Sarah Jane Butfield is the author of international
best-selling and award-winning travel and nursing memoirs. These include:
Glass Half Full,
Two Dogs and a Suitcase,
Our Frugal Summer in Charente
Ooh Matron
Bedpans to Boardrooms
Having It All
Sarah Jane shares her writing insights, chats to fellow authors and helps new and aspiring authors find an audience for their books.
Ember harbors a number of fears. One stems from a bad date and prevents her from getting intimate. The other is her new-found magic abilities. Both are holding her back when it comes to the hot nursing student that just wants to be with her, however she’ll take him. She strives to overcome her past so she can relax in the arms of the man she loves, but she’ll need to embrace her future if she is going to save his life.
To celebrate the release of book three, Angelica Dawson has priced book one on sale!
Ethereal Protector (Ghosts of Salem Book 1)
Summer Parker has moved to Salem, into her great-grandmother's house. Once there, she is plagued by the sensation of someone watching her. Added to that, she is having strange dreams about her ancestor, Mary Parker, who was one of Salem’s witches. Her human roommates remove most of the eeriness of her predicament, but the intangible roomie is making himself at home too. After a close call, the identity of her resident ghost is revealed. But if Geoffrey is the ghost, does that make her Mary Parker? One thing is certain, Geoffrey is as determined to protect her.
Angelica Dawson, USA Today best selling Naughty Nights Press author, has been writing for several years and having sex a lot longer than that. Angelica is a wife, mother and environmental consultant. Her love of plants and the outdoors is not diminished by the bloodsucking hoards — mosquitoes and black flies, not vampires.
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Learn more about the writer and join her mailing list.
It is 1820 and a young, female sea captain sets sail aboard the schooner Destiny bound for the sugar plantations of Cuba and then on to the Baltic for iron. Political intrigue and mystery dog the voyage, and those who underestimate the captain's skill and business acumen do so at their peril.
This is historical, nautical fiction with a fresh new take. Destiny’s Gold author Pamela Grimm has created an indomitable female character and a storyline that keeps you guessing. Pamela combines her love of maritime history with experience as a commercial and recreational captain to bring to life the golden age of merchant sailing ships in the person of Captain Jane Thorn and her loyal crew.
When I sit down to write a story, the characters are as real to me as if they are people I know. Perhaps more than any others, Captain Jane has always lived in my head as a fully-formed person in three dimensions. I know her so well, I always think I know exactly what she will say or do. It’s always fun when she surprises me, though! When I wanted to do the first version of the book cover, I went looking for an artist who could take what was in my head and bring Jane to life on a digital canvas.
"Picked it up on a whim and was glad I did. Great historical."
"This book was a very enjoyable read that followed my small knowledge of history."
"This is a lovely adventure that I found difficult to put down."
"It's awesome - read it!"
"Looking forward to the next installment!"
"Captain Jane and her crew grabbed my heart and pulled me into her world."
"I enjoy historical fiction, and this story is a lovely one."
"A spellbinding historical story."
"Great Story—Couldn’t Put It Down!"
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Pamela Grimm writes historical maritime fiction based on her lifelong love of sailing and the sea. She holds a USCG captain's license and is active as a commercial and recreational sailor.
"A Brilliantly Funny Memoir About A Hotel!" #KINDLEDEAL ON SALE FOR 99C/99P FROM JANUARY 16 - JANUARY 20, 2019
A rescue mission originally thought of as lasting for a year or two turned into a 35 year lifetime love affair with a beautiful old building.
There were to be battles royal with neighbours not wanting their status quo to be altered, and with the local fire authority who sought to impose draconian new safety measures.
John Searancke came to the role of hotelkeeper almost accidentally, and most definitely with much reluctance. After his parents' marriage fell apart, he was dragooned in, at the age of 22, to pick up the pieces of their new venture, a barely-trading country house hotel that had, frankly, seen better days. Not only was it posting an annual loss, but the fabric of the building was crumbling and there was no money left to make improvements.
Over the years, and with the steepest of learning curves, the grand old building was renovated and transformed to meet the requirements of the modern discerning traveller. Accolades for the hotel and its restaurant were won; together they became a well-regarded destination for a number of celebrities - and those that deemed themselves to be celebrities but were not. Stories abound featuring idiosyncratic guests, overbearing public bodies, fractured family life and animals of all shapes and sizes. The local fire station next door was demolished one foggy night, people were frightened by flying dogs and snakes in the long grass, and there were, as befits a country house, strange goings on in the night. Many were the guests who checked in who really should not have been seen together.
This is a tribute to all the people behind the scenes who helped to make the hard-won transformation into a great success. Join The Authors Mailing List Here, Click here!
A Short Excerpt
Meanwhile, for my part, I recalled the tale of how one morning, on the way to the new kitchen, and walking through what remained of the old original hotel kitchen, I thought that I had been transported into another lifetime, a cross between Dante’s Inferno and a Victorian Christmas. I had stopped dead in my tracks.
There at the far end of the room was an unrecognisable person covered almost entirely in feathers. Any feathers not attached to that person were swilling around the room like a cloud, all but obscuring the far doorway, before landing softly to form a light covering on the floor tiles, much as I imagine the interior of a duvet to be.
On closer inspection, the mystery person turned out to be my mother! What had got into her mind I do not know, but she had, unbeknownst to anyone else, decided that her contribution to that particular Christmas was going to be the plucking of all of the pheasants that had just been delivered. Swooping on the box of birds and snatching them away from the hapless potboy, she maneuvered herself into a spare space, which happened to be adjacent to the top of a chest freezer. Clearly, tidiness was not going to be her watchword during this process. Feathers were pulled out, legs and heads were chopped off with gay abandon, and finally, the right hand was plunged into the bloody interior, emerging clutching a large handful of intestines, slimy heaps of which adorned the top of the freezer. Cleaning up after her was a bit of a trial, but I was glad that she had made the effort. I suppose that she could identify that with long bygone times and tasks that she had undertaken all those years ago.
John Searancke is restaurant reviewer for the Tenerife newspaper Island Connections. Born in 1943 at Derby Royal Infirmary, a war baby, he lived his early life in Ashby-de la-Zouch and was sent away to be educated at Kings Mead Preparatory School, Seaford and afterwards at Rugby School. Later commissioned into the Territorial Army, he has been variously a director of a light engineering company, an hotel and restaurant owner, director and chairman of a marketing consortium, and latterly a partner with his wife in a commercial legal services company. He has enjoyed working in England and Switzerland and has homes in England and northern Tenerife, where he now lives with his wife Sally.
Learn more about John from his exclusive author interview, Click here!
Genre: Romantic Suspense/Social Issues/Family Life
Suitable for Young Adults & Adults
PRE RELEASE REVIEW
"Loved this.
Once again Karen J Mossman spins an exciting and well-told story, this time her tale is woven into the high life of football, not the American one, but real British football.
This is a love/hate/love story where two hearts from different worlds collide, I'll say no more, you'll have to read the book yourself to find out what happens.
This story is one of the amazing Electric Eclectic books, shorter works designed to introduce readers to authors narration and style. I am certain, once you have read Play the Game, you will want to seek out Karen's prime books too.
(The whole point of Electric Eclectic's books)."
-Paul White
Sometimes when your self esteem is low, it takes a special someone to build it up again.
Coping with a past tragedy, Stella lives on hope in the present. She plays the game and hopes that one day her dad will get well and return to the father he once was and could be again.
Wandering the streets at night, she knows it can be dangerous and yet Stella cannot stop.
Kelly sees Stella is lost and can tell she's keeping something from him. He doesn’t want to scare her by telling her who he really is.
Shame is something hard to hide as Stella tells her own story.
Can Kelly save Stella, and will she finally reveal the truth? Then in one final twist, their fate will finally be sealed?
Down by the arches, underneath the fly over I handed out sandwiches. “Here you are, here you go,” I repeated to bundles of blankets.
“Thanks,” muffled replies responded.
The noise of traffic from above didn’t matter to those sleeping rough. As I held my hand out with another, ‘Here you go,’ an arm shot out and a hand locked around my wrist. I squealed and tried to pull back but the grip was firm.
A shadowy figure rose in front of me.
“Hello little girl,” said a voice as I tried to wrench my arm back again. He was wearing a tatty black woolen coat with sleeves that were too short revealing grimy hands. His hair was thick and matted, sticking up like a perm gone wrong. His beard was also matted and his wild eyes told me he was on something. I gasped, my heart racing, my mouth suddenly dry.
“I eat little girls,” he said stepping out of the darkness as I stepped backwards.
“Let go, please let go,” I whimpered, knowing he wasn’t going to.
“Come with me, little precious.” He pulled me to the black shadows of an old building.
“No, please. Stop! Let go! Let go!” My pleading fell on deaf ears.
Out of the darkness came a voice. “Let her go.”
Pivoting round, my captor growled, “Says who?”
“Let her go,” the voice said again.
There was a movement, and another voice joined him. “Leave her alone, we said.”
“Oh yeah, two of you now. Wanna take me on, do you?” The man’s eyes lit up. “I’m up for a good fight.”
Looking round wildly, I couldn’t see anything. I was so terrified, I sobbed.
I clutched my red shoulder bag and glanced down at my matching shoes. I felt good in my outfit. With this handsome guy by my side, what could go wrong?
The minute the door opened, I knew I’d made a mistake. The other women were all casually dressed. Tailored jeans and cut off pants with smart casual shoes.
Kelly did the introductions, and I shook hands with them all. I knew they were judging me, I could see it in their eyes; this stupid overly dressed girl
Their dazzling false smiles told me they’d had their teeth done. A row of false eyelashes, molded brows, and painted nails stood in front of me with blouses and tops that were made of silk and cashmere. My stomach dropped.
Karen J Mossman lives on the lovely Isle of Anglesey just off the north Wales coast. “We have everything here, beautiful beaches, mountain views and stunning countryside.” Not bad for a girl brought up in the city. “The simple pleasures of walking my dogs in so many nice places has many health benefits. Being retired means that I can indulge in all the things I enjoy doing, including writing books.”
This is Karen’s 14th book, and part of the Electric Eclectic brand of books, novelettes aimed at introducing readers to new authors. They are also ideal for those who love to read but don’t have a lot of time. Besides her five Electric Eclectic books, Karen also has The Decade Series, four books set in the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s. The Themed Collection is three books and finally Just Stories has two.
Karen has been married for almost 40 years and has two children and three grandchildren.
Meredith Wellington receives a call that her sister has been murdered. Her two young nieces land on her doorstep. An instant family is the last thing she needs as she reaches for the top rung of the corporate ladder.
Jeremiah Crown, aka Coach, lives a simple life managing his family’s Kentucky horse ranch. When a damsel in distress decked out in a suit and spiked heels needs assistance, he’s more than happy to help out. Happier still to realize this corporate powerhouse doesn’t recognize him as the man she'd deemed an enemy in high school twenty years earlier.
Once she realizes Coach’s identity, any chance of a romantic relationship disappears. When Meredith places her nieces low on her priority list, Jeremiah reconsiders his attraction to her. When danger comes calling, Meredith realizes this kindhearted veteran has the skill set to help her, if only she could set aside her pride to ask.
Can two people overcome past misunderstandings in time to thwart approaching danger?
Valerie Clarizio lives in romantic Door County Wisconsin with her husband and two extremely spoiled cats. She loves to read, write, and spend time at her cabin in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
She’s lived her life surrounded by men, three brothers, a husband, and a male Siamese cat who required his own instruction manual. Keeping up with all the men in her life has turned her into an outdoors enthusiast, of which her favorite activity is hiking in national parks. While out on the trails, she has plenty of time to conjure up irresistible characters and unique storylines for her next romantic suspense or sweet contemporary romance novel.
Don't miss out on Valerie's upcoming release included in the Love Under Fire Romantic Suspense Boxset! Learn more about her book and the boxset, and enter the giveaway on Facebook!
This is a highlight tour for the book everyone is talking about!
Sexuality and It's Impact on History:
The British Stripped Bare
ASIN: B07CS3MKGC
ISBN-10: 1526714493
ISBN-13: 978-1526714497
Written by
Hunter S. Jones
and
Emma Haddon-Wright, Annie Whitehead, Jessica Cale, Judith Arnopp, Gayle Hulme, Dr Beth Lynne
Would you swig a magic potion or plot to kill your husband in order to marry your lover? These are just two of the many romantic and sexual customs from British history that you will explore as eight authors take us through the centuries, revealing that truth is stranger than fiction when it comes to love. From bizarre trivia about courtly love, to techniques and prostitution, you’ll encounter memorable nuggets of provocative information that you'll want to share.
It's all here: ménage a trois, chastity belts, Tudor fallacies, royal love and infidelity, marriage contracts (which were more like business arrangements), brothels, kept women, and whorehouses. Take a peek at what really happened between the sheets. Each story provides you with shocking detail about what was at the heart of romance throughout British history.
Sexuality and Its Impact on History: The British Stripped Bare chronicles the pleasures and perils of the flesh, sharing secrets from the days of the Anglo-Saxons, medieval courtly love traditions, diabolical Tudor escapades—including those of Anne Boleyn and Mary Queen of Scots—the Regency, and down to the ‘prudish’ Victorian Era. This scholarly yet accessible study brings to light the myriad varieties of British sexual mores.
"As soon as I got offered the chance to review this book, I jumped at it. True it’s not my usual reading material but I was intrigued by the premise of this book, it caught my attention. I do like how very easy to read this is, I have read history compilations before that I found very difficult to connect with and hard to follow, due to the amount of scholarly wording. But this is beautifully written so that everyone can enjoy it. You don’t have to be a scholar or someone with a hundred A level’s in history to be able to enjoy it, I can guarantee that if you enjoy learning about less known aspects of history then this is the book. I am so pleased that I got the chance to read it, it is way beyond my expectations.
This is a fascinating compilation of stories written by seven incredible female writers who know their craft well, they come together to tell seven stories of how sexuality and the varied custom’s over eras has influenced British History. With a look into all aspects of sexual history including tales of Lady Godiva, Medieval love traditions, shocking tales from the Tudor court and prostitution during the Victorian era.
Each section is carefully crafted and cleverly written, it enriches the mind and this whole book is hugely satisfying, knowledgeable and highly addictive to read. Each chapter is a different story and written by a different author, and as such it keeps the reader engrossed and you are compelled to keep turning the pages to see what comes next and see what new little titbit from history you will garner. Each tale is fascinating to read, they are thorough and wonderfully researched that keeps the whole thing very real and adds to the enjoyment that you get from the overall book.
There isn’t anything I don’t like about it, it has something from every aspect of history. It is a wonderful read that captivates you and keeps you turning the page.
"The Darziods' Stone" by Richard Smith is not only one of the best young adventure novels I've read in some time, but it is one of the best adventure novels in general that I've read in a while."
"This is an adventure that reminded me of the mystery books I used to read in high school (long ago, but not so long really) Famous Five anyone?"
"This book is a wild ride of suspense and treasure hunting."
If you like the Tunnels Series by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams then take a look at this...
A special stone hidden in a quiet cove in Cornwall more than 200 years ago, is the object of a desperate search by two opposing factions. When Harry and his school friends discover a code whilst holidaying in the cove, they assume it will lead them to hidden treasure. But dark forces, with seemingly supernatural powers, are working against them. The teenagers soon find themselves caught up in a deadly battle, and will be lucky to escape with their lives, let alone get their hands on the treasure.
"I recommend this book to young adults and anyone who loves a good mystery and adventure with a touch of history and sci-fi."
-Rita - Onlinebookclub.org
About the author Richard Smith
Richard Smith’s motto: Never give up; it can happen. And his first book, Time Trap, is proof of that.
And now. I'm pleased to reveal his new book, The Darziods' Stone, which took seven years to complete, including a couple of years of inactivity, when he struggled with the plot. It's aimed at a teenage readership, but enjoyed by a wide age range and twice the length of Time Trap.
Born in London, the youngest of three children, Richard has loved writing stories since he was nine; and regularly got top marks for his essays at school – where his favorite subject was English. After leaving school, he worked in a succession of dead-end jobs. None brought him as much satisfaction as writing - which he kept up, with his mother’s constant encouragement. Richard credits his father, a taxi driver, who enjoyed writing as a hobby, for his talent with words.
Researching and writing Time Trap took many years of hard work – which Richard describes as a labor of love. One of his proudest moments came when he returned to his junior school to read extracts of the story to 9-year-old pupils, who loved it. He polished up the MS, self-published in 2012, and created the Time Trap Trail for young readers to follow and convinced both the British Museum and the Museum of Childhood to stock the book.
