Category Archives: Guest Post

Giveaway & Guest Post – Lady Reaper by Christina Bauer @XpressoTours @CB_Bauer

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Lady Reaper
Christina Bauer
(Angelbound Origins, #10)
Published by: Monster House Books
Publication date: November 12th 2022
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Young Myla and Lincoln Kick Ass and Take Names in This Prequel Novella for REAPER GAMES!

A part-demon girl fights Lady Reaper
Myla Lewis is a sixteen-year-old part-demon girl who fights evil souls in Purgatory’s Arena… and she’s always looking out for a good battle against evil. Enter Lady Reaper, the famous ghoulette who wields both a scythe and nefarious intentions. Myla discovers Lady Reaper will soon visit the Demon Woods ‘ride’ at Purgatory’s Annual Lust Festival. Time to visit the fest, kick ass and take names, right? Wrong. Lady Reaper has other plans for Myla and her bestie, Cissy…

A part-angel prince faces the Grim Reaper
Lincoln is a seventeen-year-old part-angel prince who protects humans from the denizens of Hell. On a routine trip to Earth, Lincoln uncovers clues that his best friend, Walker, might be allied to an evil ghoul named the Grim Reaper. Things go downhill from there…

***A 20,000-word novella***

Publisher Note: Originally, LADY REAPER was a full novel. However, the author fell ill with COVID and gave us this prequel novella instead. We have since locked Ms. Bauer into the basement with a charger cord, MacBook Pro and carton of Theraflu. Therefore, the full and epic conclusion of this story will definitely be delivered in the next release, REAPER GAMES.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play


I am excited to have Christina Bauer here to share her thoughts about her cover. The title of the post had me laughing out loud and I had to read on to find out what the hell happened.

How I Got Shit-Canned By My Old Cover Artist – The Story of the Lady Reaper Cove
By Christina Bauer

As part of the launch tour for my new book, Lady Reaper, the lovely folks at Fundinmental have asked me to share anything I can about the cover for Lady Reaper. So, here goes.

There was an artist I worked with since my very first cover. We did some great work together, although sometimes it took quite a few revisions to get things to where I was happy. But once it was all done, I’d look at the covers and think, Dang, I kicked her ass a lot on this but the final cover is so lovely… and she’s posting it a ton of places while saying she’s so happy with it… therefore, she must be as cool as I am with all this. We have a truly strong working relationship.

Now, I knew I was high-maintenance with what I wanted, so I paid double her regular rate. I figured that made it all good.

Damn, was I ever wrong.

It was during the work on the cover that would become Reaper Games (book 11) that the artist told me to take my business elsewhere because I was high-maintenance and pushed my vision over hers. Specifically, I was being a pain in the ass that Myla’s tail was coming out of her ass in a way that looked like poop. True story.

In retrospect, I probably should have read the cues and left a lot earlier—to save us both wear and tear. In the end, I found a new artist that’s delivered the Lady Reaper and Clockwork Igni covers. So far, revisions have been minimal. It’s also less money, not that it’s all about money… but it’s not-NOT all about money, either.

Just because I liked the final work—and maybe the artist said she liked it, too—didn’t mean that the relationship was healthy. Looking back, I should have pushed until I found someone whose aesthetic was closer to my own. Twisting an artist into being a Picasso when they’re a natural Rembrandt doesn’t work for anyone in the long run, if that makes sense.

In the case of the cover for Lady Reaper, I gave the artist some inspirational art and she put it together quickly. Technically, the monster on the cover is the Grim Reaper (Lady Reaper looks different) but I figure folks can learn that once they read the book.

Thanks for such an excellent question and I hope to stop by again on a future tour!

Author Bio:

Christina Bauer thinks that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chicks, too.

Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.

Be the first to know about new releases from Christina by signing up for her newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/CBupdates

Blog / Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / LinkedIn / Newsletter


Giveaway!
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Giveaway – The Gryphon And His Thief by Karen Michelle Nutt @RoxanneRhoads @KMNbooks

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Spirits from the Other Side by Karen Michelle Nutt

A couple of years ago, my friends and I went to see AJ Barrera, a psychic-medium.

There were about 158 people there for the event, so my expectations of having a reading were pretty slim.

Barrera explained that his communication with the other side was more like impressions, not actually chatting with the spirit in a way we have conversations. So, as he revealed the impressions and if it sounded like it could be one of our loved ones, he wanted us to stand. There was always a possibility of similarities, but as he continued to receive the impressions, it should eventually become clear who the spirit was trying to reach.

For the first reading, Barrera started by saying he felt the spirit was looking for someone in a particular area of the room, which so happened to be where my friends and I were seated. Then Barrera said the spirit’s name, which was my father’s. He then mentioned the spirit’s complications with his health right before he died. That was my father’s ailments. I couldn’t believe it. Was it really my dad?

When Barrera named my mother and my siblings, my two friends kept nudging me and telling me the spirit wanted to connect with me. Stand up!

Don’t get me wrong, I genuinely wanted to believe we could communicate with our loved ones, but there was that nagging feeling in the back of my mind wondering if this was all a sham, but yes, I finally stood.

However, as Barrera revealed other impressions he received, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with the possibility this reading was all too real. He knew my father’s personality, physical appearance, and what he would say to us. Perhaps the psychic could find some of this online, but there were other things he could not have known or located with a Google search. My father passed away before cell phones with video cameras and social media were around to broadcast our every move. A primitive Myspace was the popular platform when my father passed away. So, there weren’t any recordings of his voice or him talking anywhere online.

What proved even stranger— as if this wasn’t already extraordinary— was the two people I thought about before I left home to go to this event were the very souls that came through the strongest. My father, for one, and of course, you could easily assume I’d want to speak to my father, but the other spirit was even a surprise to me. I’ve lost many family members I was close to, so there was no reason for me to think of my father-in-law. The man passed away before I met my husband, but for some reason, impressions of this man popped into my mind right before I left the house. So even if the psychic could have somehow found out information about my family, he wouldn’t have known about the two people I hoped would come through for the reading? According to Barrera, my father wanted to introduce me to my father-in-law. Crazy, I know. According to Barrera, my father had quite a few souls with him, which I found comforting. Family and friends surrounded him.  

Everything considered I found the reading eerily fascinating. All I can say: It was an experience like none other.


The Gryphon and His Thief
Karen Michelle Nutt

Genre: paranormal/ shifter romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Date of Publication: June 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-1509241774
ASIN: B09VZS3LLZ
Number of pages: 220
Word Count: 57k
Cover Artist: Kristian Norris

Tagline: A gryphon shifter cursed for centuries encounters a thief who unearths his secret identity.  

Book Description: 

Darrien Andros, a gryphon sworn to protect humans is cursed to live forever, safeguarding the items in the Museum of Cursed Antiquities. His mundane life between the world of the living and turning to stone as the sun rises is disrupted when a thief attempts to steal Hecate’s Stone. He cannot eliminate her for her thieving ways. Not when she resembles his dead wife.

Cali Angelis, a thief for hire, needs Hecate’s stone for her client. Only Darrien makes her question her client’s motives. She’d like to think Darrien delusional, but she’s seen the unbelievable. 

Will they unravel the mysteries behind the stone before history repeats itself?




“Get a grip,” she warned herself. The gryphon didn’t blink his eyes. Yep, and it didn’t fly from the back room and station itself at the door, either. She gulped and leveled the beam of the flashlight on the statue once more. Only what stood there now was a man, a large man with dark hair, a beard neat and trim…and eyes that glowed like the gryphon’s eyes had.

“You cannot take the item from the museum,” the man’s deep voice boomed with authority meant to intimidate, and his words were flavored with a Greek accent. “You must return it immediately,” he finished the threat. Sure there had been no threat voiced, but she all but heard the ‘or else’ just as clearly as if the words had been spoken.  

“Who are you?” she countered, even though she had no right to inquire. Obviously, this man must be the night guardsman. Her gaze slid over his attire and frowned. He wore garments she’d only seen painted on Greek vases and paintings—an intricately designed tunic, a dark colored cloak, and gold sandals adorned his feet. Her one eyebrow lifted. Perhaps he was a thief who liked theatrics. She had an uncle who liked to dress like a caped superhero when he went on his jobs.  

She straightened her back and met the guy’s gaze head on. “I think you need to leave, or I’ll call the cops.” She pulled out her cell phone and lit up the screen to prove her point. The guy didn’t have to know she was bluffing. She didn’t want the cops here anymore than he probably did.

He didn’t quite react the way she thought he would. Oh no, he had the audacity to laugh, a deep guttural laugh. “You amuse me human woman,” he told her.

“Human woman?” Okay, this nut-job was off his meds. “Fine, you stay here, and this human woman will say good evening. It’s been a long day. I need to head back to my spaceship before E.T. calls home and tells Mom and Dad I’m late.”  

The man’s brows furrowed, deep creases marring his forehead. Maybe she loaded on the crapola a little thick. It was best to end this conversation and get out of Africa—as her father would say—and make like a cheetah on the hunt. She took a few cautious steps toward the front door.

“You will halt,” he demanded with his palm up as if his stance alone could stop her. 

Well, yep it did, for a full three seconds. She knew some self-defense moves, but this guy was built like he lifted weights in his sleep just so his bulk didn’t decrease in the middle of the night. It didn’t appear like the front door was an option, but… her gaze latched onto the window next to it. “Oh, hell.” She charged and prayed this old building hadn’t been refurbished with safety glass.

Otherwise, this stunt was really going to hurt.



About the Author:

Karen Michelle Nutt resides in California with her husband. Though her three children are grown and starting their own adventures, she still has a houseful of demanding pets.

When she’s not time traveling, fighting outlaws, or otherworldly creatures, she creates book covers at Gillian’s Book Covers, “Judge Your Book By Its Cover”.
Whether your reading fancy is paranormal, time travel or contemporary romances, all her stories capture the rich array of emotions that accompany the most fabulous human phenomena—falling in love.

Visit the author at her website: http://www.kmnbooks.com

Blog: http://kmnbooks.blogspot.com

Gillian’s Book Covers, “Judge Your Book By Its Cover”
http://judgeyourbookbyitscover.blogspot.com

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KMNbooks

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/karenmnutt

Amazon Author Page:
http://www.amazon.com/Karen-Michelle-Nutt/e/B002BLLBPE

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kmn_books

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/karen-michelle-nutt

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/karenmichellenutt  

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenmichellenutt

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/kmnbooks

IMDb: https://tinyurl.com/yy27qubr

 



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Giveaway – Unusual Light by J Elizaga @RoxanneRhoads @jelizaga1

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At Half Past Two

Our movie broke at half past two.
I begged Time to return to the black and white film
We lived in, with you by my side;
But the grand drapes stayed shut in silence and shock.
I closed my eyes and opened my mouth,
Mad about your sudden absence, with unrestrained outbursts
To a greedy God adored by millions. Only one adored me!
Had He really just snatched you away?
My mind kept restarting the movie before half past two.
Each time I waited for the roll to resume play
With you and me in high-definition color,
But tears blurred my vision and I couldn’t see you.
I kept moving your souvenirs back and forth,
With eyes unaware they should blink.
I struggled to savor each memory of you in my mind,
Flashing every second until my gut retched.
I followed your scent aimlessly through the house,
Before strength left my knees and I curled on the floor.
Then I saw my arms dance, caressing the air
Where you lay last night — I thought I heard you laugh.
Enough of this cruel joke. Stop it.
Come back. Please.


Unusual Light
J. Elizaga

Genre: Young Adult fantasy
Date of Publication: July 31, 2022 
ASIN: B0B85ZRPSZ
Number of pages: 86
Word Count: 20,000

Cover Artist: The Book Cover Designer

Tagline: A young engineer, a ghost, and a mystery at the morgue

Book Description:

How does one keep a promise to a ghost? Engineering student Ana Juliet (AJ) Diwa takes a summer job as a swing-shift security guard at a hospital morgue—the same morgue once investigated by the police for unusual calls received during full moons. And the calls happen only when Matt, a guard assigned to the overnight shift, is on duty.

AJ scoffs at the idea of otherworldly activities. But soon after, she witnesses a mysterious orb at the morgue. The orb reveals itself to be the ghost of Binni Almond, a teenager who went missing thirty years ago. Despite AJ’s shock, she befriends the entity. She vows to use her problem-solving abilities to find Binni’s family and solve the mystery of the young girl’s disappearance. But darker spirits are afoot.

As AJ descends to the morgue’s basement to capture evidence of Binni’s remains, Matt’s visions worsen. Evil spirits surge around the premises. And AJ is in danger of getting caught in the middle of a paranormal showdown.



Chapter 1: An Unusual Call

AT half past midnight, a public safety dispatcher received a familiar but unsettling call. Amid the static and crackle, a voice uttered, “Send help.”

The strange calls started nine months ago, and they always occurred on or near the full moon. The voice supplied only their first name and location. The caller’s name changed every month, but the location stayed the same—Shoreline Hospital morgue. The police officer who responded to the first dispatch spoke with Matt Faulson, the morgue’s overnight security guard. He denied dialing for assistance. The officer walked around the perimeter of the building and witnessed nothing out of the ordinary.

But after three monthly calls involving the same person on duty, the department assigned Officer David Jackson to patrol around the time of the full moon, when they estimated a call would occur. They suspected the twenty-seven-year-old Matt to be the prankster.

Police interviews failed to pin him. Instead, the detectives saw video footage of stationary objects moving randomly in various rooms in the morgue late at night.

The young man admitted to seeing strange activity during his shifts. Adding to the mystery, the city’s emergency dispatch system saved the calls, but the hospital had no record of any of their phones being used.

David arrived at the parking lot with another patrol car at 12:25 a.m. He saw a lone figure sitting on a bench near the morgue’s main entrance.

“Matt.” He approached the security guard with friendly caution. As the guard greeted him, the officer couldn’t help but notice the dark shadows under the young man’s eyes and the ruffled hair. “Man, you look terrible.”

Matt sighed. “There’s not a lot of sleep with the graveyard shift, as you know. I don’t like walking the floors between midnight and one a.m., but I took too long answering an email, and I forgot the time. I rushed through the hallways, and let me tell you, I had more than one sighting,” Matt said. “I guess you received a call?”

David nodded. “You have to get me in there one of these nights. I want to see for myself.”

“I’ll call next time. But I didn’t make the call tonight,” Matt replied. He stood up and prepared to go back in the morgue, but froze. “Oh.”

“What is it?” David asked. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the second officer took a defensive stance.

“A gray entity floated out of the wall to my left,” Matt said softly as he kept his head very still.

David looked as soon as Matt spoke. “I don’t see anything.” He glanced at the other officer.

“I don’t see anything either.”

“Really?” Matt asked as his shoulders dropped. He gingerly turned his head and looked. “Am I the only one who sees ghosts?”

“I’m beginning to believe that,” David replied.



About the Author:

J. ELIZAGA is a fan of science fiction and science mysteries. Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, she peered over her father’s shoulders as he watched TV shows such as In Search Of, and Carl Sagan’s Cosmos during the 1970s. 

J. lives in California. She wrote stories in high school but had set aside her hobby for college and career…until she attended a writer’s conference in San Francisco in 2010. The experience unsealed a door in her mind that she thought had long closed.

J. works in information technology by day, and makes time to write stories about humans who face extraordinary circumstances and discover their superhuman abilities. 











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Giveaway – Hungry Business Maria DeBlassie @EnchantmentLL @RoxanneRhoads

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The Terrible Delights of Spooky Stories
 
I love scary stories. I’m also a total chicken. I grew up telling stories on the playground, huddled around trees or crawling into quiet places with friends to to listen to urban legends and frightening tales, from La Llorona to to Bloody Mary, to strange tales of a woman with the ribbon around her throat that literally held her head on to creepy dolls come to life the moment you closed your eyes to sleep at night…I couldn’t help myself. I devoured them!  
 
In class, we learned more about La Llorona (a figure that inspired my novella, Weep, Woman, Weep), Baba Yaga, and all sorts of spooky stories that gave me a good chill but were rather less terrifying than what I heard on the playground.
Of course, there was no better time to tell and listen to these stories than the fall, as the season slowly ripened into Halloween, the days got shorter, and the cool evenings and turning leaves were the perfect backdrop for stories that reminded us that there is more to this world than meets the eye.
 
I would come home from school filled up on those terrible tales and, after playing in piles of leaves in my backyard, would feel a growing sense of unease as the sun began to set and darkness took over. I was certainly grateful for the comforting presence of my dogs when darkness stole across the sky. The feelings were pushed away with dinner, in the cozy brightness of the kitchen and the warmth of family, but readily came back when I was tuckedin bed later that night.
 
Every creek, howl of wind, or cricket chirp sounded like aghostly footstep, theweeping woman, or all manner of supernatural threats. Mirrors were not to be looked in, when the sun went down. Windows must be closed at night, lest La Llorona find a way in. Blankets were to be tucked around you up to your chin to protect you from whatever might be lurking under the bed.
 
I felt would never fall asleep!
 
But, of course, I did. And with the coming sun, came the confidence of youth that there was nothing truly scary in this world and I went right back to the playground ready to consume more lurid and horrible tales. 
 
They were terrifying. They were also thrilling.  I couldn’t help myself—even when they gave me nightmares and my mom tried to get me to stop listening to these stories—they had this allure to me, pulling me into a world of the strange and gothic.
 
The feeling didn’t go away as I got older. Take, for example, the time I went trick o’ treating with a friend in middle school, one of the last times I would venture out on that childhood ritual. I was no stranger to haunted houses—there were plenty in my neighborhood. I livednext door to one and there was another a few blocks away that looked like something out of a gothic novel: big, dark, looming, and a story about a murder so strange and unexpected it devolved into its own neighborhood legend with everyone having a slightly different explanation for why the house just felt…off.
 
My friend and I were alone on the street and were doing our best to casually walk past the house, feeling very brave and very adult in our fairy costumes, proud of the fact that we could trick-or-treating unchaperoned. But once we neared that house, suddenly home felt so very far away, the other groups of Halloween revelers so very far away.  There was only the darkness surround us and the specter of that gina those before us. 
 
Then we heard something—a yip, a yell, from someone in the distance—and we screamed, running for the safety of my home.Gone were the bold, brave adults and in their place were two frightened children who wanted nothing more than the warm lights and safety of home. As it turns out, the noise we heard was from a bunch of wildpartiers, but it became so much morefrightening when it was disembodied and the shadows fed my imagination, as did all the terrible tales I’d been coming that season.
 
As scary as that was, and as silly as my friend and I felt in retrospect, there was no denying the fun we had, nor the deep sense of comfort we felt in returning to my house. That’s what scary stories do for us. They bring us home. We find catharsis in facing the darkness and making it out the other side. We appreciate the light where and when we can find it.  
 
Here I am now—still loving scary stories. Still a total chicken. Still ready for a good tale of terror…in the daylight. Still not looking in mirrors and closing all my windows at night. And I speed up whenever I have to walk by that haunted house, indeed any haunted house, less the specters inside think to invite me in.
 
That’s the beauty of these early childhood frights. They gave me a solid appreciate of the thrills of a good scary story and a healthy respect for the unseen worlds or even vibes I get that tell me a person or situation is more than meets the eye. 
 
This is why I tell spooky stories today. They reveal so much more about ourselves and the world around us than many an ordinary tale. From writing horror comedy about the terrors of dating in Hungry Business to the haunting wails of La Llorona in Weep, Woman, Weep, all my tales are inspired by the ordinary gothic all around us, pairing catharsis as we face the dark and find the light.  What do you love about scary stories?

MY REVIEW

Hungry Business by Maria DeBlassie is a quick read horror story with a little snark on the side. Dating during a zombie apocalypse is not and easy thing to do. Are you eating or being eaten? Do they have a heartbeat, even if half their face is missing? Will she be alone for the rest of her days? Is there any point in leaving the house? The cat in the window….

Hungry Business by Maria DeBlassie is an okay read and the cover does intrigue me.

2 Stars





Hungry Business: A Gothic Story about the Horrors of Dating
Maria DeBlassie

Genre: horror, comedy
Publisher: Kitchen Witch Press
Date of Publication: October 12, 2020
ASIN: B08L48MVHD
Number of pages: 20
Word Count: 4400

Tagline: Dating. It’s hungry business. 

Book Description:

Looking for love can be deadly…

A short story on the horrors of dating during a zombie apocalypse by bruja and award-winning writer and educator, Maria DeBlassie.

“Simple yet detailed, unique, and innovative. A brilliantly written little gem that is equal part creepy with the plague of walking dead and equal parts cozy with the hot chocolate and watching the neighbor’s cat.”

“Drawing parallels between the pitfalls of dating and dating in the zombie apocalypse, this short story packs a big world into a few pages.”

“Just the right size to occupy your time while waiting. I hope you find the humor I found.”

You know how it goes.

You go out, hoping to meet someone.

You wade through your fair share of brainless automatons, lifeless bodies, and ravenous undead, good at passing as human.

The more you go out, the less hope you feel and the colder your body gets.

But you keep at it.

All you need is one beating heart to match your own before yours stops pumping altogether.

How hard can it be to find one living, breathing human in a city full of bodies?

Dating.

It’s hungry business.

CW: Assault



He said he’d love to have you for dinner—but you are careful.

A woman has to be careful.  Never give them your address.  Don’t drink too much.  Be aware of your surroundings at all times.  Carry grave dirt to throw at them if they get too forward.  Be ready to run to the nearest safe space if needed.  The good news is that the Hungries, while persistent, are dumb as fuck (brain rot, you know) and slower than the sickness overtaking their bodies.  Unless, of course, they are well fed, which is rarely the case.

This one looks a little better, you think optimistically.

You sit across from each other at the dinner table.  The white tablecloth is as smooth and unblemished as his collared shirt.  He has dressed for the occasion, taking care to hide the evidence of his affliction as best he can (though truly there is only so much he can do with a missing ear and half a brain).  Still, the tuxedo and carefully applied makeup are enough to create the illusion of pumping blood beneath his pallid, blush-stained cheeks—in the right light. Which is another reason why you chose this place.  Candlelight can hide a multitude of sins.

His manners are studied and smooth, as if he has spent a lot of time practicing more human-like movements and behavior. You admire a man who makes that kind of effort.  He watches you as much as you do him, as if he is trying to remember what it was like to be alive. When you reach for your wine glass, so does he—only his thick decaying fingers almost crush the stem, whereas your nimble live ones carefully bring the dark red liquid to your mouth. You try not to notice how he stares at your lips—stained now from the wine—wondering, perhaps, how you taste. As it turns out, he does get a taste of you. You’ve been surreptitiously picking at a hangnail on your pinky finger—that’s how scintillating the conversation is—when you looked down and realize it is your whole fingernail that has come off.  You stare at it in horror, letting the truth of your situation sink in.  

At least he has the decency to wait until you’ve left the table before grabbing your napkin and stuffing your bloodied nail in his mouth.  A little color comes back into his face.  He groans in ecstasy.

Nice to know you could still have that effect on a man.




About the Author:

Maria DeBlassie, Ph.D. is a native New Mexican mestiza blogger, award-winning writer, and award-winning educator living in the Land of Enchantment. Her first book, Everyday Enchantments: Musings on Ordinary Magic and Daily Conjurings (Moon Books 2018), and her ongoing blog, Enchantment Learning and Living are about everyday magic, ordinary gothic, and the life of a kitchen witch. When she is not practicing her own brand of brujeria, she’s reading, teaching, and writing about bodice rippers and things that go bump in the night. She is forever looking for magic in her life and somehow always finding more than she thought was there.


Find out more about Maria and conjuring everyday magic at www.mariaddeblassie.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/enchantmentll

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mdeblassie.writer

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7rY-gLkSH-w8uuVyrhVALA





a Rafflecopter giveaway
  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • Product images are linked/I am an Amazon affiliate.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Giveaway – A Reservoir Man by L J Ambrosio @iReadBookTours

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I am excited to share L J Ambrosio’s Guest Post for A Reservois Man and to be a part of this I Read Book Tours tour.

Guest Post By L.J. Ambrosio, Author of “A Reservoir Man”

Sherry @ Fundimental

Title: “Michael’s Relationships With People”

In the novel, Michael’s relationship with his parents is extremely simple, they love each other. Though Michael always thinks of his parents as the two separate individuals, “Francis” and “Andy,” he never dares call them anything except their proper titles, Mom and Dad. Michael never discusses his life choices with his parents, they always support him in his life’s endeavors, they understand him through the bad and the good. Michael’s relationship with them, though sometimes imperfect, is ideal for his character as a young man coming of age.

In Michael’s first year of college, he develops a very strong relationship with Claire. A marriage of the two characters seems likely at this time.  Michael at the same time develops a relationship with a male character named Raphael. Within six months, both relationships end, though Claire and Michael remain friends. These two relationships are symbolic of so many relationships Michael has in his life, people come and go constantly. Somehow, their departure is Michael’s choice.

Michael finds at the end of his life the most unconditional relationships with his children and even his dogs, like Buddy. Though it was a difficult road to bring the children up alone, they both become very successful and stand by him. This is true even of the character, Buddy, with whom Michael reaches one of the greatest moments of catharsis and truth in his entire life. One of the greatest disappointments Michael has in his life, is in the sheer number of friendships where he genuinely sought to help someone, in these instances, the vast majority of these people vanish and never offer anything in return.


 


 

Join Us For This Tour From:  Sep 6 to Sep 26 

Book Details:

Book Title:  A Reservoir Man by L.J. Ambrosio
Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 340 pages
Genre: Fictionalized Memoir
Publisher: Self-Published, Amazon
Publication Date: May 25, 2022.
Content Rating: PG-13 +M: There is a few explicit sex scenes, some mentions of sexual abuse, some bad language   

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Giveaway – The Acre Series by G J Kemp @iReadBookTours @TB5Publishing

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I am excited to share The Acre Series by G J Kemp and the process for creating the cover. I am a lover of cover and always curious how the final product is chosen. How about you? Can a cover make you grab a book without looking any further?

Tell us about the process for coming up with the cover.

‘Never judge a book by it’s cover.’ That’s what they say! Yet the book cover  is one of the most important parts of the book itself. It’s what makes people reach for the book when they browse along the shelves.

I knew I was writing a series. This meant I needed to think well in advance of what type of style I would like for my book covers. They had to have a theme that would run through each of the covers.

Can you guess some of the decisions I made?

Here are a few.

No faces allowed to be shown. I want my readers to create their own character faces so it is important to me that I don’t influence them through the book cover, but rather the writing itself.

Each book’s colour points to the earth element. Juno is yellow as she is fire. Miles is green as he is earth. Chloe and Dimitri will have their own colours.

Always maintain the same font style and structure. I want my readers to notice another book in the series from afar.

Once I had put all of the above together, it was important to find an artist who bought into my thought process. I went onto many websites and searched for many hours. Eventually I found Andrei. I put a detailed brief together and after a month Andrei came back with some excellent submissions. From there we fine tuned the cover until we had the right style.

Now, Andrei takes half the time to put the book cover together, as he knows exactly what I need.

Its is so important to take your time when you put a book cover together. If at any point you have a feeling that it’s ‘not quite right’, then it definitely isn’t right. Go back and request changes until your book cover makes you feel proud.

Join Us for This Book Series Tour:  Sep 6 to Oct 17, 2022

Book Series Details:

Book Series Title: THE ACRE SERIES by G.J. Kemp
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 +)
Genre:  Epic Fantasy
Publisher:  TB5 Publishing
Release date:   January 2022,  May 2022, June 2022, August 2022
Content Rating:  PG for a few fight scenes.   
 
Book Series Description:

From their windows, balconies, and gardens, the residents of the land of Acre stare north at the ominous black clouds that crawl across their beloved skies, overshadowing their homes. Under the clouds, a darkness has befallen the majestic City of Lynn.

Within the city, a cornered Queen, once true and just, now plays a game of cat and mouse with the races of Acre. Each season, as the Queen fights for control, the ‘Unknowns’ from the North approach. With them comes the stench of evil, fear, and death.

But… there is hope. A lost legend now awakened.

A set of dormant orbs lay in the gnarled hands of an old man. One by one, the dull orbs spark and swirl to life. Somewhere within the City of Lynn, the scroll of equals remains hidden. It’s text, supplied by the gods, awaits the chosen who may one day save the land of Acre.

Or so the legend says. 
 
BUY THE SERIES:
AMAZON ~ Book Depository
BookBub
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Giveaway & Guest Post – The Mermaid and the Unicorns by L T Getty @GoddessFish

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I love mermaids and unicorns, so I am super excited to share The Mermaid and the Unicorns by L T Getty. Isn’t this a gorgeous cover? And how about this fantastic guest post. Horses are such an elegant animal to watch. (guest post images linked to Wikipedia)

Ten Horses found in Mythology throughout the world

            The horse is so iconic in our ancient myth and folklore, when I found myself researching what I thought would be an easy topic I found myself having a hard time narrowing it down. To qualify for this list specifically, the horse itself had to have supernatural qualities or features, as opposed to the many relatively ordinary yet magnificent steeds owned by famous literary and legendary figures. I also considered characters like Shadowfax from The Lord of the Rings, but decided against more modern depictions but feel free to discuss them below.

            When I was researching this article I found that there was at times a bit of conflicting information (I’m looking at you, Pegasus). For the most part I’m going to go with the most common interpretation or origin. I encourage you to read more on the articles or discuss below.

  1. Hippocampus

The name coming from the Greek tradition, although there were similar depictions among the Picts, Phoencians and Etruscans. The mythical water horse is said have the front half of a horse, with the back half of a fish, and was said to pull Poseidon’s underwater chariot.

  • Pegasus

The most common greek story the winged horse was named Pegasus, which came out of the head of Medusa after Perseus slew Medusa, but today the name has become synonymous with most winged horses in the western tradition. The winged horses are found throughout the world in myth and legend, from the traditional mounts of the Norse Valkyries and the Korean Chollima, if I try to start naming them all I’m likely to forget one.

  • Tulpar

The tulpar was a winged or swift horse found inside Turkish folklore, and is on the official state emblem of Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Bashkortostan. The wings were not necessarily to indicate flight, but speed.

4)     Uchchaihshravas

            A seven-headed flying horse said to be created at the churning of the milk oceans. Uchchaihshravras is said to be the greatest horse, and was taken by Indra, king of the gods and used as his own personal mount but is also recorded as the horse of Bali, king of the asuras (demons).

  • Sleipnir

Odin’s seven-legged horse, said to be fathered by Svaðilfari and er… “mothered” by Loki when he was in the shape of a mare. Look, if you read Norse Mythology, you’ll know that this isn’t the least weird thing Loki has done. We could circle back to an earlier tangent on Pegasus if you’d like, but moving on…

6)     Centaur

Okay, this one’s a bit of a cheat. They have the body of a horse, but the upper body of a man or woman. Originating from ancient Greek mythology, centaurs were sometimes rumoured to be more like wild horses, and were often depicted kidnapping human women.

7)     Kelpie

            A Scottish fae creature with shape shifting abilities, could appear human or in the shape of a horse. Virtually every significant body of water in Scotland is associated with some Kelpie. In horse shape, it would bid the unsuspecting rider to mount, then would take them to the nearest body of water and drown them, or at least give them a solid dunking.

 

8)     Each-Uisge (Ech-ooshkya) (Scottish) or Aughisky (Agh-iski) (Irish)

Very similar to the kelpie, these were the more vicious variations. These shapeshifter horses were also of a tradition to let the rider on their backs, although they could take the shape of a handsome young man to come courting. However if they smelled water, their skin would become adhesive take their rider to it and drown, and then devour them, leaving behind only their liver.

 

9)     Quilin

Another bit of a cheat, the quilin often is depicted in the west as a Chinese Unicorn, but they often have very distinct physical differences that aliken them sometimes more similar to a dragon. The quilin is scaled and often depicted with the body like a deer or a horse, and are almost depicted with hooves, and their appearance is often associated with the impending death of a sage or ruler. They have similar depictions in the Japanese and Korean mythology where they are called Kirin.

10) Unicorn

            Unicorns have become synonymous with goodness and purity, and were often hunted for their horns, which were said to be able to cure poison. The trick was luring the unicorn, in which the help of a virgin was necessary to lull it to sleep. The unicorn is often depicted as very similar to a horse, but having some key differences; almost always they are depicted with a single horn. Some times these features include the tail of a lion and the cloven hooves of a goat, as well as the depiction of wings, although a more modern term naming unicorns with wings alicorns.

  These are just ten mythical horses found throughout culture, and they’ve been depicted in many tales of folklore and legend, and many are staples in fantasy movies and literature to this day. What are some of your favourites above, and not on the list? What would you like to see more of? Who are your favourite individual horses as characters? Is Starlite from Rainbow Brite really the most magnificent horse, or do you prefer She-ra’s Swift Wind? Comment below.

What an awesome post. Thanks so much for sharing L T.

The Mermaid and the Unicorns by L.T. Getty

GENRE: Middle Grade Fantasy Adventure

BLURB

Daphne’s a typical mermaid, and at least according to her, that’s a problem. She’s courageous and has a beautiful singing voice, but lacks the power of an elemental, the ability to command water with the sound of her voice. Jealous of her best friend, she makes a deal with a sea-witch, only to be betrayed, in place of her beautiful tail and flukes Daphne’s left beached with a pair of human legs. The spell keeping Daphne looking human will become permanent, unless Daphne can hunt down and bring the scheming Lorelei a unicorn horn before the next full moon.

Unable to reach her friends and family for help, Daphne doesn’t know how to walk, much less where to find a unicorn or how to catch one. Even if she’s successful, Daphne’s still not sure if she can trust Lorelei and her pint-sized kraken to keep their end of the bargain and let her return to the sea.

NOTE: The book is only $0.99.

EXCERPT

“What’s Pass the Lumberjack’s Hat Around?” she asked Esperanza once the other girl got called to go work the front.

“Possibly the worst song in existence,” Esperanza said. “You know how sometimes songs don’t make sense? At all?”

“Yeah,” Daphne said. “But sometimes, people don’t understand the hidden meaning…”

Esperanza arched an eyebrow, cleared her throat, then began to tap her foot before singing,

            “Throw the mouses in the skittle

            Round and Round a hey diddle-diddle!

            Rubes be dark and ducks do quack,

            Shall My Lady Love turn back?”

            Daphne tried not to laugh. “You just made that up.”

            “It gets better,” Esperanza said, still tapping.

            “Round the goose to my captain’s ball,

            The goat’s favourite clover is a free-for-all!

            Dirty socks all about the town,

            Pass the lumberjack’s hat around!”

Esperanza stopped tapping and made a face. “Fortunately, you need a half-gallon jug filled a third to blow, three people playing the spoons, and two violins to get an idea what it’s supposed to sound like. It’s also supposed to have a cowbell and a really loud drum, but most people just clang on whatever they find.”

Daphne said, “Can you teach me a song that would be appropriate for the contest?”

“Sure. I know what a bunch of the others said they were doing, so that way you won’t have anyone singing the same thing. I can teach you Maid in Mourning or Velvet Tears in less than an hour. Is there a specific song you’d like to learn?”

“Maybe something a little less weepy,” Daphne suggested.

“Okay—how about The Forlorn Rose or Indigo Woods? You’re allowed a single person for accompaniment…”Esperanza kept talking, but Daphne overheard one of the girls whistling, and then, someone sang,

“Shoo bee doo my feet turned blue”

“Dancing round and around my nose achoo!” sang the girl, sweeping nearby.

“The Duke’s in the henhouse and the earl’s a clown,”

“PASS THE LUMBERJACK’S HAT AROOOOUND!” sang the artist, horribly, from the main room.

“I don’t pay you lot to sing!” Irene shouted from where she worked near the ovens, but like all bad songs, the little diddy had caught on like wildfire.

“Pass the Lumberjack’s hat around, hat around, hat around,

“Pass the Lumberjack’s hat around,

“Until we get some GRAVY!”

Almost everyone in the bakery was stomping and clapping. One of the girls was dancing a jig on a table because she knew Irene couldn’t see her.

AUTHOR Bio and Links

L.T. Getty is a rural paramedic from Manitoba. She enjoys writing science fiction and fantasy and generally being creative.

Amazon (American) / Amazon (Canadian) / Kobo / BarnesandNobles

Author Links: My Blog

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Giveaway – The Cannibal’s Guide To Fasting by Dana Hammer @GoddessFish

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I had to share this for the title alone. It cracks me up!!!!!!

I am a sucker for a great cover and it’s usually the first thing that hooks me. I am happy to have Dana Hammer here to share her thoughts of the cover for her latest novel, The Cannibal’s Guide To Fasting.

The Cover — The Cannibal’s Guide to Fasting

First of all, I just want to thank the folks at Cinnabar Moth for putting together such an awesome cover. I myself have never been good at graphic design.  To give you some idea of how bad at graphic design I am — I created the programs for my mother’s funeral … and they were vetoed. They were so bad that people simply could not allow them to be used, even at the risk of offending a grieving daughter.  So any graphic designer who does a good job is basically a godlike magician in my eyes.

The cover for The Cannibal’s Guide to fasting shows a bunch of pressed wildflowers on the front. Igor, my main character, presses wildflowers as a hobby, and as a distraction from his craving for human meat. In his former life, as a research scientist, he thought botany was a silly hobby, not worthy of serious consideration. Now, he spends his free time pressing, observing, and meticulously labeling the specimens he collects. The pressed wildflowers are a symbol for how his world has changed.

The back cover features a tomato-based beverage. For legal reasons, this beverage does not have a name, but if you read the book, you will likely be able to guess what it is. I was especially pleased with the drink graphic, and I think it turned out beautifully.

The Cannibal’s Guide to Fasting by Dana Hammer

GENRE:   Comedic horror

BLURB

Igor Fenenko, a former research scientist, is a scary, scary man. Not only is he a massive bodybuilder with a spider tattooed on his face, he has also been infected with Pestis Manducans — viral cannibalism. Igor tried to resist indulging, but his research specimens smelled so delicious. Who did it hurt, really, to nibble a corpse?

Caught, disgraced, and sent to a ‘rehabilitation’ center, Igor is now forced to live in a government-mandated Containment Center. He spends his days pressing wildflowers, growing blueberries, and doing his best to avoid human meat. More than anything, he wants a cure for the virus that has ruined his life.

Igor’s brother, Karl, is also infected with Pestis. But unlike Igor, he does not live in a Containment Center. He lives down by the river, where he runs a cannibal rights group. At first, the group seems harmless enough, if a bit creepy and overzealous. But when Igor discovers their evil practices, he is forced to intervene.

Aided and opposed by rich eccentrics who have their own agendas, Igor must use brains and muscles to find a cure while fighting the urge to turn brains and muscles into a delicious lunch.

EXCERPT

Igor’s home is a single-wide trailer in a “community” that the government has set up for former cannibals. Decent, lawabiding, non-infected folks do not want man-eaters to live in their neighborhoods, but they won’t go so far as to demand executions for the infected, and so the forced cannibal community was born.

For a time, the infected were held in prisons and jails, until those became too overcrowded, and the state was forced to find other solutions. Now, the official plan of action is this: identify the cannibals, send them to a treatment center, and then house them in secure, guarded communities with their own kind.

Igor’s community is one of the nicer ones. The trailers are small but clean, and the neighborhood is kept tidy and quiet. Each trailer even has a small patch of lawn, for residents to use as they please. Igor uses his for fruit and vegetable gardening. Some other people plant flowers, and some of them plant nothing at all, but fill their yards with furniture or above-ground pools.

Other communities aren’t so lucky. Igor is grateful for his home, despite the security guards who occasionally take their jobs a bit too seriously. Despite the constant scrutiny of the inspectors, despite the fact that his ID lists his address as “High Risk Containment Center” and that any time he has to show that ID to anyone, he gets glares or looks of disgust or flat refusals of service. He is grateful, because without it, and without a job, and without anyone willing to take him in, he would likely be homeless.

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Dana Hammer is a novelist, screenwriter and playwright. She has won over forty awards and honors for her writing, few of which generated income, all of which were deeply appreciated. She is not a cannibal.

Website / Facebook / Amazon Buy Link

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Giveaway – Ruby Red by D L Croisette @GoddessFish @DLCroisette

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Welcome D. I am so happy to have you here today. I loved your ‘Dream Come True’ guest post. You are an inspiration to writer want to bes out there. Congratulations.

Turning A Dare into a Dream Come True

In early 2021, I lost my corporate job. I could have wallowed in defeat, eaten a few tubs of ice cream and sunk into my couch to binge Netflix. Or dusted off my resume and jumped back into the corporate world, working to make someone else’s dream come true.

Instead, I took a chance and chose me. My dream. My happiness.

Writing has always been a passion of mine. I tried to wrangle writing into my day-to-day job, but it was never enough, nor the right fit for me. I often referring to boardrooms to boredrooms because besides a lot of talking, not much seemed to get done. Unlike my evening, which were usually spend jotting down the adventures of the characters in my head. Things got serious after a dare from a friend. At lunch, my friends and I listened to one of our group complain about a recent romance story she’d finished reading. She was disappointed that yet another alpha male lead character won over the heart of a ray of sunshine female character.

My friend turned to me and suggested I could write a better hero and a more romantic story. I laughed—I wasn’t a romance writer. She dared me to prove her wrong. That afternoon, the concept of a role reversal distracted me; an alpha female lead character who wins the heart of a ray of sunshine male character. Ali popped into my head and said, “Write about me. I’m perfect for this role.”

I went home that night and wrote the first three chapters of Ruby Red – A Romance. Two months later, I had a complete first draft of Ali and Sam’s love story. I’m proud to say Ali remained bold and feisty throughout the book and her paramour, Sam is kind, supportive and a dreamy beta hero who lets Ali take the lead. Happily.

Thanks to the dare, I was now officially a romance writer. I’ve never looked back, loving writing romance. (Pardon the pun.)

Thanks to that round of layoffs, I’m a published romance author as well. The day after I lost my job, I submitted my romance story to Champagne Book Group. A month later, we were negotiating a publishing contract. I chose Champagne Books, because as a smaller publisher, they afford the freedom to retain the essence of my writing style. In May of 2022, Ruby Red – A Romance hit the virtual bookshelves to rave reviews. And not only from my mom.

Ruby Red is a riches-to-rags, hidden identity, slow burn contemporary romance high on emotion and drama. This steamy love story promises dollops of drama, a few laughs and plenty of passion.

24 yr. old Ali Stinson is living the high life now she is no longer under the thumb of her cheating ex-husband. But behind her red lipstick, designer clothes and gala-lifestyle hides a damaged, lonely heart. Influenced by her married rich friend and pressured to keep up with the “in” crowd, Ali attempts to fill a void with frivolous distractions and emotionless one-night stands.

Sam Freemont has recently arrived in town seeking a fresh start and trying to eek out a living in his new circumstances. A chance encounter with a red-lipped, raven-haired beauty at his place of work turns Sam’s world upside down and threatens to expose the secret he is desperately trying to hide.

When Ali discovers her money embezzled by her financial manager, she has two choices: admit defeat or accept the help of the one man she might just lose her heart to. Defeat is not in Ali’s DNA. Will Sam’s secret destroy the delicate trust she has placed in him or will love conquer all?

What a fabulous story D. I wish you many more books in your future. Congratulations!

Ruby Red by D. L. Croisette

GENRE:   Contemporary Romance

BLURB

One night stands only need apply.

Ali Stinson is having a bad day. Her afternoon tryst was interrupted (before they got to the good part) to discover her investment manager ran away with all her money. Now she has to keep up appearances with her high society friends, find a dress for an upcoming charity event, and not fall in love with Sam, the cute bartender, who insists on helping her. Thing is, she’s 90% sure she doesn’t want help. Adulting is hard.

Looking for work, not love.

Sam Freemont is having a strange day. He was in the middle of the best kiss of his life when his boss walked in and halted the fun, which is not helping with the low profile he’s trying to maintain. Now he can’t get Ali off his mind or out of his dreams. Good thing she’s a regular at the swanky resort he just started working at. Gives him time to find a way back to her lips. Or better yet, into her heart.

EXCERPT

Did Sam really just say she was the most beautiful woman in the world?

Despite her deplorable situation, Ali couldn’t help but smile. This man did have a way with words. His texts over the past few days always found a way to make things a little better.

Also, talking to him helped. A lightness she’d missed for a long time expanded in her chest. It hadn’t been an easy decision to tell someone and lay her problems before him, yet the confession came naturally. When she’d bumped into him at the café, relief at seeing him there had rushed in.

Kate walking in had frozen her, like a deer in headlights. As her senses returned, Ali’s first instinct was to run. Even though she didn’t stop to acknowledge the gesture, Ali assumed Sam wouldn’t refuse her plea for help.

His kindness, his open heartedness made it easy for her to tell him the details of her circumstances. He hadn’t judged her or laughed at her. Rather, he accepted her for what she was. Plus, there was his offer to help.

This guy was too good to be true.

There had to be some catch she wasn’t seeing. Or maybe she should stop holding Sam to the low standards of the other men in her life and try accepting him for who he was. She decided to trust him.

AUTHOR Bio and Links

D.L. Croisette is a storyteller. She had characters in her head before she had words in her mouth. Now she spins them into romantic stories full of drama and heart. Collector of international friends, avid traveller and always up for a new adventure, she snaps photos to remember each escapade, and peppers the best experiences into her stories. Ruby Red is her debut romance novel, and she’s probably at an outdoor café right now, dreaming up a bold new heroine to stir up trouble.

Drop by www.dlcroisette.com for a romantic quote, behind-the-scene goodies or to say hi.

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Giveaway – 365 Days Of Gratitude Journal by Marielle S Smith @GoddessFish

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I love to invite authors to share their thoughts and am so happy to have Marielle S Smith here today to share five of her favorite gratitude quotes.

Five of my favourite gratitude quotes

With two gratitude journals out there, I’ve gathered a fair collection of gratitude quotes. In today’s post, I’ll be sharing some of my favourite quotes from both the first and second volume of the 365 Days of Gratitude Journal.

If any of the quotes speak to you and you wish to print them out, I created a high-quality PDF you can find here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PuIUIjYDNQZN68DGasQolMSoWwPgpHqy/view?usp=sharing

Life is a series of thousands of tiny miracles. Notice them.

—Roald Dahl

I just love this quote and it’s so in line with the one by Albert Einstein I included in the introduction to the journal: ‘There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing

is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.’

Each time I hear or read any of these two quotes, my perspective instantly shifts to something much lighter and joyful and I can’t help but smile.

The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see.

—Mary Davis

There’s a reason I put this quote on the cover of the second volume—it hits home every time. I can’t even put my finger on why, it just does. And I know from experience just how truthful this statement is, which is why I get a little bit frustrated with myself each time there’s a lull in my gratitude practice.

It’s a good thing it’s so easy to get back into it!

We should certainly count our blessings, but we should also make our blessings count.

—Neal A. Maxwell

Back in my student days, I had a conversation with my supervisor about privilege. As a relatively privileged woman—I’m white, cisgender, able-bodied, I can pass as straight, I was getting a higher education—I struggled with those privileges because it all felt a little unfair to me.

I’ll never forget how she responded. She said: ‘There’s no point in feeling bad or guilty about where you came from, because that’s beyond your control. But what you can do is use whatever privilege you happen to have to help dismantle the system that created these privileges in the first place.’

This quote reminds me of that conversation and that I should really use all of my blessings, including my privileges, for the greater good.

When you focus on the good, the good gets better.

—Abraham Hicks

Whether this is actually true, I couldn’t tell you, but it’s definitely something I want to believe. At the very least, this quote reminds me to focus on the good things that are happening in my life instead of all the things I’m not as thrilled about, and that always makes me feel better instantly.

We’re all so busy chasing the extraordinary that we forget to stop and be grateful for the ordinary.

—Brené Brown

This quote is, in a nutshell, why I decided to create a gratitude journal in the first place. We tend to celebrate and express gratitude over the big milestones and large blessings in our lives, but the key to living a grateful life is to learn to notice and be thankful for all those teeny tiny things we so easily take for granted. What are you grateful for today? Can you name one thin

Thanks so much for being here today, Michelle. I hope everyone enjoyed the post.

365 Days of Gratitude Journal by Mariëlle S. Smith

GENRE:   Non-fiction; self-help

BLURB

*** Now available in black-and-white AND full colour! ***

‘The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see.’ Mary Davis

Gratitude is not just about ATTITUDE.

Gratitude is about PRACTICE.

But how do you create a gratitude practice that sticks?

After the success of her first 365 Days of Gratitude Journal, writing coach Mariëlle S. Smith brings you Volume 2. Same journal but with an entirely different look!

After years of barely surviving her own emotional minefield, Mariëlle discovered the transformative power of practising gratitude. But, like no one else, she knows that cultivating an attitude of gratitude is easier said than done.

365 Days of Gratitude, Vol. 2 is an undated, guided journal. Complete with inspiring quotes, daily prompts, and recurring check-ins, it was designed to help you create a sustainable gratitude practice too.

Commit to the life-changing power of gratitude today and order your copy now!

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Mariëlle S. Smith is a writer, writing coach, and editor. She lives in Cyprus, where she organises private writer’s retreats, is inspired 24/7, and feeds more stray cats than she can count.

Contact Links

Purchase Links

Barnes & Noble: Black-and-white edition: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/365-days-of-gratitude-vol-2-marielle-s-smith/1141685091 

Deluxe full colour edition: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/365-days-of-gratitude-journal-vol-2-mari-lle-smith/1140370436  

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