Book Blast: Katie Walsh by Colleen L Donnelly

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Enter to win a $15 Amazon/BN gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Katie Walsh expects to write a love story someday. The hero resembles her father, and the heroine the deceased mother she never knew but imagines from the longing on her father’s face.

Katie doesn’t expect her father to be murdered, or his will to leave their farm to Guy Knowles, the man she hoped to marry, and order her to another state. Betrayed by the men she trusted, what should have become a love like no other withers and dies.

Until Ted Howard, who doesn’t fit the hole Guy left in her heart. Instead, he fits himself into what she needs—someone who will stay, protect her, and break his own heart for her if needed.

Read an Excerpt

“You’re in love, aren’t you?” Her voice softened.

“Was in love. Like I said, it doesn’t matter now.” My voice wavered.

“There is no such thing as ‘was’ when it comes to first loves. They are the pioneers who break our hearts in and carve the place where forever love will eventually reside.”

Tears trickled down my cheeks.

“Who is he?” she coaxed.

“My neighbor in Nebraska. Evidently, I wasn’t the pioneer of his heart. Someone else will have that honor for Guy.” I could barely say his name, but Eliza had no trouble spurting, “Guy Knowles?” right back.

I glanced out the side window. Maybe Papa felt this sort of loss after Mama passed, and that was why he said so little when I plied him for more about her. The loss in his expression said he wanted what I did—more of and for the one we loved. Ultimately, more time.

Eliza leaned from her seat and wrapped me in her arms. “Go ahead. You need to cry. The mold Guy cut into your heart hurts because he didn’t fill it. But someday someone will. And you will be ready.”

I rested my head against hers and imagined a hole in my heart the exact shape as Guy. I didn’t want it filled by someone else someday. If Guy didn’t fill it, I wanted it gone. Forever.

About the Author:

Colleen L Donnelly was born and raised in the US Midwest but ventured to other parts of the country as an adult to experience life from other perspectives. Besides writing, she spends time outdoors, antique hunting, reading, or watching a good movie. Even though she retired from a career in laboratory science, she is never bored and always busy at something.

Social Media Links:

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/colleen-l-donnelly
Website: http://www.colleenldonnelly.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColleenLDonnelly
Goodreads: http://www.Goodreads.com/colleenldonnelly
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colleenldonnelly/
Amazon: http://amzn.to/37vcnO4
Twitter: https://x.com/ColleenLDonnell/

Buy Link: https://amzn.to/3YQIFP2

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Book Blast: Loving Lizzie Finn by Tamara Hughes

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Lizzie Finn grew up in a brothel, and she’s reminded of that fact every day. She dreams of finding a job and becoming independent. Only then can she be free of her aunt’s disdain. First, she must find an employer who won’t turn her away because of her past.

Byron Greeley is determined to save his family’s business after Lizzie’s uncle falsifies the amount Byron owes on a loan from the bank. Determined to find proof of Teague’s perfidy, Byron slips into the banker’s house and rummages through the study only to be discovered by Lizzie, a red-haired beauty who utterly captivates him.

Byron offers Lizzie a job in exchange for information about her uncle, and because she believes her uncle is innocent, she agrees. When Teague discovers Lizzie and Byron’s growing affection, he threatens to destroy Byron and his family, insisting Byron is exploiting her. Is Teague’s warning well-founded? Are Byron’s feelings for Lizzie true, or is Byron using her for his own gain?

Read an Excerpt

“What are you looking for then?”

He raised a clumsy finger to his lips. “A secret ledger.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. Cursing beneath his breath, he shook his head. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

She stepped to the side as if to give him room. “Go home. You’re drunk.”

Heaving a sigh, Byron made no move to follow her directive. “Please don’t tell your uncle I was here.”

“I make no promises. Now, if you will.” She waved her hand toward the door. Her movements were graceful, mesmerizing.

Byron rubbed his forehead to clear his thoughts. He’d made a mess of things. He shouldn’t have come here. He shouldn’t have gulped down that bottle of rum. “You don’t understand.” Maybe if he explained, she would keep his secret. “Your uncle has hoodwinked me. H-he changed our loan agreement after it was already signed, making the amount I’m expected to pay almost double of what it was. The agreement is due in only two months.”

“My uncle is an honorable man. He wouldn’t do such a thing.”

Sudden exhaustion swamped him, and Byron sank into the desk chair. “I don’t know why he forged the agreement. Why now? Why my business?”

Byron studied the beauty in the doorway. Her demure nightclothes gave her an aura of innocence. His angel.

About the Author:

A small-town girl with a big imagination, Tamara Hughes had no idea what to do with her life. After graduating from college, she moved to a big city, started a family and a job, and still struggled to find that creative outlet she craved. An avid reader of romance, she gave writing a try and became hooked on the power of exploring characters, envisioning adventures, and creating worlds. She enjoys stories with interesting twists and heroines who have the grit to surmount any obstacle, all without losing the ability to laugh. To learn more, stop by her website: www.tamarahughes.com.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tamarahughesauth
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tamara-hughes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamara.hughes2/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7738043.Tamara_Hughes
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/tamarahughes

Buy link for Loving Lizzie Finn: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFMQ4X1H

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Blurb Blitz: How to React When Woken by Drunk Argentinian Backpackers While Staying in a Youth Hostel and Other Lesser Known Travel Tips by Yeats

 

How to React When Woken at 3am by Drunk Argentinian Backpackers While Staying in a Youth Hostel and Other Lesser Known Travel Tips

Simon Yeats

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Non-Fiction Humorous Memoir

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Book 4 of the hilarious book series that those in the know will want to read when arriving at Paris airport so they laugh so freaking hard that it will intimidate any suspicious characters looking to abduct them and sell them into the human trafficking game.

Life was not meant to be easy, Simon Yeats’ father used to tell him. Well, it sure as hell was not meant to be this bizarre and witty. Australian ex-pat Simon Yeats shares his stories of travel misadventures and dubious personal introspection with comedic insights into the unusual and uproarious elements of living his life abroad. All while having a sense of Wanderlust as pervasive as Mongol hordes in the 12th century.

From how to negotiate getting abused in Los Angeles when you will only drive at 5 miles/hr., to what to do when locked out of your hotel room in your underwear, to the emotions of attempting the world’s second highest bungee when you have a pathological fear of heights, to how to deal with the trials and tribulations of staying in a youth hostel with travelers who have no respect for the other guests.

Simon Yeats has gone into the world and experienced all the out of the ordinary moments for you to sit back and enjoy the experience without the need to empty your bank account, get squeezed sitting in a middle airline seat, or deal with border security at the Ukraine/Russia boundary.

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EXCERPT

Big Wednesday was my first day at work as a liftie on the Burgess Creek lift at the Steamboat ski resort as a wide-eyed 20-year-old. I do not remember the exact date, but I am absolutely certain it was a Wednesday because everyone who was present at the resort that day referred to it as ‘big Wednesday.’

Overnight, between ‘ordinary Tuesday’ and ‘big Wednesday,’ the town and resort received a mammoth amount of snowfall. It absolutely dumped. A biblical amount of snow. Even though I do not recall snow being mentioned once in either the old testament or the new testament. But I could have missed the reference.

And Moses went up the mountain at God’s direction and there was fresh dump of powder snow, and he cried out, “ye verily, gonna cut me some wicked turns.”

To get to work on my first day, I take the shortcut straight down the hill to the main road and bus stop. I am decked out in my official Steamboat resort onesie ski suit. The snow level is over my belly button. It is like wading through waist high surf for a half mile.

I scramble onto the bus, and I am on my knees huffing and puffing while dripping with sweat.

An inauspicious start to the day.

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Simon Yeats has lived nine lives, and by all estimations, is fast running out of the number he has left. His life of globetrotting the globe was not the one he expected to lead. He grew up a quiet, shy boy teased by other kids on the playgrounds for his red hair. But he developed a keen wit and sense of humor to always see the funnier side of life.

With an overwhelming love of travel, a propensity to find trouble where there was none, and being a passionate advocate of mental health, Simon’s stories will leave a reader either rolling on the floor in tears of laughter, or breathing deeply that the adventures he has led were survived.

No author has laughed longer or cried with less restraint at the travails of life.

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CBNQLSPW/about

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authoryeats

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authoryeats/?hl=en

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GIVEAWAY

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

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Blurb Blitz Tour: Georgia's Folly by Deborah Chase

 GEORGIA'S FOLLY

Deborah Chase

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Split-time Historical fiction

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For fans of "Antiques Roadshow" and "American Pickers" - this is the one for you!

Beginning at a cluttered flea market and ending at a glittering art auction, Georgia’s Follytells the compelling story that blends past and present and the search for a valuable and illusive antique. Chloe Bishop grew up in foster care. She loves shopping at flea markets, picking up family heirlooms like old pottery or vintage furniture to fill in for the family and home she never had. As Chloe walks through the Brooklyn Flea Market, she stumbles upon the diary of Miss Georgia Potter, a young woman who had lived in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania during the Civil War. The yellowed pages reveal the impact of the war on daily life and spotlights the role of women including Harriet Tubman, Clara Barton and Louisa May Alcott. Like Chloe, Georgia Potter was a passionate collector and her diary lists her collection of valuable antiques—including the Holy Grail of 18th century furniture—a Chippendale settee. Well versed in antiques, Chloe is aware that There are only five known examples and a sixth settee would be worth more than $4 million.

Chloe immediately contacts Ben Thompson, the man who sold her the diary. Ben is a picker who drives his RV across America, searching for collectibles to sell to dealers. He is estranged from his wealthy, prominent family who cringe at his chosen career. Ben agrees to take her along to search for the valuable and iconic settee. As Ben and Chloe head to Gettysburg, they are unaware that Gregor Petrov, a shady antiques dealer and Harrison Kent, a respected but unscrupulous art expert are trailing them.

The search for the settee takes Chloe and Ben on fast paced journey from the Gettysburg battlefields to the 18th century street of artisans in Philadelphia to a historic mansion on the banks of the Hudson River. Traveling together in the small RV, Ben and Chloe draw closer. In the confines of the RV, embroiled in an unimaginable quest, Chloe confides that she is also in search for the father she never knew while Ben struggles to explain his complicated family to a woman who never had one.

In a thrilling ending, the rare Chippendale settee is not Chloe’s only valuable discovery.

Amazon

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Excerpt

Chole Bishop felt her pulse quicken as she walked to the jumbled tables at the Brooklyn Flea market. Under the soaring arches of the massive bridge, the piles of pottery, jewelry and tacks of vintage clothing sparkled with the promise of discovery.  Every time she walked into a thrift shop or flea market, she remembered stories of the discovery of a long-lost Picasso or a rhinestone ring turned out to be a flawless diamond. But she really wasn’t treasure hunting—she just loved finding what she called “pieces of history.”

She never knew what she was going to find, but she knew it when she saw it. And there it was, as if it had been patiently waiting for her. Next to a vintage tin sign for motor oil and under a cracked ironstone pitcher, she could see the trim edges of a ladies lap desk.  Chloe smiled to herself. I have always wanted ne and here it is under the arches of the Brooklyn Bridge. She walked over to the table, gently removed the pitcher and placed it on the table.  

The lap desk was clearly not a family heirloom. It was a very basic lap desk with a faded, stained finish. She opened the  lap desk and smiled to see the worn well-worn, blue felt padding.  The top and bottom offlaps were intact- a great sign for a well-used lap top more than 150 years old. Two small partitions on the bottom were stained from the ink bottles they once held. The bottom section was empty except for two vintage ladies hair pins but the top lid was jammed.  A lady often kept personal letters there and Chloe  was instantly curious.  What secret romances could the lap desk hold? 

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I grew up in a family filled with art and antiques.  On the high end, my uncle, William Lincer, lead violist at the New York Philharmonic, was an art lover whose collection was sold at Sotheby’s. On the low end, her father, writer Allen Chase took me to flea markets and estate sales.  He sparked a lifelong fascination with tales of lost treasures that ranged from plundered Egyptian tombs to trainloads of art stolen by the Nazis.  It was this love of history and antiques that inspired my first novel, Georgia’s Folly

I was a founding editor of the Berkeley Wellness Newsletter and the author of 12 books including The Medically Based No-Nonsense Beauty Book (Alfred Knopf), Extend Your Life Diet (Pocket Books), Fruit Acids for Fabulous Skin (St Martin’s Press), Every Bride is Beautiful ( Morrow), and with her husband Dr Neil Schachter co-author of Life and Breath  (Doubleday) and  The Good Doctor’s Guide to  Colds and Flu (Harper).  The books have been a selection of the Book of the Month Club and my articles have appeared in Ladies Home Journal, Self, Glamour, Redbook, Family Circle, Parents and Good Housekeeping.

I am a graduate of Bronx High School of Science and a winner of the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. A graduate of New York University I earned a degree with a duel major in journalism and history.  

A native New Yorker, I like to spend my weekends at an upstate home where a big kitchen and an endless supply of estate sales indulge my duel passions for cooking and collecting.

Website: Deborahchase.com

Facebook: @Deborahchase

Instagram:@writinglife2

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GIVEAWAY

The author will be awarding a $50 Visa card to a randomly drawn winner.

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Blurb Blitz: Borderland by Ross Victory

BORDERLAND

Ross Victory

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LGBTQ Poetry

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Borderland is not just a poetry collection—it’s an invitation to explore the most vulnerable corners of the human experience. Award-winning author Ross Victory takes readers on an emotional journey across the intersections of masculinity, race, bisexuality, and grief. In a fearless blend of narrative and free verse, Victory dismantles societal expectations, offering a space where identity can exist fluidly and unapologetically.

Through its evocative imagery and bold storytelling, Borderland tackles life’s most complex themes—love, loss, strength, and defiance. Each poem immerses readers in raw emotion, from tender vulnerability to fierce defiance. This collection is perfect for readers seeking honest, unfiltered reflections on what it means to exist at the crossroads of identity and experience.

With a voice that’s as unique as it is powerful, Ross Victory has created a collection that speaks to anyone searching for connection and understanding. Borderland isn’t just a book—it’s a movement, a conversation, and a space to find yourself reflected in its pages.

Step into the borderland, where identity knows no boundaries.

Amazon

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EXCERPT

Bisexual Villain 

An enigma, cloaked in reflective armor,

a man built in isolation, 

made of light.

He walks a tightrope: 

Each step a liberation, 

Every word a defiance.

He is the man who returns the stolen fire, embodying a harmony of contradictions in a world demanding silence.

He is... Conformity’s antichrist; But only when he says his name.

Do they know that, beneath his armor, 

there is a man searching for meaning? 

Flesh and pulse under mirrored shield, 

A Brother, a Son, a Guardian; 

He was a Boy with bright eyes, 

and he was Loved.



I stand before the jury, unmasked and true.

They are armed with judgments that explode like bombs, their hatred a mask of sincerity.

I wonder, "Am I on trial for spurning stale norms of monosexism, a banquet of bias, an indictment of my very being?"

Faceless facades wear hypocrisy like skin, 

Bigotry in their blood. They thirst for dominance.

I see, society lives an illusory script, homes built in narrow alleys of convention, foundations hollow and empty. 

We are neighbors, but we are strangers.

"You are the antagonist! You are the villain!" the jury shouts.

“No!” the bisexual villain proclaims.

"We are a legion, a chorus in the midst, 

their heart akin to mine."

“We are canaries whose wings you’ve clipped,

trapped in your rusting cage. 

Some have become orphans bereft of connection, adrift in the gap—kin to the fluid.”

“You are an abomination! You are confusion!” they roar.

"Though we may be solitary stars, together we form a galaxy. 

In me beats a heart; within you, the silent expanse where once echoed, now, the void of a million corpses."



I am ink, you are eraser.

I am your projection.

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Ross Victory, (he/him), is an award-winning author, music artist, and entrepreneur from Los Angeles. Featured in LA Weekly, LA Blade, American Reporter, and Bi.org, Ross rediscovered the healing power of writing after losing his father and brother. A former English teacher, Ross creates immersive narrative experiences. He published “Views from the Cockpit,” a father-son memoir, in 2019, resulting in a portfolio of six original titles and a music catalog of 20 songs. His works explore self-discovery, adventure, bisexuality, and family. In 2023, he released the Pride anthem “Bisexual Daze” and Book 1 of the L.A.-based horror series “Grandpa's Cabin.” Ross also publishes articles and reflections about grief, biphobia, and elder abuse on Medium.com and recently spoke at their Annual Writer’s Conference. This fall, he will release his first poetry collection titled “Borderland,” exploring the intersection of race, masculinity, and sexuality.

Website: https://www.rossvictory.com

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rossvvictorius

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GIVEAWAY

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.

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Blurb Blitz: He. by Gregory Pakis

 HE.

Gregory Pakis

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Erotic Horror

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A sexually open-minded couple, Lester and Val, have recently moved into a stylish yet eerie apartment building.

Val's curiosity is piqued when she starts to receive unusual messages and requests from an anonymous messenger.

Lester is also cautiously intrigued, as Val starts to fulfill the requests.

A suspected sex club soon becomes media headlines when a former member disappears, and the club is reported to have vacated its last premises.

As the messages persist, Lester and Val start to question whether the anonymous messenger is connected to the clandestine club mentioned in the media, and if there is any link between him or the club and the odd newcomers in the apartment next door.

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Excerpt

She sat on the couch and stared across the room. Three men sitting opposite watched her closely. Seemingly daring each other to make the first move. None of them summoned the courage. It was understandable. Her beauty was unsettling.

The kind you’d see in a dream. She had a fixed distant stare. She held her space well. Her presence was elusive. Intimidating. You couldn’t quite describe it. Couldn’t be entirely sure about her. She had a nervousness that made her approachable, but then a look in her eye stopped you cold.

Seated nearby, a bespectacled man also watched the woman.

her husband

Couples and singles moved about the party – chatting, flirting, but this man just sat watching her, pretending not to. If you paid attention long enough, you realised the woman was completely aware he was watching.

maybe he is just her boyfriend

they did arrive at the party together, didn’t they

One of the men whispered to the others that he had seen them at a previous party. That they didn’t ‘play’ on that occasion either.

maybe they were just friends

If the man was her partner and approaching her led to some kind of confrontation, he looked easy enough to handle. 

there’s three of us..

But the man watching had a fastidious, aggressive quality that was strangely unsettling. Had a striking face. Was well-groomed and gym fit.

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Gregory Pakis is an Australian author, film-maker, actor and wacky vlogger.

He has written the short story, The Lonely Australian of the Asian Night; the soon to be released horror-suspense novellas, The Regressor and He., and Memoir of a Suburban Hoe-Bo, which is partly an account of when he lived out of a van for ten years in Melbourne.

Gregory Pakis is also the writer / director of the feature films, The Garth Method (2005) and The Joe Manifesto (2013), which have won national and international awards and been distributed through Accent Entertainment, Label, Vanguard Cinema.

Gregory's more informal video projects are the feature documentaries, Garth Goes Hitch-Hiking (2007) and Garth Lives in a Van (2011) which have screened at film festivals in Australia.

More recently, he has created the comedy series, suBURPieS and his Wacky Vlog which can found on his socials.

Gregory has been featured in articles in newspapers, The Age, The Herald Sun, Beat Magazine, Inpress, FILMINK, and the Neos Kosmos. He has been interviewed on radio by the ABC, 3RRR, SYN FM, 3CR.

HE. LINKS

AMAZON SALES LINK

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJYRJK5W

BOOK TRAILER

https://youtu.be/Kmzbq39uREY

AUTHOR CHAT TO CAMERA VIDEO

https://youtu.be/gb76iJdAUak

WEB PAGE (WITH MEDIA KIT)  

https://www.gpak.org/books/he

CONTACT

GREGORY PAKIS

info@gpak.org

SITES

BOOKS https://www.gpak.org/

FILMS https://guerillafilmnite.com/

SOCIALS

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

Tik Tok   / https://www.tiktok.com/@gregorypakis

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

X / https://x.com/GPakis

YouTube / https://www.youtube.com/@Films_Books._Vlogs

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GIVEAWAY

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.

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