A Groom for Mama—A Sweet Romantic Comedy by Catherine Castle @AuthorCCastle

One date for every medical test—that’s the deal. Allison, however, gets more than she bargains for. She gets A Groom for Mama. 

 Beverly Walters is dying, and before she goes she has one wish—to find a groom for her daughter. To get the deed done, Mama enlists the dating service of Jack Somerset, Allison’s former boyfriend.

The last thing corporate-climbing Allison wants is a husband. Furious with Mama’s meddling, and a bit more interested in Jack than she wants to admit, Allison agrees to the scheme as long as Mama promises to search for a cure for her terminal illness.

A cross-country trip from Nevada to Ohio ensues, with a string of disastrous dates along the way, as the trio hunts for treatment and A Groom for Mama.

 Excerpt:

Beverly’s pale face broke out in a smile. “Jack!” She took the flowers from him and buried her nose in them. “They smell wonderful.” She waved him inside, hugging him as he passed by her.

He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek and then glanced around the foyer.

“She’s not here right now.”

“I’m just making sure the coast is clear.” He followed Beverly into the kitchen, the click of her shoes against the hardwood floor leading the way. The house slippers had disappeared with Allison’s arrival, and Beverly had started dressing up more. He was glad to see that. He eased his tall frame into the bar chair in front of the peninsula and set the fruit basket on the counter. “I’m planning to stay as far away from Allison as possible.”

“Is that so?” Beverly’s voice held a hint of sarcasm. “You’ve been over here a lot more since she arrived.”

“Son-in-law prospects, remember?”

As she retrieved a vase from the cabinet, he busied himself untying the string around the flowers, ducking his very hot, and most likely, red face from her view. She hit closer to the mark than he cared to admit.

“How are you feeling?”

“Okay, for now. Allison’s not doing well, though. The doctor visit hit her hard. She’s determined to save me, in spite of the odds.” Beverly took the flowers from him and dropped them into the vase. “Have you got some men for me?”

He swept the fallen flower leaves off of the counter into the waste can beside the bar. Then he concentrated on flicking imaginary pollen off the granite into his hand.

“I’ve been thinking, Beverly, are you sure you want to go through with this? Wouldn’t you rather spend what time you have left with Allison just being together? This bridegroom business has to be a bone of contention. I hate to see you two in disharmony.”

“Jack Somerset. Are you trying to get out of a deal with me? Because if you are—”

“Of course not. It’s just that—”

“—you don’t want to see her with someone else?”

His head snapped up. “I’ve had her once already and found her to be a contrary woman.”

Beverly grinned. “Me-thinks thou dost protest too much.”

No answer to that. Until their breakup they hadn’t ever argued. Back then, even when they didn’t see eye to eye, they could talk. He took a set of folded papers from his hip pocket and slapped them onto the counter. “Here’s the first set of men.”

“This one looks okay,” Beverly said as she scanned them, “but let’s scrap the rest.”

He checked her selection. “I think we should let Allison decide. After all, she’s the one who’ll be saddled with the guy.”

Beverly cocked her head and studied him. “What an odd way to put it. She’s supposed to fall in love with the man and live happily ever after, you know.”

“Supposed to being the operative words.”

Catherine Castle – Romance for the Ages

About Catherine Castle:

Award-winning author Catherine Castle has been writing all her life. A former freelance writer, she has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit (under her real name) in the Christian and secular market. Now she writes sweet and inspirational romance. Her debut inspirational romantic suspense, The Nun and the Narc, published in 2013 from Soul Mate Publishing, has garnered multiple contests finals and wins, including:

2014 Beverly Hills Book Award Winner for Inspirational Romance

2014 RONE WINNER for Inspirational romance

2014 EPIC finalist for Action/adventure romance

2014 Carolyn Readers Choice Award finalist

Her newest book, a sweet romantic comedy entitled A Groom for Mama, releases September 2017 from Soul Mate Publishing

Speaking credits:

Writing and poetry workshops for elementary and middle school students, local writers groups, participated in the Writer's Digest World's largest Writing Workshop, Midwest Writers Conference 2015

Catherine’s website: http://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com

Catherine’s blog: http://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com/blog/

Catherine’s Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/author/catherinecastle

Catherine’s Goodreads page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7085414.Catherine_Castle

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorCCastle    @AuthorCCastle

Facebook: http://facebook.com/catherinecastleauthor

Group blogs where you can find Catherine:

Stitches Thru Time: http://stitchesthrutime.blogspot.com/

SMP authors blog site:   http://smpauthors.wordpress.com/

Book Links:

A Groom for Mama: www.amzn.com/dp/B074SZSGB1 

The Nun and the Narc: Amazon http://amzn.com/B00CHU9DH2  4

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-nun-and-the-narc-catherine-castle/1116942061?ean=978161935296

The Time Traveller’s Resort and Museum #newrelease #ExclusiveExcerpt @MirrorWorldPub

New Release by David McLain!

Title: The Time Traveller's Resort and Museum

Author Name: David McLain

Illustrator: Felix Eddy

Genre(s): Time Travel, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Adventure, Romance, Comedy, Steampunk

Release Date: November 17, 2016

Publisher:  Mirror World Publishing 

(http://www.mirrorworldpublishing.com/) 

Follow the Tour:

http://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com/2016/11/book-tour-schedule-time-travellers.html

About The Time Traveller's Resort and Museum:

“If you need to know men's secrets

Or if there's something you need to find 

If you want to see the dinosaurs 

Or the insides of your mind.

If you want to watch the earth begin,

Or see what the apocalypse will leave behind,

You need to thank Alice Anderson,

For Alice is the mother of time.”

That was how the rhyme went. Every time traveler knew it. Everyone that is, except of course, for Alice herself, since she hadn’t invented time travel yet. Since returning to London, Alice’s life has been turned upside down. She’s been accused of murder and lost her position in the scientific community. Her only ally in this journey is a strange man who seems to think that Alice may be about to open up a strange new world of possibilities, but is probably not telling her everything he knows.

Exclusive Excerpt:

W

ith The Times spread out across her lap, Alice pushed her left ear into the tiny pillow the stewardess had given her and did her best to pretend she was asleep. It was one of those funny little tricks; whenever you took the flight from New York to London you had to spend the night on the plane regardless of whether you took off at eight o'clock at night or nine in the morning. The Flight Attendants on British Airways compensated for this by giving you a blanket that appeared to be made out of a blend of fiberglass insulation and horsehair and a pillow that would have been comfortable if you had a head the size of a squirrel. Alice loved going back to England, and was excited to be a part of the conference, but the flight – oh, the flight. Alice would have been much, much happier taking the QEII, even if it did take an extra week to come into port. Of course, she would probably just throw up over the side on a boat like that. She supposed there was no winning either way.

“Hello, this is your captain speaking,” a voice said. “We'll be landing at Heathrow in just over thirty minutes.”

Travel was the both the bane and the saving grace of Alice Anderson's existence. She had long since learned to hate the smell of airports, the feel of the drab polyester seats, and the uncomfortable pounding in her head that came with a night where the sun only went down for three hours. On the other hand, there was the feel of the cobblestoned London streets underneath her feet – that was worth something. In cobblestone-street-free America, there was a saying: In Britain two hundred miles is a long way and in America two hundred years is a long time. For Alice Anderson, either one could go by in the blink of an eye.

“Please put your tray tables in their full and upright positions,” the voice said.

Alice rubbed her eyes and stretched. The key to successful travel, in her opinion, was a rigid adherence to a schedule. In thirty-seven minutes her flight would be landing on the tarmac. In two hours she would be arriving at the hotel. In three hours and forty-five minutes she would be having a quick drink with her sister before heading back to the hotel room, and mercifully, a good night's sleep. In a little over twenty-four hours she and Malcolm Oliver would be standing in a lecture hall in Cambridge University, talking to a group of the world's oldest astrophysicists about the importance of new technology when educating the next generation. After that there would be three days of conferences, meetings, presentations, and general hobnobbing with her brother and sister wizards, before getting back on another flight to New York. Alice was like a pocket watch, wound and polished, a precision instrument moving exactly according to schedule.

“Thank you for your business,” a voice said. “We will be exiting the plane shortly. On behalf of British Airways, we hope you will enjoy your trip.”

'It's a brave new world,' Alice thought to herself as she found her way to the plane door.

Meet the Author:

David McLain is the author of the two novels: Dragonbait, and The Life of a Thief. His stories have been published in the anthologies Metastasis, Penny Dread II, and the Doctor Who Anthology Time Shadows, as well as over two dozen magazines. He has been featured on NPR's Off the Page and the History of England podcast. He lives in New York.

Connect with David McLain: 

Website: http://mydogisgross.tumblr.com/

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mclain-63b77963

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5814869.David_McLain

Publisher’s Website: www.mirrorworldpublishing.com/our-authors-2

Meet the Illustrator: 

Felix Eddy graduated Magnum Cum Laude from Alfred University. She is the author and illustrator of A Bestiary Alphabet, and has illustrated several book covers and children's books. You can find out more about her at www.felixeddy.com

Purchase Links:

MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING: 

Paperback: http://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/poetry/products/the-time-travellers-resort-and-museum-paperback

Ebook : http://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/poetry/products/the-time-travellers-resort-and-museum-ebook

Hardcover: http://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/poetry/products/the-time-travellers-resort-and-museum-hardcover

AMAZON.COM: 

http://amzn.to/2eT8hRT

AMAZON.CA: 

https://www.amazon.ca/Time-Travellers-Resort-Museum-ebook/dp/B01M66TQZV/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1477600719&sr=8-1&keywords=david+mclain 

KOBO: 

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-time-traveller-s-resort-and-museum

BARNES & NOBLE: 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1124986783?ean=9781987976243

Chapters.Indigo: 

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-time-travellers-resort-and/9781987976229-item.html?ikwid=David+McLain&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=3

Friday Friends - The Man in the Blue Flowered Shorts @pagehalffull

Susan Lodge has stopped by to answer a few questions about her new release, The Man in the Blue Flowered Shorts, a contemporary romantic comedy.

How do you decide the title of your book? Does it involve a lot of head scratching, pen chewing, and staring out of the window, waiting for a lightning bolt of inspiration? Or a laborious search for a snappy phrase that will encompass the spirit of the story and grab the attention of the e- book browsers?

That is how it was choosing the title for my first publication—but with the second it was easy. The Man in the Blue Flowered Shorts walked past me one day and wham! There was my book title and the seeds of a story all gained from a few moments of idle observation. I live on the coast and am quite used to holidaymakers ambling about in strange summery outfits, but this man cranked my literary detective into action. Who was this person who looked so on edge in his holiday clothes?

I never knew the real answer, as I only saw him once, but he had sparked my imagination with all sorts of questions.

He appeared to not want to be on holiday and he didn't seem to like his wardrobe, so who do you think advised him to wear socks with sandals?

I haven't a clue but would like to point out that I have nothing against men in sandals or shorts, especially of the blue flowered variety. But it’s that accessory thing. Shorts and sandals are fine—but worn with socks! The combination should be outlawed.

I know, especially here in the UK, the sandal wearing season is quite brief—in fact turning out be nonexistent this year due to the miserable weather. And that relinquishing the socks can result in strap chaffing to soft white toes and heels which have been cocooned for most of the year. But that is no excuse for socks with sandals, is it? After all, you can purchase those nice discreet clear plasters to protect those vulnerable parts of your feet.

I now feel this blog is getting a little shallow because we all know that clothes shouldn’t really matter and it’s the person inside that counts. And, to be honest, looking out on this freezing cold English July day, I might just get out those thigh high woolen socks I got for Christmas. Although I wouldn’t wear them with sandals—but then, I am not a man!

But however he was dressed, I will always be grateful to the intriguing man in the blue flowered shorts. He provided me with, not only a title to my latest romance, but the trigger for a sequel, The Man in the Buff Breeches. Then I might follow it with The Man in the ...well, I’m looking around right now for an inspiration!

Lyn enjoys reading romance novels, especially when she can combine it with relaxing in the Caribbean sunshine. But when a mysterious stranger joins the cruise ship, fiction and fact become dangerously confused.

When Lyn Redford’s sandal hurtles across the deck of the cruise ship, it makes her first introduction to Henry Matasie rather hostile. It wasn’t just that the man was seriously grumpy; he was a walking wardrobe disaster. Do you really need to wear woolen socks with your shorts in the Caribbean heat?

Following an embarrassing encounter in the cocktail bar with Henry, Lyn and her travelling companion Shona try to find out the reason for his strange behaviour. Later, when Lyn accidentally reads his e-mail, she is convinced the man in the blue flowered shorts is deadly dangerous.

When Henry swaps his awful holiday clothes for a dress suit to attend the gala dinner the transformation sets Lyn’s pulse racing. But she is convinced he still hides a guilty secret and she is intent on discovering what it is.

To read an excerpt from The Man in the Blue Flowered Shorts please click HERE.

Susan Lodge’s first publication was a story for a UK national woman’s magazine. Heady with this breakthrough, she went on to write her first novel Only a Hero Will Do. She loves writing contemporary and historical romance, usually with a large dose of humour. After working in several cities including London and Bristol, she moved down to the Hampshire coast to raise her family.

Once asked the most important piece of advice she had been given in pursuit of publication, Susan answered -
The only difference between the unpublished writer and the published writer is the fact that the published writer didn't give up.

Catch up with Susan on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.