New Release || August 23, 2016 || Black Mirror

"Black Mirror" - Christopher CarrolliBlack Mirror

The Paranormal Investigator Book 6

by Christopher Carrolli

In 1970, Angus Marlowe disappeared along with a strange occult artifact held in his family’s possession for centuries—a black mirror. After entering a desolate Cedar Manor a few years ago, the investigators discovered a tome that revealed part of the Black Mirror’s mystery—beyond its glass lay a gateway to another realm—but whatever happened to the mirror?

Now, a young woman’s disappearance has led Susan Logan to discover its whereabouts. After investigating on her own, Susan becomes enraptured by the mirror’s dark allure. Soon, the investigators encounter a woman who is not the Susan they know. Who is she? The baffling answer leads them to the Black Mirror’s terrifying secret.


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Excerpt

Chapter One

~ Angus ~

Cedar Manor 1970

Angus Marlowe had gotten away with murder—quite a few murders to be exact. He’d committed his violent crimes right here in the underground basement of this dark, malignant house. Mother and Father were gone now, both of them passing within a few years of each other. The safety net they’d so perfectly provided had been ripped away. Now, he was alone. The authorities couldn’t prove he’d killed any of those girls, but one day they might. One day when he least expected it, the pursuit and the extent of his evils might be unveiled.

However, the black tome described an exit that would ensure his freedom and would send him on his way to the darkened path he so fervently served. It would be his richly reward, his pathway to the dark kingdom, where all of the treasures he’d been promised would be spilled out before him. The Black Mirror would open its gateway to him, just as the tome described, and through it he would venture toward his dark salvation.

He stood in front of it, gazing into its opaque glass and marveling at the rich, silvered frame that surrounded the dark Victorian masterpiece. This large, rectangular mirror was a counterpart to a gold-gilded masterpiece that framed regular glass. His grandparents had acquired both mirrors from England.

His fascination with the Black Mirror began in his childhood. He would gaze into the glass for hours in hopes of breaching its mysteries and satisfying his curiosity. His quest had been unsuccessful.

The breakthrough came when he was a teenager. It was the first time he’d seen the glass change. For a fleeting moment, the glass was no longer there; it vanished from the silvered frame that surrounded it. In its place a thick swirling mist moved within the frame. Then, the mist disappeared. Instantly, the glass froze back into place. He’d blinked his eyes, and then rapped the glass with his knuckles. It was solid, just like always.

Later, in his late twenties, he’d been rummaging through this very basement, examining the history his family had stowed here. He found artifacts, antiques, small statues, paintings, all from different eras of his family’s history. Many of the relics and antiques dated all the way back to the Revolutionary War. All of it had been stashed away, allowing the past to die.

The mirrors originated from the Victorian era, two ornately framed masterpieces, one a dark cousin of the other. He never understood why his parents had displayed the gold-gilded mirror in one of the upper parlors and stored the black mirror here, hidden away in this endless labyrinth. As he rummaged, he soon discovered why.

He’d found an old, antique cabinet that hadn’t been opened in years. The rusty lock on the cabinet was ancient in his estimation. He attempted to open it, but the lock was impervious, fastened in a solid grasp by its own rust and corrosion. Angrily, he grabbed an axe and swung it high above his head, busting the lock with a single swing. The cabinet doors creaked when he flung them open.

His hands swept through a thick mass of cobwebs, brushing away age-old nets that blanketed the cabinet’s contents in mystery. Once he cleared away the cobwebs, he stared at his discovery. It was a large black book by the looks of it. Something lay atop it. He reached inside and retrieved the object.

It was a handheld mirror with black, opaque glass, just like the larger one. He’d held it up to his face, glaring into its darkness. It showed no reflection of him, only the shimmering of the electrical sconces lining the walls behind him. He gently removed the large black book from the cabinet, blew the dust from its cover, and opened it. The book appeared old, almost two-hundred years at a guess. Carefully, he turned the yellow tinged pages. Their edges were browned by the assault of time.

Beneath the light of one of the electrical sconces, he saw the book contained large handwritten portions in fine penmanship. He recognized the handwritten words as Latin. He’d been familiar with Latin, having studied it at one of the private schools he’d attended, and later continued with a private tutor. Within a year, he deciphered most of the large, black tome, word for word.

Soon, he realized what he uncovered from the cabinet were two missing, key components in the Black Mirror’s mystery. In its own obscure, yet fascinating way, the tome detailed how the two mirrors were gateways, portals to a destination or realm otherwise unknown. He suddenly realized something important. He thought back to that quick moment when he was a teenager. The black glass had mysteriously vanished, and a strange mist moved thickly and slowly within the frame. The gateway had briefly opened for him, though he hadn’t known it at the time.

Now, it would open for him again. He had waited for years, and this time, he had the key. Angus gripped the handheld mirror in his hand, now fully understanding its purpose. Like all doorways and gateways, there had to be a key. The black handheld mirror would open the gateway and allow him to enter into its welcoming darkness.

His pounding heart made his blood race faster and faster at the thought of what was about to occur. His booming, thunderous voice bellowed out in Latin, echoing from the basement walls. He begged for acceptance, allowance, and the chance to serve within the gateway’s shadowy confines. He called out for the acknowledgement of his presence, a faithful servant in desperate need of passage.

“Black Mirror, open to me!”

The upward rise of his arms and the whiplash movement of his head signified his wicked exaltation. His knees hit the hardened floor as he dropped and bowed before the Black Mirror. In its stillness, the dark glass almost seemed to watch him, as if hidden somewhere behind its hardness evil pairs of eyes stared. He resumed his sinister incantations, loudly and rapidly spewing Latin phrases. Unholy words formed an ominous spell, an ancient ritual meant to call forth a perpetual darkness into the light.

He continued to maneuver the handheld mirror in front of the silver-framed masterpiece, casting one dark reflection upon the other. Abruptly, he stopped. His words ceased. Something was happening. Something about the mirror was changing.

The Black Mirror altered itself, just as it had in that brief instance long ago. The glass appeared almost gelatinous and wobbled within the frame. Then, its texture seemed to liquefy and ripple in waves. His mouth hung open in awe; his anticipation mixed with beguilement.

Now, the glass disappeared, and he saw right through the mirror. Where the glass once stood, upward spirals of mist spun into strange dancing shapes and odd formations. The mist thickened into a fog, turning the blackness into an apocalyptic gray. The color beyond the frame looked like the end of all things. Fear suddenly struck him, but he had done it. He’d opened the gateway. Now, nothing was left to stop him.

He slowly rose to his feet, his eyes transfixed upon the gateway, cautious that it would instantly change back into the Black Mirror. Something flashed inside of it. A distant pulse of light flickered within the thick misty fog. Was it lightning? He traced it with his eyes as it penetrated more and more of the gray murkiness. Whatever it was drew nearer. Suddenly, he threw his forearms up in front of him in a blocking motion as flares of electrical light flashed outward, causing small flames to dance and sizzle around the frame.

A quiet ensued. Slowly, he lowered his arms. Fearful eyes gazed beyond the gateway for what came next. He stepped forward, but before he moved any closer, a ball of lightning burst through the gateway, knocking him to the floor and flooding the basement with light. It was as if the dark majestic house had been ripped apart by a powerful storm or a magnificent daylight.

Then, the lightning vanished. Yet, had it actually been lightning? Did it strike here in the house or in the realm just beyond the gateway? Either way, he had experienced it, full force. He felt the heat of it, though he’d not been burned in any way. When he fell, the handheld mirror flew from his hand, skipped across the floor, and came to rest beneath an old chest, but he couldn’t focus his thoughts on it now.

Angus lay on the ground, shaking, afraid to glance back at the gateway. He heard the rumble of thunder somewhere beyond the frame, somewhere in the strange realm he’d just unlocked. Again, he rose from the floor, but the need to continue prevailed. After all, it was his discovery, his dark world that dwelled beyond the Black Mirror. He must finish what he’d begun.

He stepped slowly toward the gateway, his eyes searching through the misty fog. The lightning continued to flash, yet something else was coming closer. The fog rolled and then parted, as whatever or whomever it was moved within the gateway. A figure walked toward him from the other side of the mirror.

His heart pounded. His knees shook. He heard no footsteps, yet the image of a figure came nearer and nearer. The unidentified figure embodied the art of all mystery, a subject come alive within an eerie painting.

At last the figure stood only feet from him, but still within the confines of the frame, trapped in the clutches of a netherworld he’d opened with the strangest of keys. The figure’s height equaled his, but the murky fog hid the face. Something about the figure was familiar. He continued to watch the motionless being that stood staring outward. Then the misty fog rolled away, unveiling the specter it had hidden so well from his mortal eyes.

His heart stopped. The figure in the gateway was him, down to the last detail. His mind reeled as he stared back at himself. He recognized slight differences, discrepancies so minute that only he would be able to identify them. The face appeared smoother and maybe slightly younger. The hair looked fuller, and the neat attire projected a less disheveled appearance, but it was unmistakably him. He smiled back at himself, as mere footsteps separated him and his doppelganger.

His double extended his hand, beckoning Angus to join him within the depths of the gateway. Together, they would revel in the mysteries of the Black Mirror. Angus looked into the figure’s eyes. The eyes were brighter, clearer, and it was with those eyes that the figure spoke. The eyes recognized him, seeming to applaud him for discovering the darkest of secrets.

The figure’s hand remained outstretched, an open link to another world that existed secretly within this one. Their eyes remained locked on each other, and without moving its lips, the figure spoke inside Angus’ mind.

“Walk through the gateway, Angus,” it said. “And we shall become one.”

Angus watched as the figure turned and began walking away.

“No, no, wait!” he shouted. “Wait for me… Wait!”

As Angus ran toward the gateway, another ball of light exploded through the silver-framed portal. Again, he was knocked to the ground, this time, with greater and stronger force. He rolled across the floor, and through his squinted eyes, he saw the entire basement was lit from the electrical force. It pulsated, flashed, and flickered, illuminating the limestone walls like a great projector. He wondered if this force of electrical current had ripped through the entire house.

However, he wasn’t going to fear it. He wasn’t going to let it deter him. He jumped to his feet, ran toward it, and then stopped just before the gateway. The electrical current still flashed through the frame where the black glass had been only moments ago, but when he reached his hand through to the other side, he touched coldness, like the frost of October. He could still see his own backside walking away, farther and farther into the shadowy vortex that awaited him.

He heard the voice again. The deep, hollow tone filled his mind.

“Come, Angus, before it’s too late.”

The murky fog enveloped the figure completely. He saw it no more. It was time. It was his chance to escape, a chance that could not be missed. Angus left all things behind and ran through the gateway before it could close on him. All thoughts of the handheld mirror, the key, were easily forgotten. He turned around, looked behind him, and watched as the open portal he’d just passed turned back into glass. It hardened, closing all things in and out. He was through to the other side of the Black Mirror.

He turned back around and walked slowly, soon realizing that the darkness was not one of pitch blackness. A strange blueness tinged the new world around him, one that cast deeper shadows, like the hour before dawn. He moved through the cold, eventually running in hopes of finding the figure. Then, it happened.

The pain was heavy, hard in his chest. He stopped and struggled for air, inhaling nothing except the coldness that surrounded him. He heaved and cried out. No one answered, except eerie faraway voices that echoed his own pain. His body was shutting down. The blueness began to blur and fade to black. His eyesight was fading. His heart was stopping, for real this time. He fell to the cold, rough ground. Angus felt himself die… and then come alive again.

 

Books Release || June 25, 2015 || Growing Up & Murder


 

"December Road" by Brenda Ashworth BarryThe Journey of Elizabeth Ann Rose

A Seasons Saga Novel

by Brenda Ashworth Barry

Elizabeth Ann Rose calls the Indian reservation in southern California home, and is upset and angry when she and her family must leave and travel the road again while her daddy plays in his band and tries to become famous.

She and her family live out of an old beat up station wagon traveling from one city to another. Sometimes, living in dirty old hotel rooms where mice and cockroaches are their only pets.

When Beth Ann turns eleven she finds more than chocolate cake being served. Her mom serves her daddy divorce papers, takes her three children and heads out to begin a new life. In one short summer, Beth Ann’s life completely changes, and she ends up in Novata, a small Northern California town. The very town that will change her life forever.

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Kill Her James

by Judith Russell

In Kill Her, James, the sequel of To Clair, years of careful preparation have given The Brotherhood a maniacal plan to be tromped by the ghost of a previous kill. Preacher Edward Clower and his followers have one objective: to keep the white race pure. After the accidental death of Justin Campbell and the killing of his fifteen-year-old son, Josh, they vow to support the eleven-year-old, surviving son, James, until he is old enough to finish what his father started and return honor to The Brotherhood.

The pretty widow, Linda Campbell, has become one of the enticing incentives for members of the all-male group. Linda and her young son escape Center Ridge, Georgia and the only home they have ever known to travel west. They settle in Rayville, Tennessee, near Linda’s brother, Harold Sharpels, not knowing that The Brotherhood is close behind, never letting them out of their sights for years to follow. Now seventeen, James (or Jimmy Sharpels) is approached by The Brotherhood to aid in the murder of Dr. Clair Weinstein, the gynecologist that caused the deaths of his father and brother.

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Books Releases || November 13, 2014


 

Risky Business by Patricia CampbellRisky Business by Patricia Campbell

Doggedly determined, Risky Williston strives to rescue every homeless dog in Simi Valley and beyond. Her small house and yard bursts at the seams with dogs of all breeds, some her personal pets and some waiting for her to find homes for them.

Disciplined, neat and orderly, Chet Jensen desires Risky, but can he cope with her bizarre and disorganized lifestyle?

Chet stirs old fears Risky has spent a lifetime repressing. She doesn’t want to confront them, to face them again.

Is it possible for two people with such diverse values to have a lasting relationship?

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Revenve is a Dish Best Served by H. Paul DoucetteRevenge is a Dish Best Served by H. Paul Doucette

A Matt Murphy Mystery

Two years ago, on a dark and quiet empty New York street, two NYPD detectives approached a neighborhood bar and were gunned down by unknown assailants. The shooting was a set-up arranged by two dirty Vice cops.

One officer died. The other survived.

His name was Abe Goldman and that night he had two very good things in his corner: Luck, and his best friend. Matt Murphy. Before Goldman left the hospital, Murphy had succeeded in bringing those behind the shooting down.

All except one.

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A Cozy Country ChristmasA Cozy Country Christmas by Christine Arness

An anthology set in the country, featuring stories about families, love, and the memories, hope and joy that are such an integral part of the holiday season.

 

The Memory Tree
At Christmas, a young mother mourning the loss of their possessions in a fire learns from her children an invaluable lesson on how to start again.

The Most Important Ingredient
Anita is grieving over the fact that her broken wrist won’t allow her to continue her favorite holiday tradition of baking cookies for friends and family. Then Anita’s two small daughters assure her that she doesn’t have only one hand—she has five.

If Wishes Were Horses
When a horse galloped up and stopped at the barn door, eight year old Kim knew her prayers for a horse for Christmas had been answered. But her thoughts go in a very different direction after her mom shares a life changing memory.

Live as in Lively
This live outdoor Nativity turns out a lot “livelier” than the director anticipated.

Let It Snow
An overstressed mother remembers a past when her own mom made every holiday full of fun and joy. At the last moment, she realizes what is truly important and changes directions for the family Christmas Eve party.

One Midnight Clear
While studying a Christmas store window scene, a homesick man is shocked to find himself handcuffed to the woman at his side. As he looks at her small son’s guilty face, Tim realizes his life is about to take an unexpected turn.

Star of Bethlehem
A small girl’s desire for a Christmas tree is granted by a loving community, bringing hope to her family.

In For a Penny
A couple who believes their marriage is irrevocably broken finds healing, life lessons, and hope during a visit to an eccentric relative.

Breath of God
A Minnesota farm girl in the early 1900’s has been forced into a woman’s responsibilities. Betsy’s struggles to come to terms with her deceased mother’s plans for her bring her in conflict with both family and community expectations. Memories of the love between her parents help Betsy make the decisions she needs to face her future.

Piano Christmas
A schoolgirl’s sacrifice of a gift from her cherished teacher gives hope to a classmate and also shows her that giving can bless the giver as well.

Pocketful of Love
A grandmother learns that love is never lost when you reach out to others.

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A Holiday To Remember by Nancy Pirri and Charmaine Pauls

A Son For Christmas by Nancy Pirri

Cattle driver, Cane Smith arrives in Bozeman, Montana, released after serving seven years in a Texas prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Living behind bars has changed him, especially when he discovers he’s a father. Now, Cane has been exonerated of the crime and intends to claim his son, born of a prostitute with whom he’d loved, before being incarcerated. As an infant, the boy had been adopted by rancher, Tom Callahan.

Tom can’t fault Cane for wanting to claim his son, but has his own daughter, Annie, to deal with. She’s helped her father raise the boy she named Mark. After all this time, she can’t give him up. He’s a Callahan.

Cane, who’s been longing for a love and home of his own, has a solution: Miss Annie will have to marry him if she wants to keep Mark in her life. Annie will do anything to keep the boy with her—but can she live with the hard, rough Cane Smith?
The Grayton Family Christmas Supper Contest by Charmaine Pauls

Nobody truly knows what happened the Christmas of 1910 in the small town of Grayton, South Africa. What is for sure, is that people until today still talk about the scandalous event that grew into one of the country’s biggest annual food festivals.

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Book Releases || June 5, 2014

2014-06-05

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From Florida with Love, Sunsets & Happy EndingsFrom Florida With Love – Sunsets & Happy Endings

by Southwest Florida Romance Writers

Southwest Florida Romance Writers (SWFRW) offers a unique anthology with ten original stories. They each feature a gorgeous Southwest Florida sunset, pink flamingos in all forms, and romance. Enjoy enchanting tales about love, including old and new love, lost love, second chances, and even puppy love.

The characters range from a Spanish lady, rambunctious “Active Seniors”, a lovesick flamingo, an international spy and everything in between. Read them all in one sitting or savor each one as a separate adventure in front of your own special sunset. Be ready to laugh, they will touch your heart and mist your eyes.

From Florida With Love, Sunsets & Happy Endings is also available from Melange’s romance house Satin Romance.

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FLIPSPACE #5 FLIPSPACE #5

Threshold

by John Steiner

The freeze on FTL exploration is over. Mockingbird is dispatched to the exo-planet, XJ-372495E to relieve an outpost team established by the Astraeus. They discover no response from the base, and fear the same fate befell the station as the FTLV. Col. Rama and crew land to investigate the small wind-blown base. Todd Nathanial Ash, Mockingbird’s genetic specialist and Seti team member draws animosity from the science team leader. He and Cpt. O’Connell uncover signs of extinct civilizations, found by the first team, and learn what happened to outpost crew. That’s when things get dicey.

Bit O’ Irish mini blog hop and Giveaway

Melange is taking part in the Bit O’Irish mini blog hop that author Aubrey Wynne has organized.

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day we are giving away a copy of the book “Morna” by Mary Kate Brogan.

In nineteen-fifties Ireland, Morna Reilly wages war between God and the devil for the love of a man determined to become a priest until a fatal accident rocks the foundation of Catholic Glentown and challenges much of what Morna holds sacred.

To enter, scroll down and click the leprechaun with the pot of gold!

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Join us for some Blarney and bits and pieces of the Emerald Isle.

Sign up now through March 17, 2014

163234175_st-patricks-day-shamrock-crest-party-invitations

Welcome to the Bit O’ Irish mini blog hop.

Rules: bloggers must post something Irish, even if it is vacation pics taken while on the Isle. Participants may join in any day before St. Patrick’s Day. Please make sure to visit fellow hoppers. If you would like to add something to the  main giveaway, please notify me with a comment. All participants are welcome to add their own giveaways on their site. Erin Go Bragh!

 So we all love St. Patrick’s Day and the rolling green hills of Ireland. We love the enduring human spirit that characterizes the Irish people. The holiday should be about this:

st patrick

But instead becomes more about this:

turns into this

But no matter how you celebrate this Celtic holiday, make sure you have some fun this week. Post a favorite Irish ditty, limerick, symbol, saying, picture or recipe. As with the Irish, anything goes.

 StPatricks

We will be spotlighting Jill Bisker’s inspirational story Within Reach and giving away a variety ebooks and $5 Amazon gift card.

 withinreachfinal copy

Within Reach is the story of Emma, a woman coming to terms with her mother’s increasing dementia and the everyday challenges associated with it.  Inexplicably, she finds herself ‘re-living’ specific events from her past.  She soon wonders if her own sanity is slipping, and only her mother can help find the key.

About The Author

small author copy 

 Jill Bisker lives in Stillwater, MN with her husband and a calico cat named Senora, and a grown son who is in college. She believes in empowering women to be strong enough to protect themselves, while still soft enough to be loving and compassionate. Her work includes paranormal mystery, traditional high fantasy, as well as contemporary and humorous fantasy and an everyday living blog. Once a dedicated stay at home Mom, Jill now writes full-time.

Connect with Jill:

Facebook Page:     https://www.facebook.com/authorjillbisker

Pinterest Page:  http://www.pinterest.com/jillbisker/

Website/Blog: www.jillbisker.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JillBisker

Google +:  https://plus.google.com/u/0/102225571446174386202

Email: jkatbisker@gmail.com

pot of gold

Click the leprechaun to enter! 

Choose from the following ebooks:

      Within Reach

      By Jill Bisker

      withinreachfinal copy

 

Merry Christmas, Henry

By Aubrey Wynne

Contemporary Romance

Henry small cover  shortstoryr 

 

Craving Vengeance and Covert Exposure

By Valerie Clarizio

Romantic Suspense

cravingvengeancevjc covertexposurevjc 

Morna

By Mary Kate Brogan 
(Romance set in 1950′s Ireland)

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Click below to add your link. Remember to stop by these blogs for more luck o’ the Irish:

    http://new.inlinkz.com//luwpview.php?id=381178

 
Note: When you add your link, you can copy and paste the thumbnails to your page and the links will be all done for you. Less work and more time for green beer and corned beef with cabbage.

An Interview with Joanne Rawson + Giveaway

Upcoming Fire and Ice author Melissa March took the time to interview the “queen of chic-lit” Joanne Rawson about her most recent Melange release, “Always Mr. Wrong.”

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Melissa: Nothing stays cemented in a girls mind like her first real crush. Who was your first serious crush?

Joanne: Oh my, that was a long time ago. In the words of Greta, from Sound of Music, I was sixteen going on seventeen. He was seventeen going on eighteen.

First day back at school in the lower sixth form, he walked into the registration room, and I felt my face blush, my stomach fluttered and if I had been standing, I am sure my knees would have buckled. He was much taller and well built than any of the other guys in my year. He had a cheeky smile, and oozed confidence, so why had I never seen him before? It turned out he was retaking the lower sixth, hence his maturity!

Like having a new car, every car you see is the same as yours, I saw him everywhere, popping up in the most unexpected places. Then the bombshell came, I saw him with a girl from the upper sixth. Like Clare my life was ended, I would never find love again. Weeks later I was trying to forget him, praying for a miracle that he would see me across a crowed room, and knew right then and there he couldn’t live without me. “Yeah, like that is so going to happen.” Said my best friend.

Oh yea of little faith. It was as I was standing in the lunch line, someone muscled in at the back of me. An arm slipped around my waist, and whispered in my ear, “would I like to have lunch with him.”

My crush became my first love, for two years after.

 

Melissa: This story invites us to be a part of how Clare met Guy.  I always love a good how-did-they-meet story. So….how did you meet your husband?

Joanne: Having just got out of a relationship I was so off men. I had gone to my friend Polly’s for the weekend; I sat in a pub having a quite drink, when the proprietor placed a fresh glass on the table. “It’s from John,” pointing to a hunk in tight jeans, denim shirt and a waistcoat. Yummy! Much to Polly’s amazement, I asked him to join us. We talked for a while, had a couple more drinks and then Polly and I left. A couple of hour later the phone rang, it was him, apologising for it being so late, but it had taken him an hour to find Polly’s phone number. Next night he took me out, and since then we have never spent a day apart.

 

Melissa: Clare’s friend Jess doesn’t know that Clare and Guy have history so she plays matchmaker. Have you ever played matchmaker or had someone try to fix you up?

Joanne: When I was a restaurant manager, on Sundays we had anything up to a three-hour waiting list. Every Sunday, I had an elderly man who came in asking for a table of one, which always caused me trouble taking up a table of two for a one. Anyway, one Sunday a lovely elderly lady came in asking for a table for one, not long after my regular guy. Talking it over with my assistant Jason, wondering if I could ask them to share, he thought I was crazy. Even so, I wandered over put my solution over to my regular guy, then took him and introduced him to the lady. I could not believe it they both agreed. For the next six months, I was at that restaurant they came in every Sunday and during the week. Not sure how it all ended.

 

Melissa: Have you ever had a bad Star Wars fantasy episode?

Joanne: Not a bad fantasy as such, but enough to put me off having one.  I was dating this guy, with long unruly hair, a bushy beard, that I found a rather intellectual, cultured and mature, seeing as I was going through my arty, farty, intellectual phase at that time. Then one-night things got a little amours; off came his shirt, and to my horror, the beard continued down his chest, and around his back, yes folks I was dating Chewbacca. Just to say every time now I see Chewbacca I cringe.

 

Melissa: I love English sayings. But I’m not familiar with one in the book. What is silly o’clock?

Joanne: I am not sure if it is an English saying, but it is a saying I use. Instead of saying, “She rang me at three o’clock in the morning.” I would say, “she rang me at silly o’clock this morning.” My friends would know it was an inappropriate time of the morning she called.

 

Melissa: Your character Eleanor was a hoot. Is she based on someone you know?

Joanne: Mainly I make up my characters, but there perhaps is a mix match of people I know, or that I have observed. Some of the tales I tell are real life stories from people I have met over the years.

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About Joanne Rawson

Joanne Rawson was born and brought up in Derbyshire England. After leaving college in 1984, she headed off to be an au pair in the Loire Valley, France for one year.

Returning back, to England, Joanne worked work for Derbyshire Education Authority in special education, and then for Derbyshire Social services working with adults with learning and physical difficulties.

In 2005, Joanne and her husband decided to give up their hectic lifestyle, after ten years of managing branded restaurants around London’s M25, now spending her time in England, Goa, and Malaysia, writing romantic novels and short stories.

Melange: www.melange-books.com/authors/joannerawson/index.html
Blog: http://authorjoannerawson.blogspot.com

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About Melissa March

Melissa March lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and son. Love You To Death is her first published novel.

She gravitates toward YA fiction and is currently working on three other novels, expanding her genre to include an adult mystery.

She spends most of her time writing, trying to figure out how to work her blog site, and chasing after her toddler.

Website: www.melissamarch16.com 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/melissa.march.963

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~ * ~ GIVEAWAY ~ * ~

Leave a comment below to be entered to win a copy of “Always Mr. Wrong”

A winner will be chosen on March 16, 2014

Book Releases || February 24, 2014

Today I’m happy to announce four new books!

Before we get into that though, for anyone who tried to enter the contest last week for John Steiner’s new Sci-Fi book, FLIPSPACE: Flight of the Mockingbird, I apologize that the comments for the blog were not working and all comments will need to be re-entered in order to be counted. I welcome you to enter again here. We have extended the giveaway through March 4th so hurry over to John’s interview and enter now!

In other news, Fire and Ice, our Young Adult/New Adult book line finally has it’s own blog! We’ve got really great releases this week that I’m so excited to share with you so I beg of you to please visit the new blog and subscribe to get updates! We’ve got mermaids, we’ve got horses, we’ve got time travel and we’ve got a teen girl dealing with bullies! Visit the blog here: www.fireandiceya.com/blog

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"Second Best" by Charmaine Pauls

Second Best by Charmaine Pauls

The first time that Molly sees Malcolm is in Oudtshoorn, South Africa in 1978, when he jumps from the back of an army truck to challenge her through the school yard fence. Little did she know then, when she boldly gave him the middle finger, how their lives would become intertwined.

Surviving the secret horrors of an industrial school, juvenile delinquent Molly van Aswegen grows into a tough and troubled woman who has sworn never to love anyone enough to be vulnerable. When Malcolm McLeod, rebel journalist and soldier, comes home from the Angolan border war to save Molly from her institution, he starts fighting a different war altogether—the battle for both of their souls.

Molly’s fight for survival and Malcolm’s moral struggle will expose them as anti-conformists, at risk of being branded and outcast from society during a politically turbulent time when South Africa is in the midst of a twenty-three year long war.

Second Best is a tender story about the scars of the human soul, and the road that leads to healing.

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FLIPSPACE: Branching Out by John SteinerFLIPSPACE: Branching Out by John Steiner

The ISS Mockingbird is ordered to Kepler 22 to check up on a research outpost set up by the Astraeus. Colonel Ramachandra and her crew discover on the planet, Kepler 22B a form of life that doesn’t need ships to travel through space. Also present is a base established by Remote Space Conglomerated Industries. Their operations put profit before the concerns of the indigenous life. An unauthorized distress call originates from the RSCI base. Colonel Rama must risk breaching their air defenses to comply with international conventions and save lives.

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"Within Reach" by Jill BiskerWithin Reach by Jill Bisker

Within Reach is the contemporary fiction story of Emma, a woman coming to terms with her mother’s increasing dementia and the everyday challenges associated with it. While serving as caregiver for her mother, she inexplicably finds herself ‘re-living’ specific events from her past, including times spent with her parents when she was a child. She soon wonders if her own sanity is slipping as she struggles to understand what is happening to her. If she can unlock the meaning of the visions from her past, she might be able to face the uncertainty of her future. Her mother must have the key—if only she can reach her.

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"Outlaw's Secrets" by Sherry Derr-WilleOutlaw’s Secrets by Sherry Derr-Wille

For Clay Martin his parents’ past is something he knows nothing about. He’s hoping a summer spent with his Uncle Gary in Missouri will shed some light on it. Amy Baines has a secret too, but doesn’t know it until Clay comes to town and helps her delve into her forgotten past. By the time they realize their friendship could lead to more, Clay has gone back to San Francisco and Amy is coming to grips with her St. Louis family. Can they bridge the miles and find love?