost forgotten how a man could suffocate from the warmth and caring community in which he’d grown up, and if that weren’t bad enough, his buddies’ beautiful and far-too-chipper younger sister won’t stop flitting into his life, trying to sprinkle happy dust everywhere she goes. 

As a cancer survivor, Jules Steele knows better than to count on seeing tomorrow. She doesn't take a single moment for granted, and she isn’t about to let a man who used to be charming and full of life waste the future he’s been blessed with. She's determined to get through to him, even if it takes a few steamy kisses... 

Available to buy from ...

Caught by Love (The Steeles at Silver Island, Book 3)
Embracing Her Heart (The Montgomerys Book 1) by [Foster, Melissa]
He’s set on pleasure, but she’s all business. Sizzling chemistry and a surprising connection set this sexy love story in motion. But is it enough to last forever? Find out and fall in love on the sandy shores of Silver Island, home to coffee shops, boat races, midnight rendezvous, and the sexy, sharp-witted Steeles. 

Archer Steele is one of the leading vintners on the East Coast. He’s arrogant, aggressive, and has never been interested in settling down, which is what makes his hookups with his sister’s beautiful blond best friend, hair and makeup artist Indi Oliver, the perfect escape. But Indi’s toying with moving to the island, and when she ends their no-strings trysts to focus on her business, Archer isn’t ready to let her go…

Available to buy from ...

Releasing May 2023!
Wild Island Love (The Steeles at Silver Island, Book 5)
Sparks fly between a PR rep and an A-list actor who want nothing to do with each other.
Leni Steele might be looking for love, but she’s definitely not looking to be someone’s fake date. Especially not one of the most infuriatingly handsome and annoyingly cocky actors on the planet, Duncan Raz. But when the owner of the PR firm for which she works forces her to walk the red carpet on his arm, she has no choice. Neither wants to be there, much less with each other. They’re like oil and water, and he gets on her last nerve. But after a few tequila shots, that’s not all he gets on. What was supposed to be one date turns into a media frenzy they can’t afford to ignore, and Leni has no other option than to continue the ruse. All the fake kisses furtive glances, and seductive touches eventually start to feel very real. But Raz didn’t earn his A-list-actor status for nothing. Is he just doing what he does best? Playing a role? Or is Leni the leading lady in Raz’s real-life love story?

Available to buy from ...


Other stories set on Silver Island 
MAYBE WE WILL (Silver Harbor) -- Available in KU 
MAYBE WE SHOULD (Silver Harbor) -- Available in KU 
MAYBE WE WON’T (Silver Harbor) -- Available in KU 
SEARCHING FOR LOVE (Bradens & Montgomerys) 
BAYSIDE FANTASIES (Bayside Summers)

About the author
Melissa Foster is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and women’s fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented, the perfect beach reads for contemporary romance and women’s fiction lovers who enjoy reading about loyal, wealthy heroes and smart, sassy heroines with complex relatable issues.

Melissa also writes sweet romance under the pen name Addison Cole.

Melissa enjoys chatting with readers and book clubs. Send her an email invitation to your next event!

Never miss a brand new release, special promotions or inside gossip again by simply signing up to receive your newsletter from Melissa.

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Sunday, September 11, 2022

Cinder Bella and Always Noel Book Reviews and Giveaway


When all seems lost, a Christmas miracle walks in… 

Albany, Oregon 
December, 1937 

Despite the lingering Depression, Albany, Oregon is lit up for Christmas. The entire town is bright with hope ushered in with the holiday season. But Jane Scott’s dream for the perfect Christmas is ruined. She’s accepted to the University of Oregon, yet denied the scholarship that would allow her to attend. On top of that her boyfriend, Jack Arthur, stands her up just when she needs him most. Faced with not earning a teaching degree she wonders if she could be happy living life as her mother has—as a woman contented with all things domestic. As each day seems darker, Jane’s strength and faith is tested. 

Feeling as though everything she had counted on is fading away, she flounders for an anchor. Little by little the Scott family Christmas traditions and a benefactor’s encouragement remind her of what the season is all about, what she is all about. Can plans for a new job pay enough for tuition? Does Jack’s mysterious absence mean the end of their future together? Is a Christmas miracle on the way?
  
My thoughts:
 
This was a very quick and heartwarming Christmas story. Just before the holidays Jane receives a letter that broke her heart, then her beloved stands her up for a date and is missing from her life for several days. As Jane is struggling to put her life in order, she stops to help others along the way, making people's holidays merrier. But can she get her own Christmas miracle?



Also available...
The Christmas Coat ('Tis the Season Book 1)
ERIC HOFFER BOOK AWARD- FINALIST
Two days before Christmas, ornery Elliot Ebberts is tasked with school drop-off even though distracted by an important real estate transaction. In the holiday carpool chaos his extravagant, lucky coat goes missing. In a panic, he searches for his coat, tracing its path as it passes through the hands of good people in dire situations. 

Meanwhile, his plan to WOW his wife Libby with an ostentatious gift reveals Elliot’s shallowness to the world and mortifies his entire family. Is it too late for him to rediscover the meaning of Christmas, to remember who he is without all the trappings of the job that defines him? Can Libby and their children ever forgive him?


The Tin Whistle ('Tis the Season Book 2)
Inspired by a true story... 

1854 
Jacob Gusky wakes up hoping Santa has arrived. And he has... but not for Jacob, one of two Jewish boys living at the Boys’ Home of Manhattan. When a friend gifts him a tin whistle, Jacob learns the power of giving, the joy in receiving, and hears what he considers to be the sound of happiness. 

1881 
Recently widowed and completely out of options, Frannie takes her daughter Molly to the Home for the Friendless. “You’ll be back before Christmas?” Molly asks. Frannie gives Molly half a quilt square and keeps the other, choking on her reply. 

Now a happily married father of three, Jacob Gusky owns Gusky’s Grand Emporium, Pittsburgh’s first premier department store. After unearthing the tin whistle from the orphanage, he is reminded of what it felt like to have nothing, and decides to make a difference in the lives of others no matter their faith. But with so little time before Christmas morning, can he even begin to give the orphaned children of Pittsburgh what he knows they need? 

When giving is more important than receiving...


Cinder Bella ('Tis the Season Book 3)
She never had anything. 
He lost everything. 
Together they create a Christmas to remember. 

December, 1893
Shadyside, Pennyslvania 

Bella Darling lives in a cozy barn at Maple Grove, an estate owned by industrialist Archibald Westminster. The Westminster family is stranded overseas and have sent word to relieve all employees of their duties except Margaret, the pregnant maid, James the butler, and Bella. Content with borrowed books and a toasty home festooned with pine boughs and cinnamon sticks, she coaxes the old hens to lay eggs--extraordinary eggs. Bella yearns for just one thing—someone to share her life with. Always inventive, she has a plan for that. She just needs the right egg into the hands of the right man. 

Bartholomew Baines, a Harvard-educated banker, is reeling in the aftermath of his bank's collapse. With his friends and fiancé ostracizing him for what he thought was an act of generosity, he is penniless and alone. A kind woman welcomes him into her boarding house under conditions that he reluctantly accepts. Completely undone by his current, lowly position, and by the motley crew of fellow boarders who view him as one of them, Bartholomew wrestles with how to rebuild. 

With the special eggs as the impetus, the first meeting between Bella and Bartholomew gives each the wrong idea about the other. And when the boarding house burns down a week before Christmas it’s Bella who is there to lend a hand. She, Margaret, and James invite the homeless group to stay at the estate through the holidays. But as Christmas draws closer, eviction papers arrive. Maple Grove is being foreclosed upon. Can Bella work her magic and save their Christmas? Is the growing attraction between Bella and Bartholomew enough for them to see past their differences? Only time will tell and only if time doesn’t run out before they all have the Christmas of their lives.
 
My thoughts:
 
When I started reading this book, I had a hard time because it seemed so odd to write a Christmas story during such a difficult time, when so many people were broke and struggling. However, as the story progressed I learned to love so much about the struggle. I couldn't help but wish for this wonderful group of people to have a happy ending and spent the second half of the book trying to figure out how it could happen.

I absolutely love how even though their lives are imploding this ragtag group makes sure the holidays are special for the people living nearby.

About Kathleen Shoop
Bestselling author, Kathleen Shoop, holds a PhD in reading education and has more than 20 years of experience in the classroom. She writes historical fiction, women’s fiction and romance. Shoop’s novels have garnered various awards in the Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY), Eric Hoffer Book Awards, Indie Excellence Awards, Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Readers’ Favorite and the San Francisco Book Festival. Kathleen has been featured in USA Today and the Writer’s Guide to 2013. Her work has appeared in The Tribune-Review, four Chicken Soup for the Soul books and Pittsburgh Parent magazine. Kathleen coordinates Mindful Writing Retreats and is a regular presenter at conferences for writers.

I adore writing historical fiction (The Letter series, After the Fog and Donora Stories) but am having a blast writing romance like Home Again, Return to Love and Tending Her Heart (Endless Love series). Thank you so much for the time you take to read.

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Thursday, August 11, 2022

Shell House Guest Book Review


A compelling new beach read from the authors of Mindful Writers Retreat. From new love to old love... even the love of a house plays host to
This is such a fabulously different summer read! This book is a collection of short stories, poems and writings, all centering around the same amazing house, but through a long span of time. Because we get to watch the house age and change over time, it actually becomes one of the characters in the story.

I love the Mindful Writers Retreat series, and I adore how the theme of each book is different, yet they still invoke a lot of the same feelings. This book is outstanding and is chock full of wonderful stories.generations of special events at Shell House. Beautifully situated between the Atlantic Ocean and Silver Lake, this magnificent home is the perfect setting for inner transformation and life-changing beach memories. From the Roaring '20s to modern times, the shifting sands lend a glorious backdrop to intrigue, bootlegging, a séance, an alien visit, and true love as precious as hidden treasure. 

Contributors include: Lorraine Donohue Bonzelet, Gloria Bostic, Deborah Hetrick Catanese, Jennifer D. Diamond, Judy England-McCarthy, Phil Giunta, Kimberly Kurth Gray, Hilary Hauck, Larry Ivkovich, Stephanie Keyes, S. M. Kraftchak, Cindy Moldovan, Amy Morley, Michael Morley, James Robinson, Jr., Larry Schardt, Carol Schoenig, Kathleen Shoop, Demi Stevens, Lisa Valli, Madhu Bazaz Wangu, Denise Weaver, and Michele Zirkle. 

Proceeds will benefit the Marine Education, Research, and Rehabilitation Institute of Delaware (MERRinstitute.org). We hope that you love the collection, and that the funds we raise help to preserve the gift that Rehoboth is to all. 
 
Guest Book Review by Rachel Quaill:
 
What an amazing menagerie of short stories that pull you in and create a vivid world of amazing people all intertwined by one magical and timeless home that transcends human existence. The stories seem to randomly follow one another, however as you read further you pull each storyline together to help delve deeper into the historic background and existence of the Shell House. You can’t help but become so involved with each character. They are all so relatable. The stories of family, intrigue, love, and heartache makes this collection a perfect summertime read. The backdrop of what is described to be a wonderful sea town has been a big part of making the stories interesting and beautiful. The Shell House stories unfold one after another engulfing you into all the secrets and experiences that occurred in the rooms of this mansion.

Available at....


Enjoy these book excerpts...

FLORA & GEORGE

Kathleen Shoop

June 21, 1925

Flora Daniels and Rachel Platt slept on chaise lounges by the sea, waves crashing in mesmerizing rhythm, salt and jasmine perfuming the air. Flora stirred, the wooden slats digging into her spine. The rising sun warmed her cheeks. Without opening her eyes she groped the sand for her hat and pulled it on. She swallowed anxiety and reminded herself that this would be the last time she took such a risk. The Shell House Soiree would bring enough lettuce for her to buy back her father’s farm, pay for her brother’s attorney, and more. She’d even begun to grow her hair out so she could easily return to boring old farm life without sparking the least curiosity from her old neighbors.

If only the booze had arrived on schedule she would feel as carefree as she needed to appear. Every other non-alcoholic detail for the party had been executed. She cheered herself with reminders that she’d never failed before. Yes, the boozy delivery was delayed. But better safe than stuffed away in the Big House and made an example of how bootlegging could go bad in a quiet, resort town like Rehoboth Beach.

“Morning.” The Shell House cook Molly’s voice and the scent of coffee came from behind Flora. She gestured to a third chaise. “Sit. Have a cup. What’s new?”

“Thank you,” Molly said, “but no. My family reunion.”

Flora swung her legs around and put her feet in the sand, reaching for a mug. “Oh, right. Yes. You leave this morning.”

“The servers you hired are already organizing in the kitchen, fluttering about the house, moving furniture for the band and…” Molly’s knuckles whitened as she gripped the second mug tightly.

Flora understood Molly’s concern. She was the primary caretaker of the mansion nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and Silver Lake. “Mrs. Carpenter knows you’re not responsible for anything this weekend. Everything will be all right.”

Molly sighed and set the second mug in the sand near Rachel who sat up. 

“You little rosebud, you, Molly,” Rachel said. “You’re saving us with the best Joe I’ve ever smelled in my life.”

Molly nodded. “It was lovely to meet you both. Thank you for promising to be gentle with the house and for, well, I baked something special—not elegant like the foods you’ve selected for the soiree but… I felt the need to make one humble thing. Just some canned fruit and flour.”

Flora smiled, wishing she had more time to spend with Molly, the kind of friend she used to have. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Well, loooooky there,” Rachel said.

Flora ignored Rachel, wanting to reassure Molly. 

Molly continued. “I’ll stow it in the pantry for when you need something different, when, you know, when a need reveals itself. I don’t know. It’s silly.”

“Sounds fabulous.” Flora wasn’t sure what Molly meant, but the lady had been so sweet and hospitable that she took the gesture to heart.

Rachel shook Flora’s arm. “Seriously, look at those jelly beans.”

Flora lifted her hat brim to see what Rachel was harping about.

“I think my heart stopped,” Rachel said.

Flora’s breath hitched. “I think the condition is catching.”

Two men in deliciously immodest bathing costumes sauntered toward them like jungle cats, wet skin glistening. 

Flora forced her breath to even out, confused, energized, curious as the gaze of the tall, dark heartthrob turned her inside out.

***

TIME SHARE

Larry Ivkovich

Celine Vranic stood at the window in the second-floor bedroom of Shell House, the doomed Carpenter mansion. The huge master suite’s luxurious furnishings, including a four-poster canopy bed, hardwood floor, twin bathrooms, and wood-burning fireplace, held no interest for her. She’d studied and sketched all the rooms multiple times in the last three days. Now, only the view of the moonlit coastline between Delaware’s Rehoboth and Dewey beaches riveted her attention. 

She turned as soft footfalls behind her broke the spell. “Ready, love?” Julia Boisseau stood at the doorway of the bedroom. “It’s time.” 

Time, Celine thought. That’s the irony, isn’t it?

The historic house and its acre of beachfront property had been for sale for over a year with no takers. A shame and a tragedy, everyone said, yet no individual or organization had been able to come to the mansion’s rescue, which was now slated for demolition. 

So it was up to Celine and Julia. Celine had come up with a fantastic, unbelievable plan but, with Julia’s mystical help, Celine was sure it could work. 

“Not having second thoughts, are you?” Julia said. She and Julia married in 2013 when same-sex marriage became legal in their state. Julia was agelessly beautiful, despite her middle years. Her dark-brown skin was flawless, her youthfully trim, tall figure graceful beneath a long, blue sundress. Black hair tumbled about her shoulders in thin braids. 

Second thoughts? Celine ran a hand through short, graying, auburn hair. She glanced at the jeans, sneakers, and T-shirt she wore over her own still-slim body. Her “traveling clothes,” as it were. She dressed for comfort because, as Julia said, no one at the party in the 1941 timeline would even know Celine was present.

She’d be an astral-projected observer out-of-time, an unseen temporal traveler, one not trying to alter the past in order to change the future. Or inhabiting the body of someone in that timeline in order to act. Or trying to find out who really assassinated JFK, stopping 9/11, or discover the identity of Jack the Ripper. As tempting as all that was, they could only perform this ceremony once, the numinous energies being site-specific. 

Celine was determined to find something which had been hidden within the labyrinthine depths of Shell House decades earlier. A phone conversation with her grandmother six months earlier had been the spark…

***

SEE YOU AROUND THE COSMOS,

SWEET CHEEKS!

Phil Giunta

Dewey Beach, Delaware

November 1983

In the chill of late autumn, Jenna wriggled her toes in the wet sand while gelid waves soaked the rolled cuffs of her jeans. She had driven to her family’s beach house in Delaware from the University of Maryland and arrived a few hours after sunset. No sooner had she parked her Fiero in the garage than she kicked off her Keds and rushed to the edge of the surf.   

“Knew I’d find you out here, garotinha,” a voice called. “Only you would stand barefoot in freezing water to stare at the sky. Just like when you were little.”

Jenna grinned at the familiar Portuguese diminutive for little girl, but her gaze remained fixed on the heavens as her family’s housekeeper, Rosa, trudged toward her with flashlight in hand. “It feels wonderful. You should try it.”

“No, thanks. This old gal can see the stars just fine from back here.”

“I might bring my telescope out to the patio tonight.”

“You’ll have plenty of time for it. Your mother called a few minutes ago. There was some legal problem with that big merger. Your father had to go into the office to help with negotiations.”  

Jenna kicked a clump of wet sand into the water. “Always business before family.” 

“Your parents and brother won’t get here until after midnight. Want me to stay until they arrive?”

Jenna sauntered up the beach and wrapped her arms around Rosa. “As much as I would love your company, I don’t want to keep you from your family the night before Thanksgiving.”

Rosa shrugged. “I’m only going to Dover to stay with my sister and her husband for the weekend. They’re doing all the cooking. A traditional Portuguese feast.”

“Sounds wonderful, but don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine tonight. I’m a big girl now, you know.”

“You’ll always be garotinha to me. Can I make you something to eat before I leave?”

“I grabbed pizza on the way.” 

“I don’t know how you college kids survive on junk food. Look, a shooting star!” Rosa thrust a finger toward the sky where a small white orb streaked through the constellation Pegasus. “Make a wish.”

“I’m not a kid anymore, Rosa.” 

“You were a lot more agreeable when you were.”

“That’s moving too slow for a meteor.”

“Maybe it’s a jet or a satel—” The orb turned forty-five degrees west and shot across the sky until it disappeared behind the trees. “Meu Deus!” Rosa gaped at Jenna. “Tell me that was a UFO.”

“Well, it was no jet or satellite and sure as hell wasn’t debris.”

“You can tell your family you saw an alien ship.”

 Jenna snickered. “I’m an astronomy major and a sci-fi nerd. They’d never believe me.”

“I’ll back you up.”

“I doubt that’ll help. You’ve been my partner in crime since I was five.” 

“True, but what else could it have been?”

“I guess we’ll never know.”

“I can’t wait to tell my sister about it. Anyway, the turkeys are in the fridge and the dining room table is set.”

“And I’m sure the place is immaculate as always. We’ll make sure it stays that way.” The women embraced once more. “Thank you for getting the house ready for us, Rosa. Safe drive to Dover and have a fabulous holiday.”

“You, too. Hose the sand off your feet before you go inside and no wild parties tonight, garotinha.”

“Just me, my telescope, and the stars. I’m sure that UFO was the craziest thing that’ll happen this evening.”

***
Proceeds from this book will benefit the Marine Education, Research, and Rehabilitation Institute of Delaware, (MERRinstitute.org), non-profit stranding response and rehabilitation organization dedicated to the conser­vation of marine mammals and sea turtles. MERR Institute, Inc. is authorized by National Marine Fisheries Service and the State of Delaware to be the official standing respondents for the Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles of Delaware. 

Rehoboth’s coastline and its waters provide food, recreation, housing, and oppor­tunities for millions of people, all of this use means we need to take even better care for the environment that lends romance, inspiration, joy, and relaxation.
***

Also available in the Mindful Writers Retreat Series...
Into the Woods
Short stories, poems, essays, music, and one walking meditation. Each piece is unique in tone and genre and the result is that the collection captures the fascinating, frightening, fun, healing, and fantastical wonder of time spent in the woods. 

Proceeds support the research and work of The Children's Heart Foundation. 

Featuring: Lorraine Bonzelet, Wende Dikec, Teresa Futrick, Selah Gray, Hilary Hauck, Eileen Enwright Hodgetts, Larry Ivkovich, Lori M. Jones, Kimberly Kurth Gray, Ramona DeFelice Long, Laura Lovic-Lindsay, MaryAlice Meli, Amy Morley, Gail Oare, Sherren Elias Pensiero, Kim Pierson, Cara Reinard, James Robinson, Jr., Larry Schardt, Linda K. Schmitmeyer, Carol Schoenig, Kathleen Shoop, Martha Swiss, Madhu Bazaz Wangu, Denise Weaver, Michele Zirkle.

Available at....

Over the River and Through the Woods
A holiday pastiche from the authors of Mindful Writers Retreat, sure to light your festive candles! From a Thanksgiving snowstorm that mends old feuds... to the family misunderstandings that fuel new ones... a quirky elf and some romantic stardust will get you ready to go Over the River and Through the Woods on a journey through time!

Available at....





Love on the Edge
Experience love's emotional gamut from the authors of Mindful Writers Retreat, sure to bring joy and bliss to your heart any time of year. From love in the time of war... to love at first sight and long walks in the snow... to sparks flying because of nosy neighbors... Love on the Edge reveals the essence and evolution of the human need for relationship, written in a time when we're all searching for deeper meaning and connection. 

With stories by: Lorraine Donohue Bonzelet, Jennifer D. Diamond, Abigail Drake, Judy England-McCarthy, Phil Giunta, N. J. Hammer, Kimberly Kurth Gray, Hilary Hauck, S. M. Kraftchak, Ramona DeFelice Long, MaryAlice Meli, Amy Morley, Gail Oare, Kim Pierson, James Robinson, Jr., Kathleen Shoop, Demi Stevens, Lisa Valli, Deborah Vita, Madhu Wangu, Denise Weaver, and Michele Zirkle. 

Proceeds benefit Allegheny Children's Initiative-Partners For Quality, Inc.

Available at....

Also available...
Writing Inspiration Through Mindful Walking
Romancing Your Muse Book 1
Walking is such a simple thing, but its addition to your creative habits is life-changing. 

Writing Inspiration Through Mindful Walking was written as an introductory guide to familiarize those attending Mindful Writers Retreats with the walking component of the event. When those ideas helped attendees far beyond the boundaries of the retreat, the content was expanded. 

Prompts encourage you to add walking into your current writing practice, and to experience the ways walking can fuel writing volume while also raising its quality. 

Poetry by Madhu Bazaz Wangu serves as the perfect accompaniment, a meditative lure to further inspire your writing life. 

Take the first step!

Available at....


Mindful Writers Retreat Authors 
The Mindful Writers retreat together several times a year in the beautiful Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania. While there, they write books and come up with some wonderful stories. They share these in their anthologies.


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