Interview M.S. Spencer Author of Orion’s Foot
Happy holidays to all! Give a big welcome to M.S. Spenser, author of Orion’s Foot. Have a seat and grab an insulated mug. I’ve got hot chocolate, hot cider and coffee. Choose your pot, they’re labeled. Pick your choice of a Snicker-doodle, Chocolate Chip or Peanut butter cookie from the plate. Yep, I baked them myself. Lets find out a little about M.S. Spenser and see what Orion’s Foot is all about. Thanks for joining us!
Mystery lurks deep in the Amazon—a tale of monsters, passion, and obsession.
Thank you so much for giving me a chance to talk about my new mystery romance Orion’s Foot: Myth, Mystery, and Romance in the Amazon. I hope your readers enjoy the new excerpt and a little background on one of the weirder denizens of the Amazon, the hoatzin or stinkbird.
Among the many exotic creatures that Petra encounters in her adventures in my mystery romance Orion’s Foot: Myth, Mystery, and Romance in the Amazon, few are odder than the hoatzin. It is a squat bird about the size of a turkey, with a round body, long, squared tail, and a small head. Its face is bare and blue, and it sports a dinky little crest. It eats only leaves, which means it spends about 80% of its time digesting—literally chewing its cud like a cow. And like a cow, it stinks. They are so unique they’ve been given their own family: Opisthocomidae. Worse, there is no fossil record of them, so scientists still have no clue how they evolved.
So it’s with much excitement that the scientists at Pacaya greet one of their team’s announcement that he’s found a fossil hoatzin. Little did they know the discovery would lead them down dangerous paths.
Tell us a little about Orion’s Foot.
Petra Steele is wallowing in self-pity after being dumped at the altar, when her brother Nick invites her to come to the Peruvian Amazon. Before she even sets her suitcase down, she’s confronted with a murder victim. In a research station peopled with a quirky assortment of scientists, she is drawn to Emory Andrews, a gruff, big man with a secret past. That is, until his beautiful ex-wife shows up. More murders, more secrets, more mysteries ensue, all in the deeply romantic, sizzling jungle.
Sneak peek between the pages of Orion’s Foot – Living Fossil
She looked to her left. “What’s through there? Something’s shimmering.”
Hector answered. “It’s an oxbow lake. Hoatzin usually congregate around them.” As if to confirm, they heard a loud crashing and grunting. “That must be a flock of them now. They do not fly well, and so tend to thrash around on the ground when flushed.”
Winston muttered, “Stupid birds.”
4 day trip to La Selva Lodge on the Napo River in the Amazon jungle of E. Ecuador…Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin)…
That’s what he said about Molly the toucan. Petra wondered if he thought all birds were stupid. Before she could ask, they broke out of the undergrowth onto the shore of a small body of black water. A kingfisher keened and swooped over the surface just as a fish jumped. The sun burned heavy. Petra shielded her eyes and surveyed the expanse of water. A flock of birds huddled in a clump on the far side. She took out her binoculars and trained them on one—a large, lumpy peacock-like bird. It was quite showy, with chestnut primaries and a square black-and-yellow tail. When it turned, she noted a bright blue face and a floppy reddish crest. Just then the breeze picked up from the west, rippling the water. Both Alex and Petra covered their mouths. “Oh, my God, what a stench.”
“Like I said, they smell just like cattle.”
Petra couldn’t help it. “Some people claim cows cause global warming. Now we know the real culprit.”
Nick guffawed.
Aguirre had been sweeping the opposite shore with his glasses when he stopped. “Look! There! To the right of the hoatzin!”
Everyone swung around, but only a wall of green met their eyes. “What?”
“It’s…oh, damn. It’s gone.” His eyes lit up. “If it’s what I think it is, we are in for a helluva ride.”
“What did you see?”
“A living fossil.”
Buy Links:
Amazon Barnes and Noble, ITunes, KOBO, Google Play, Indigo, Indie-bound
About the Author:
Librarian, anthropologist, Congressional aide, speechwriter—M. S. Spencer has traveled the globe. She holds a BA from Vassar College, a diploma in Arabic Studies from the American University in Cairo, and Masters in Anthropology and in Library Science from the University of Chicago. All of this tends to insinuate itself into her works.
Ms. Spencer has published thirteen romantic suspense or murder mystery novels, with two more on the way. She has two fabulous grown children and an incredible granddaughter. She divides her time between the Gulf Coast of Florida and a tiny village in Maine.
Social Media Links:
Blog: https://msspencertalespinner.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msspencerromance
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/msspencerauthor
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/msspencer
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/msspencerauthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msspencerauthor/
Linked in: www.linkedin.com/in/msspencerauthor
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/m-s-spencer
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Orion’s Foot!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Amazon; Cozy mystery; Legendary creatures; Librarians; Mystery/Suspense; Romantic Suspense; Jungle adventure; Amazonia; Peru; Second Chance at Love; Amateur Sleuth by Tena Stetler with 7 comments.
Interview Marie Tuhart Author of Bound to Love You
Happy holidays to all! Give a big welcome to Marie Tuhart, author of Bound to Love You. Have a seat and grab an insulated mug. I’ve got hot chocolate, hot cider and coffee. Choose your pot, they’re labeled. Pick your choice of a Snicker-doodle, Chocolate Chip or Peanut butter cookie from the plate. Yep, I baked them myself. Lets find out a little about Marie and her new release Bound to Love you. Thanks for joining us!
My pleasure.
Tell us a little about you.
I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with my muse, Penny, a four pound toy poodle. I love to read and write, when I’m not writing, I spend time with family, traveling and enjoying life. I bet you don’t know too many people that have a key chain collection from around the world.
You’d be right!
Now for the speed round. You get two words to answer each of my questions. <evil laugh> I know this segment can be torture for a writer.
Let’s start with what is your favorite book of all time? To Many
Now that’s cheating. LOL
- Where do you relax to read? Family Room
- What sound drives you right up a wall? Beeping
- What sound relaxes you? Ocean Waves
- Favorite drink? Diet Coke
- Walking in the sand, shoes or barefoot? barefoot
- Favorite pet – Dog
- Snow? Love or hate? mild hate
- Doing ________ is like nailing jello to the wall. Promotion
- Rock and Roll, Country, Jazz or Classical? Country
- What can’t you leave the house without? Watch
- Calender or not; Paper or electronic? Both
- Favorite place to write. Office
- What is your decadent indulgent? Playing Games
- You’ve just won $1,000.00, you have only 24 hours to spend it, so what will you buy? Computer
- Plotter or panster? Both
- Introvert or extrovert? Introvert
- Flight or fight? Flight
- Favorite Monster? Dracula
- Magic or Not? Magic
Wow, I’m impressed. Very well done.
How about telling us a little about your new release Bound To Love You.
Rachel Nelson and Boyd Phillips have been married for short time, enjoying kink at home as well as at Club Crave. Bondage has always been a hard limit for the feisty sub, thought it’s something she knows her sexy yet caring Dom wants to try. Can game night help her push past her fears and take their relationship to the next level?
A sneak peek between the pages of Bound To Love You.
Rachel Nelson smiled as she walked into Club Crave with her husband, Boyd. They’d been married for six months now; the best six months of her life. She’d never been happier. She’d found a man who enjoyed kink as much as she did.
Game night was always fun, yet tonight, her nerves were stretched tight. The past few weeks at the club, Boyd had wanted to try bondage, and she had kept putting him off. Game night always pushed a subs boundaries a bit, and she could only hope he didn’t push too far.
The club wasn’t crowded yet. She glanced around but didn’t see any of her friends. Anna,
Paige, and Olivia had told her at lunch yesterday they would be there. Especially since game night was for select couples.
Excited for tonight?” Boyd asked, raising their joined hands so he could kiss the back of hers.
“Yes, Sir. Game night is always fun.” Anticipation warred with her taut nerves.
“Good.” With his free hand, he brushed a lock of her hair away from her face. “Your hair is falling down.”
She automatically raised her hand to her head. Dang it, the pins were already coming loose. “Yes, Sir. Excuse me while I go to the ladies’ room.”
“Let me. It’s my fault since I messed it up.” Boyd turned her around, and his hands slid into her hair. She shivered as he pulled the pins out, then gathered her hair and put the pins back in.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZMZ32FK
Barnes & Nobel: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bound-to-love-you-marie-tuhart/1134408016?ean=2940160729800
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/bound-to-love-you
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/BoundToLoveYou
I understand you have another book, Get Swept Away To The Desert, releasing this month, November 18, 2019, to be exact. Tell us about that one.
Journalist Zoey Lace is determined her exposé on the progressive country of Bashir will be her strongest travel piece yet. Upon her arrival, she finds not all is peaceful in this beautiful land. When Prince Khalid Al-Hakim insists her life is in danger and he must protect her, can she trust the prince’s reasons or is there some hidden agenda?
Khalid Al-Hakim is duty bound to protect his beloved country and his family, all now at risk, threatened by opium dealers. A beautiful American journalist photographs the wrong thing and it’s up to Khalid to save his homeland and keep Zoey safe. When she is kidnapped, all his plans disperse like arid desert sand in a storm. To save the woman he loves, he must now face his deepest fears.
Together, will they conquer obstacles to the country and themselves or be torn apart by the tides of evil?
Preorder Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZG3NM19
Barnes & Nobel: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/her-desert-protector-marie-tuhart/1134291056?ean=2940163699674
iTunes/book: https://books.apple.com/us/book/her-desert-protector/id1484529878
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/her-desert-protector
Universal buy link: https://books2read.com/HerDesertProtector
Wow, busy lady. It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Bound to Love You and Get Swept Away To The Desert!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Bound To Love You, erotica, Get Swept Away To The Desert by Tena Stetler with 6 comments.
Interview with Meredith Allard Author of Down Salem Way
Happy holidays to all! Give a big welcome to , author of Down Salem Way. Have a seat and grab an insulated mug. I’ve got hot chocolate, hot cider and coffee. Choose your pot, they’re labeled. Pick your choice of a Snicker-doodle, Chocolate Chip or Peanut butter cookie from the plate. Yep, I baked them myself. Pssst…Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter at the bottom of the post. 
Lets see find out a little about Meredith Allard and what Down Salem Way: Prequel to Loving Husband Trilogy is all about. Thanks for joining us! Lets start with Meredith.
What inspired this particular story?
Down Salem Way is the prequel to the Loving Husband Trilogy, so the story itself was inspired by the trilogy, mainly the first book, Her Dear and Loving Husband. Her Dear and Loving Husband is one of those books that’s hard to explain without giving a lot away, but I will say that Down Salem Way fills in the bits about the Salem witch hunts that Her Dear and Loving Husband leaves out. The truth is, Down Salem Way wouldn’t exist without the amazing fans of the Loving Husband Trilogy. After I finished writing Her Loving Husband’s Return, the final book in the series, I thought my time with James and Sarah Wentworth was done. But fans kept asking for more. For as long as I year I said no because the story is pretty well wrapped up. But the fans kept asking. Finally, I came up with the idea for Down Salem Way as a way to talk more about James and his wife’s experiences during the Salem Witch Trials.
What do you want your readers to take away from your books?
Since I write primarily historical fiction, I’d love it if readers made connections that people haven’t changed much over the years. What people want now is what people have always wanted, which is to know they matter. Fashions change, and technology, and medicinal knowledge (thank goodness), but beneath society there is just this inherent humanness that we all continue to share. Also, history does tend to repeat itself. I’ve had more than one fan see connections between events in my novels and events in the news today. I don’t do that on purpose, necessarily. But it is interesting to see how the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Do you find it easier to write from a male or female point of view? Why?
This is an interesting question because Down Salem Way is written from a male point of view and I’m female. I wouldn’t say it was hard, especially since I was writing from the point of view of James Wentworth, a character I had been writing about since 2009 when I started writing the Loving Husband Trilogy. Actually, the entire Loving Husband Trilogy is written from both James and Sarah’s point of view, but Down Salem Way is different because it’s written in first person as James’ diary. I didn’t find it particularly hard to write from James’ point of view because of all of the characters I’ve written over the years, James is probably the one I most identify with. We’re both bookish scholars who would rather read, write, and contemplate than deal with the real world. I didn’t think of it as writing from the male point of view. I thought of it as writing a character I innately understood. I think it’s good for writers to press themselves out of their comfort zones sometimes and try something different.
Why do you write what you write? Ie. Contemporary, paranormal, suspense, etc.
I write primarily historical fiction because I’m fascinated by history and I love to learn about the past. By researching the history for my novels, I have a chance to learn things I might not have otherwise learned. Also, historical fiction is my favorite genre to read. My fiction crosses over several genres and it also has paranormal elements, like with the vampires, witches, werewolves, and ghosts in the Loving Husband Trilogy. Down Salem Way also has its share of witches and vampires, though I was sure to make it clear that those accused of witchcraft were not witches. I also write sweet romance, and often it’s the love story, like the love story between James and Elizabeth in Down Salem Way, that drives the story forward. There a great quote from Toni Morrison that says if there’s a book you want to read and it has not been written then you must write it. And that’s my reason for writing right there. I write books that I like to read, and one of my greatest joys is hearing from fans from all over the world who like my books. For an author, there’s nothing better.
in love with Elizabeth Jones, a farmer’s daughter. Though they are virtually
strangers when they marry, the love between James and Elizabeth grows quickly
into a passion that will transcend time.
surrounding them, James and Elizabeth are determined to continue the peaceful,
loving life they have created together. Will their love for one another carry
them through the most difficult challenge of all?
“Would you like a lesson?” I asked.
“Aye,” Lizzie said. “Thank you.”
Lizzie has progressed well in her reading. And quickly too. I believe our nightly lessons help bond us more quickly than we might have otherwise since our readings prompt long discussions where we learn much about each other. After we read the rest of the passage together, I did the impossible: I cajoled my wife into reading aloud on her own.
“No one has such a lovely voice as you,” I said.
Lizzie laughed. “You think your sweet tongue will persuade me to read alone? When you are such a learned man?” She turned away, her cheeks flushed.
“But you know how I love listening to you speak. Tis like hearing a serenata by Alessandro Stradella.”
“Who?”
I reached for our favorite volume of poetry. “Tis time, Lizzie. Read to me.”
Lizzie turned the book in her hands, over and over. Finally, she nodded. She tentatively opened the book. “What would you like to hear?”
“You know.”
Lizzie’s smile rivals the brightest sunshine. She opened to the page, exhaled, and read, haltingly, with pauses, some from a struggle to sound out or recall the words, some from embarrassment that she read alone. After the first two lines, her voice grew in confidence.
If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were loved by wife, then thee.
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me, ye women, if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold,
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee give recompense.
Thy love is such I can no way repay;
The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.
Then while we live, in love let’s so persever,
That when we live no more, we may live ever.
Lizzie closed the book. “Tis true, you know.”
“What is?” I asked.
“This poem, To My Dear and Loving Husband. Tis as though everything I feel for you has been written here, by this woman, a magistrate’s wife I’ll never meet. You are…” Lizzie blushed, hot along her jaw. I touched her cheek and lifted her head so I could see into her eyes. “If ever man were loved by wife, then thee. That is how…”
“Tis all right, Lizzie. You can tell me anything.”
“That is how I feel about you. You are my dear and loving husband, James Wentworth.”
I knelt before Lizzie, pressing her hand to my lips.
“I knew the moment I saw you over the supper table that you were the one for me. I cannot imagine waking up every morning for the rest of my life without looking into your beautiful eyes. I cannot imagine walking through this world without knowing that you were here waiting for me. I cannot imagine having the strength to breathe without you. You are my dear and loving wife, Elizabeth Wentworth. And I love you. I shall never leave you. Ever.”
I swept my wife into my arms and carried her away.
About
the Author:
the bestselling paranormal historical love story The Loving Husband Trilogy and
the sweet Victorian romance When It Rained at Hembry Castle, named a best
historical novel of 2016 by IndieReader. Meredith’s latest release is Down
Salem Way, the long-awaited prequel to The Loving Husband Trilogy set around
the Salem witch hunts. She lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Down Salem Way!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged historical/paranormal/sweet romance, Meredith Allard by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
Charm Me Again #MFRWHooks
Charm Me Again
Tena Stetler, friendly blog owner of Authors’ Secrets presents Charm Me Again
A paranormal romance/mystery
I have a secret for you. My latest book, Charm Me Again is available for pre-order now and releases December 9, 2019! Squeal! Can you believe it? Don’t you love the mysteriously yummy cover? I’m also participating in MFRWHooks blog hop.
What’s Charm Me Again about?
For several months a Scottish Highland Ghost has haunted Daylan, in his personal life, his professional life and at his forge. Yet, being a talented warlock, he is no closer to discovering what the ghost wants or why he chose Daylan. A trip to his estranged sister’s home in Colorado may have unforeseen consequences especially when family history leads him to a shocking discovery.
As his attraction blooms for Josie, a yoga instructor in his sister’s studio, he realizes there may be more to Josie than he can imagine. When an ancient rogue Fae Warrior set on revenge kidnaps her in an attempt to claim her as his own, a devastating curse comes to light.
Daylan’s world spirals out of control as he searches for Josie. Can he break the age old curse to save her and their future, or will she be lost to him forever?
A sneak peek between the pages of Charm Me Again.
Without warning, Shay and his Fae warriors materialized beside the group. An eyebrow raised, he nodded. “We’ll take it from here.”
“Not with Josie inside,” he protested.
A loud boom shook the ground and the side wall of the building collapsed. Purple smoke billowed up and Shay cursed. “Get him. Don’t let him get away.” The warriors rushed forward toward the building. A column of the purple haze rose upward and spread across the sky dimming to lilac. Shay and the warriors disappeared with the haze.
Josie stumbled out coughing and choking. He rushed to her side as she collapsed in his arms holding her hands out, palms up. The group formed a circle around them as he eased her to the ground.
Summer’s eyes widened as she pointed to the subtle orange glow rising from Josie’s palms. “I believe her latent magic must have saved her.”
Charm Me Again Buy Links:
Available for pre-order now – Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Itunes
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Next week, Thanksgiving traditions and recipes. Mark your calendars! Plus a Holiday Sale!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged #MFRWHooks, Charm Me Again, Paranormal Romance/Mystery, Tena Stetler by Tena Stetler with 6 comments.
