Straight Chatting from the Library: Maria Imbalzano

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Maria Imbalzano will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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How did you choose your genre? What made you write this book?

I love to read contemporary romance, so when I first started writing over 20 years ago, I chose the genre I enjoy most. I wrote this book because of my love of the Florida Keys, and specifically Key West, which is the setting for “Island Detour” (although it’s called Sunrise Island). I had also learned about a semester-away environmental school for teens in the Bahamas, which fascinated me. As a result, I created Sunrise Island School.

Writers write what they know, and must observe the world. Are you a first born, middle or last child and how does this shape your view of the world?

As a first-born child, I am confident, driven, and have achieved success. That’s the positive side. On the negative side, I like to control things and am focused on being correct. I think that since I am driven and have achieved success, I believe everyone should be driven. It’s the only way to get somewhere.

Where is your favorite place to write?

I have an office at home overlooking our back yard, which is my writing space. All of my books on writing are in the closet, I have paper, pens, clips, highlighters, stickie notes, and anything else I could possibly need while I’m writing. I also have a big comfy chair that I could sit in and read my pages, if I want to edit on paper. We also have a beach house which overlooks the Atlantic. I have a desk there that faces the ocean in our second floor bedroom. While I don’t have all my “stuff” there, all I need is my laptop and notebook with my in-depth outline of my story, and I’m good to go.

How do you feel about killing your darlings, and what do you do with the remains?

I’m guessing you’re talking about editing out scenes that I love or re-writing a story because the first version isn’t working. I can’t say that I love it, but I understand that it may be necessary. I save everything I’ve edited out into another document in case I can use it in a different scene.

You are introduced to your favorite author. Who is it, and what is that one burning question you must ask them?

Interestingly, I just met and had lunch with Fiona Davis (Lions of Fifth Avenue, The Spectacular etc.) She writes historical fiction that takes place at iconic buildings in New York City, which I love. My first question: how did you come up with such an interesting niche?

Inquiring minds want to know…tell readers something about you that no one knows.

I was inducted into The Italian American Hall of Fame in 2014.

You are stranded on a deserted island with only a back pack for company. What three items are in your survival pack?

Water
Kindle
Some long life battery to keep my Kindle from dying

If you could have one super power in your existence, what would it be?

Flying. I often dream that I can fly and it’s awesome.

Favorite snack?

Milk chocolate candy

Indy 500 - Do you know how to get where you’re going or do you drive the speed limit?

I generally know how to get where I’m going. I’m a planner/plotter after all. I rarely drive the speed limit. I need to get where I’m going as quickly as possible so I can enjoy every minute of the destination.

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Falsely accused of wrongdoing at a Princeton Prep school, Sophie Kearns accepts a temporary teaching position at an environmental school in the Florida Keys to wait out her suspension. The time away is meant to be an anxiety-free escape, but her clashes with the hot but arrogant marine biology teacher, Max Heaton, are anything but tranquil.

Max is determined to start an environmental research institute at the school, but he suspects the gorgeous new Lit teacher, who lacks even the most basic outdoor skills, is there to hinder that dream. Yet, something about her tames the demons from his past, and he can no longer ignore the fire she’s lit inside him.

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It wasn’t long enough before Max and Ben ushered Sophie to the fishing boat. She inhaled huge breaths of salt air, hoping the oxygen would perform some magic on the dull throb in her head.

“I know you’re going to find this hard to believe,” she started hesitantly, “but I don’t know how to fish.”

“What a surprise.” Max didn’t even bother to moderate his sarcasm.

Sophie’s scowl fell on his back as he and Ben gathered up rods and reels, a tackle box, and cartons of what she could only assume contained live bait. He had been sniping at her for days. Ever since Andy had asked her to cover for him as director. It was as if she had caused Andy’s accident intentionally, just to take over his job and keep it from Max.

She followed them onto the dock and into the boat, wishing she had brought her bottle of aspirin to dull the pain of this ill-conceived trip.

She sat on the bench, quiet as a church mouse, as Max steered the boat out toward the ocean. Her eyes betrayed her as they were drawn to the muscles in his back and shoulders, stretching and straining with each movement. His tawny, bronze skin glistened with a layer of sunscreen and ocean mist. A work of art. His jaw was square and tight, his cheekbones chiseled. Soft, wavy brown hair blew straight back from his forehead, giving her a bird’s-eye view of one very gorgeous man. Oh, so easy on the eyes. Too bad he wasn’t as easy on the nerves.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Maria Imbalzano is an award-winning contemporary author who writes about strong, independent women and the men who fall in love with them. She recently retired from the practice of law, but legal issues have a way of showing up in many of her novels. When not writing, she loves to travel both abroad and in the states. Maria lives in central New Jersey with her husband--not far from her two daughters and granddaughters. For more information about her books, please visit her website at http://mariaimbalzano.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter.

Awards Maria is a member of New Jersey Romance Writers and has received many honors and awards for her work including the ACRA Readers’ Choice Heart of Excellence Award, the Wisconsin Romance Writers Write Touch Readers Award, The NEST (National Excellence In Story Telling) Award, the Carolyn Award, Book Buyers Best Award, The Stiletto Reader’s Choice Award, Long & Short Reviews Book of the Month Award (3rd Place for Book of the Year), and Still Moments Magazine Reader’s Choice Award.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariaimbalzanoauthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mariaimbalzano
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Website: http://www.mariaimbalzano.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7276749.Maria_Imbalzano
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/maria-imbalzano
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00FG9RI5K

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Straight Browsing from the Library: Exiles by L.J. Ambrosio

 

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Welcome to the cover reveal of EXILES, a Literary Fiction/Coming of Age novel by L.J. Ambrosio. The author will award a $20 Amazon/BN GC, an autographed copy of the book, or a dragonfly necklace to three randomly drawn winners. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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In this final chapter, Ron's story concludes from Reflections on the Boulevard (2023). Michael's wish was for Ron to exile himself in the heart of Paris with its beautiful culture and citizens as they protest and fight for the soul of the city. Ron's journey is met with life-affirming friendships and lessons along the way. The final book in the Reflections of Michael Trilogy, which started with A Reservoir Man (2022).

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MEET THE AUTHOR

Louis J. Ambrosio ran one of the most nurturing bi-coastal talent agencies in Los Angeles and New York. He started his career as a theatrical producer, running two major regional theaters for eight seasons. Ambrosio taught at 7 Universities. Ambrosio also distinguished himself as an award-winning film producer and novelist over the course of his impressive career.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ljambrosioauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorlambrosio
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/louis.ambrosio
Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/ljambrosio
Blog: https://ljambrosio.blogspot.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI2XkCETDOj_VUtCFcB74ig

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Straight Chatting from the Library: Heather G. Marshall

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Heather G. Marshall will award a randomly drawn winner a $20 Amazon/BN GC. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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What is the favorite book you remember as a child?

I read all of the Enid Blyton Famous Five and Secret Seven books—fairly typical for a girl of my generation in Scotland. I also loved James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small. I wanted to be a large-animal vet.

Tell us about your current book in 10 words.

When the Ocean Flies is a powerful tale of adoption, identity, and love.

What are you reading right now?

I’m reading the books of several fabulous authors who are also published by Vines Leaves Press: Study in Hysteria, by Kathleen Collins; The Angle of Flickering Light, by Gina Troisi; and A Hard Silence, by Melanie Brooks. The first is a novel and the others are memoirs. They all have strong female protagonists, great depth, and excellent storytelling.

E-Reader or print? and why?

Print. I still love the feel of a book in my hands. I love the sensory experience of reading—it’s more than just casting my eyes across a page. And I’m better able to find passages I love and want to return to. Also, if it’s a book I thoroughly enjoy, I may annotate it.

One book at a time or multiples?

I usually read no more than two books at a time—one fiction and one nonfiction. I like to be fully immersed when I’m reading and don’t want to get the stories muddled.

Dog-ear or bookmark? (don't worry—Librarian Judith won't hold it against you—much)

Both, plus sticky notes. Sorry, Librarian Judith. (I would, of course, never, ever dog-ear a library book or one belonging to someone else! I usually use a bookmark but sometimes misplace them, in which case, dog-ear or, if I have one handy, which I often do, sticky note.

Favorite place to read?

On the deck, with a steaming cup of tea, in the morning sun.

Re-reader or not?

Yes. The books I like are not just about the story; they are well crafted. There’s a joy in returning to the way the story is told—the sentences, paragraphs, scenes. It’s similar to walking a trail again and again—you’ve already taken in all the views, so you know what’s coming but there’s a joy in traversing again and noticing more details each time.

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An email from a stranger tells Alison Earley that her natural father, whom she has known for only six years, has died suddenly. What begins as a short trip back to Scotland for a funeral soon becomes a journey that puts adoption, sexuality, and identity on a collision course as Alison finds herself caught between the life and family she has so carefully constructed on one continent and the family from which she was taken on another.

Shunned by her father's family, reunited with her natural mother, and reconnected with a long-lost love, Alison finds herself trying to shepherd her youngest child towards college while questioning everything she thought she knew about herself.

When her natural mother uncovers a series of letters written to Alison from the grandmother she never knew, resurrecting stories of generations of women--stories long buried by patriarchal rule--Alison realizes that she must find the courage to face and reveal the secrets of her own past. At what cost, though? And who and what will be left in the aftermath?

When the Ocean Flies explores the pain of separation and abuse, and the power of love to heal even over huge gaps in time and geographical distance.

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Strange to think I’ve been walking this earth, turning face to sky, swimming in the waters for over three quarters of a century. So much has changed, and yet, so little. Women gained the right to vote just before I arrived in this life. We went out in droves to do the work our men had done while they went off to fight the Germans. And then we returned to our homes and our children, expected to return to the way things had always been. That’s what they say—it has always been that way. But I know, and you do as well, that it hasn’t always. Still, we returned to a way of life that denied women like Mary their right to claim their own child unless they had the benefit of a man’s ring on their hand.

Now, in the infancy of a new century, we find footing in a world built by the men who came before, still with much of our truth buried, fossils of the soul.

I did not fully realize how much of that I’d done to myself until after Hamish died. He was a good man. It wasn’t even conscious that I held myself in for him. I loved him. Did as I was told to do. After his death, though, I felt myself begin to unfurl. I returned to reading the cards, returned to reading the air and the sky. Began to find my voice in paint and canvas and here, on these pages.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Heather G. Marshall is an adoptee, author, speaker, teacher, coach, and traveler. Her short fiction has been published in a variety of journals, including Black Middens: New Writing Scotland, and Quarried, an anthology of the best of three decades of Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel. Her first novel, The Thorn Tree, released in 2014 (MP Publishing). Her TED talk, “Letting Go of Expectations,” centers around her adoption and reunion. Her second novel, When the Ocean Flies, released in February 2024 (Vine Leaves Press). In her writing, Heather explores family, adoption, women (especially older ones), the natural environment, and how these intersect. When she isn’t writing, she likes to hike, travel, practice yoga and meditation, do a wee bit of knitting, and, of course, read. Originally from Scotland, Heather is currently based in Massachusetts.

Website: https://heathergmarshall.com
Substack: https://heathergmarshall.substack.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heather_g_marshall
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heather.marshall.3956

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/when-the-ocean-flies-heather-g-marshall/20885419
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/When-Ocean-Flies-Heather-Marshall/dp/3988320455/ref=sr_1_1
Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/when-the-ocean-flies/heather-g-marshall/9783988320452
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/when-the-ocean-flies-heather-g-marshall/1144381375

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Straight Browsing from the Library: A Cure for Spring Fever by Barbara Robinson

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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For centuries, Gamekeepers have used their magical abilities to create a buffer between the creatures who dwell in the enchanted forest and the sleepy coastal town that sits in its shadow. When Gamekeeper Stan Ross’s magic begins to fail, he must find out what went wrong, then fix it before the two worlds collide. His hit or miss magic has already led to a few close calls so he journeys to the Sacred Isle searching for answers and advice. Finding a cure proves elusive—until Stan encounters a kitchen witch who captivates him body and soul. Lynnette Peters is healing from her own wounds, however, and it isn’t clear whether she’s ready to open herself to the possibility—or the peril—of love.




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“I’m not sick, sir” Stan answered, uncomfortable with where the conversation was heading. He swallowed, then cleared his throat. “I haven’t changed the way I cast a ward. My magic is elemental, so I rely on nature runes, overlaid with those representing broader concepts. I might choose an animal rune, or a rune representing a natural element. It depends on the creature I’m warding, and what its habits are. Once I have the base rune, I add on layers, and then finish it with something representing strength or luck. I guess I’m in a bit of a rut. My magic is feeling tired, lately. When it works, it doesn’t have the same staying power, and sometimes it just doesn’t work at all.”

Tapping his fingers on the desk, Covington regarded Stan with sympathy, then nodded. “You’re certainly not the first gamekeeper to hit a rut, and you won’t be the last. I think that a little bit of rest and relaxation is what’s needed here. I am going to suggest—no, I’m going to insist—that you take some time off and recharge your batteries. Meanwhile, I’ll give some thought to damage control."

Stan dipped his head in acknowledgment, but his posture was rigid as he exited the office. Finding his partner in the break room, Stan told him that Covington was taking him off the duty roster, and insisting he take some leave. “I don’t know, Owen” he said, picking dust off his sleeve and shaking his head. “I haven’t taken any vacation time in over a year, so maybe Covington has a point, but I feel like I’m more than just tired. I’m soul tired. I’m not sure that a week on my sofa with daytime TV and a tray of bonbons is going to fix anything.”

MEET THE AUTHOR

Barbara Robinson is an author of contemporary and historical romance set against a backdrop of magical realism. She is a deep thinker and tea drinker who finds inspiration in myths and folktales, poems and ballads, and academic writing on a variety of subjects. Diagnosed with autism and giftedness as an adult, she enjoys exploring themes of neurodiversity and opposing character perspectives in her writing.

She is an avid gardener and lover of nature who works out plot lines and character sketches while nurturing her garden, walking in the woods, or sitting by the shoreline watching waves. She is known for world building that features rich and immersive detail, supported by meticulous research and careful observation.

Barbara lives in Nova Scotia, Canada, in the shadow of ancient mountains that lie along the Bay of Fundy coast. These rugged vistas shape her story settings, while providing the perfect backdrop for life with her husband, her hounds and her dragon (Pogona Vitticeps). She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of King’s College and a Master of Arts at Dalhousie University, and she recently completed a Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing from the Humber School for Writers (Humber College, Toronto).

Website: https://www.barbararobinsonauthor.ca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BarbaraRobinsonWrites/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Spring-Fever-Jelly-Beans-Things-ebook/dp/B0CVHHR5ND/ref=sr_1_1

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Straight Browsing from the Library: My Career Journal by Fatemah Mirza

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Fatemah Mirza will award a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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Are you seeking to enhance your career and significantly increase your salary? 'My Career Journal' by CareerTuners is your guide to achieving these goals. This practical workbook, enriched with insights from my 13+ years as a career and salary coach, is tailored for individuals at any career stage - whether you are just starting or looking to make major changes.

In 'My Career Journal', you will:

- Set clear, achievable career goals with defined weekly, monthly, and quarterly milestones.
- Track and record your accomplishments, laying the groundwork for salary negotiations.
- Build and refine a professional portfolio that showcases your strengths and achievements.

The strategies in this workbook have been refined through my extensive experience and continual input from over 3,000 recruiter partners. This is how I have empowered marketing leaders to approach their promotion plans with renewed vigor.

'My Career Journal' is especially for those:

- Who are deeply creative and have great ideas they are eager to put into motion.
- Committed to changing their job search strategies.
- Who aspire to align their career success with making a meaningful difference in their field, using their work as a platform for positive change.

The workbook encourages you to take action and think creatively to overcome professional challenges. It is designed not just for planning but for doing. By working through 'My Career Journal,' you will rediscover the passion that drives your career success and be equipped to double your salary through strategic planning and execution. Dive into this journal to take control of your career journey and propel yourself towards greater achievements.

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MEET THE AUTHOR

Fatemah Mirza is a Certified Resume Master and a highly sought-after speaker and coach who helps ambitious job seekers find higher-paying, more fulfilling jobs. She’s been helping job seekers since 2010 when she founded CareerTuners, which is a small team of skilled professionals from various industries who specialize in providing professional resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, and many more career-related services to help ambitious people land their dream jobs and achieve career goals.She has created free resources that have seen more than 160,000 downloads, helped hundreds of clients increase their pay, and built a network of more than 3000 recruiters.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/careertuners
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/careertipsfromct?igsh=NjJodnBpZnk3anVu
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/careertuners1?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0C781LXCS
Website: https://www.careertuners.com

Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Career-Journal-CareerTuners-Fatemah-Mirza/dp/B0CSG95QYD/ref=sr_1_5

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Straight Chatting from the Library: M. Laszlo

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $25 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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What are four things you can’t live without?
Books and Cats. Sorry, but there are only the two.

What is your favorite television show?
Television show? There is nothing more appealing than watching old movies.

If you could be any character, from any literary work, who would you choose to be? Why?
The old man from The Old Man and the Sea. Fishing is good for the soul, whether you plan to eat the fish or throw the fish back.

What have you got coming soon for us to look out for?
In 2025, I hope to publish a coming-of-age story about a depressed young chap undone by illusory love. That’s a rare phenomenon, but it does happen. Some youths lose touch with reality, which is all quite tragic.

What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
The haiku poets of Shogun-era Japan. They taught me the importance of imagism, details, emotionally significant objective correlative, and symbolism. Ultimately, the haiku poets affirm the importance of beauty.

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Obsessed with learning the origins of the cosmos, the actual meaning of life, and the true purpose of civilization, a fine Scotsman named Fingal T. Smyth dedicates himself to the study of Plato’s most extraordinary ideas. Convinced of Plato’s belief that humankind possesses any and all innate knowledge deep within the collective unconscious mind, Fingal soon conducts a series of bold, pioneering occult-science experiments by which to resolve the riddle of the universe once and for all. However, Fingal forgets how violent and perilous the animal impulses that reside in the deepest recesses of the unconscious mind. And when Fingal unleashes a mysterious avatar of his innate knowledge, the entity appears as a burning man and immediately seeks to manipulate innocent and unsuspecting people everywhere into immolating themselves. Now, with little hope of returning the fiery figure into his being, Fingal must capture his nemesis before it destroys the world.

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Fräulein Wunderwaffe did not return the smile. Hand on heart, the little girl drew a bit closer. Then, as the hot, animalistic presence undulated all across Fingal’s body, the little girl’s eyes grew wide. Until the little girl’s expression turned to that of a vacant stare.

A moment later, her feet pointed inwards, she removed her hat and undid her long, flaxen hair.

Again, he cringed. “If you’ve noticed something, ignore all. This hasn’t got anything to do with you.” A third time, he cringed.

A most ethereal, lyrical, incomprehensible hiss commenced then: from the other end of the winding, decorative-brick driveway, each clay block shining the color of blue Welsh stone, a sleek Siamese cat with a coat of chocolate-spotted ivory had just appeared. And now the creature raced toward his shadow.

As he looked into the animal’s big, searching, blue eyes, the chocolate Siamese studied the off-center tip of his nose. Then the animal turned away, as if to compare the peculiarity with that of some disembodied visage hovering in the distance.

Out upon the loch, meanwhile, a miraculous rogue wave suddenly arose—and now the swell crashed against the pebbly strand.

Not a moment later, a cool flame crawled across Fingal’s throat. The strange fire rattled, too—not unlike the sound of fallen juniper leaves caught up in the current and dancing against the surface of a stone walkway.

Crivens. By now, the alien, pulsating presence held him so tight that he could barely breathe. Before long, he fell to the earth, and as the dreamlike flame continued to move across his throat, he rolled all about—until the illusory sensation of cool warmth wriggled and twisted and dropped into his neck dimple.

MEET THE AUTHOR

M. Laszlo is an aging recluse who lives in Bath, Ohio. Rumor holds that his pseudonym is a reference to Victor Laszlo, a character in the classic film Casablanca. On the Threshold is his first release with the acclaimed, Australian hybrid house AIA Publishing. Oddly, M. Laszlo insists that his latest work, On the Threshold, does in fact provide the correct answer to the riddle of the universe.

Buy link: https://aiapublishing.com/product/on-the-threshold-m-laszlo/

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Straight Browsing from the Library: Red Kingdom by Rachel Demeter

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Rachel Demeter will award a copy of the ebook for Beauty of the Beast, the first book of the series, to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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Little Red Riding Hood reimagined with a dark and realistic twist.

Princess Blanchette’s world shatters when the Black Wolf tears apart her castle and everything she holds dear. All she clings to is the vow she made to her grandmother on her deathbed.

Hailed as the people’s champion, Sir Rowan Dietrich liberates the capital in a quest for vengeance. He takes Winslowe Castle with an army at his back and his wolf, Smoke, at his side.

United by a shared cause and powerful attraction, Rowan and Blanchette embark on a journey of self-discovery and redemption—a path filled with loss, transformation, and ultimately, the healing power of love.

Can Norland’s resplendent princess, with her captivating beauty and spirit, tame the fabled Black Wolf?

Inspired by the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, Red Kingdom is a passionate historical romance about the enduring quest for love and the longing for a world at harmony. It is a standalone novel.

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Rowan Dietrich, the Black Wolf of Norland, withdrew his sword from the back of the man’s head. The six other brigands slunk backward and fumbled for their weapons. The horses were going crazy at the sight and scent of the wolf Smoke—stomping their hooves, rearing up on powerful hind legs. Except for Sunbeam. He remained silent and still, blending into the dark canopy of trees.

From the corner of his eye, Rowan glanced at Blanchette; her dress was torn and dirty, and she fumbled in the dirt, struggling to rise to her feet.

Anger twisted inside him, red and hot.

I shall kill them all for this.

One brigand, greasy-haired and pockmarked, dashed at him from the left. Rowan swept his sword in an arc and felt the satisfying squelch of steel sliding through flesh, muscle, and tendon.

Movement from his peripheral vision. Blanchette rushed forward and retrieved the fallen axe. Rowan ran toward another brigand. The man staggered back, nocked an arrow, and let it fly.

It took Rowan in the forearm. Several moments passed before the pain struck him. Then he strode forward, a growl in his throat, as the bowman withdrew a second arrow from his quiver and nocked it again.

He raised to shoot—but Blanchette was there, bless the little idiot, both of her hands wielding the axe. She gave a war cry and swiped at the man’s midsection. The metal sank in deep, and then she pulled it free with another gut-wrenching cry.

The man crumpled and fell. Blanchette locked Rowan’s gaze. Dirt and blood speckled her face.

There were five more brigands. Smoke leaped at one of them, his snarl a thunderclap, his dagger-like teeth tearing into the man’s throat. Blood pumped from the gash and soaked Smoke’s muzzle. Then the wolf squared himself in front of Rowan and Blanchette, his fierce growl rising in the darkness.

The last three men backed away slowly, their eyes riveted on the wolf and his gore-stained snout. They turned and ran like bats escaping hell. Smoke pounced and wrapped his jaws around one of the men’s napes. He dug his fingers into the dirt and leaves, screaming for his mother, blood and flesh coming loose as Smoke worked at his neck until he was silent.

Rowan and Blanchette finished off the last two men.

Then she wandered into the clearing like a woman wading through a dream. The red riding cloak streamed behind her.

She stood like that for a long stretch of silence. Tears and blood and dirt covered her face.

She looked fierce. Primal. Breathtaking.

That tragic vision took his breath away.

Smoke threw back his blood-soaked muzzle and howled at the full moon. The eerie sound shivered through the night.

“I wouldn’t linger long, Your Grace,” Rowan spat as he glanced at the arrow sticking out of his forearm and the seven dead bodies. “There are wolves in these woods, and worse.”

MEET THE AUTHOR

I live in Sunny California with my dashing husband, who inspires my romance novels every day!

Writing has always been an integral part of my identity. Before I physically learned how to write, I'd narrate stories to my mom, and she'd record them for me.

I graduated from Chapman’s film school, where I often received the feedback on my scripts, “Your stories and characters are great, but this reads like a novel!” That’s when I realized my true calling.

In my free time, I frequent reptile expos, lift double my body’s weight, and indulge in dinosaur trivia.

I'm passionate about writing stories that explore what it means to be human and to be loved. My books focus on hope, courage, and redemption in the face of adversity.

Buy Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTK1TB8N
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940167675704
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/Search?Query=9798224439089
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id6476895016

Social Links

Instagram: https://instagram.com/racheldemeterauthor
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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7791305.Rachel_L_Demeter

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