*Book Tour & Giveaway* A Hidden Fate

 

A hidden past.

An uncertain future.

An impossible choice.

A Hidden Fate

by Carol Efron

Genre: Women’s Fiction

A poignant novel of love under fire about a woman who must find the courage to face an uncertain future—and an impossible choice.

Baltimore, 1986. Julia and Matt are newlyweds, in love and eager to begin graduate school. Julia longs to leave behind haunting memories of her mother’s devastating decline in Maryland, but she unexpectedly learns the truth her father has hidden: Her mother died of a fatal genetic illness. Julia now faces a 50 percent chance of inheriting the same fate, and every child she longs to have will carry the same risk.

When an unplanned pregnancy rocks their careful plans, Julia and Matt face agonizing uncertainty and impossible choices. Desires and convictions pull them toward starkly different paths, each possibly leading to misery.

As the couple struggles to protect the fragile, fierce love that first bound them together, they face the cost of secrets and the ache of betrayal—but they also discover the hope of forgiveness.

 

What readers are saying:

“…the richly drawn characters and the emotional depth of Julia’s journey make for a deeply affecting novel whose moral questions linger long after the story’s end.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

 

“This moving novel will appeal to fans of intimate, issue-driven fiction about women’s choices, inherited trauma, and the hidden costs of love. Great for fans of: Lisa Genova’s Inside the O’Briens, Abraham Verghese’s The Covenant of Water” —Publisher’s Weekly Booklife Review

 

“Family secrets, the rights of parents, maternal love and the importance of living one’s life to the fullest all come into play as Julia, the protagonist in Carol Efron’s intriguing novel, faces an excruciating and fateful decision.” —Jerry Burger PhD  author of Shadows of 1915: A Novel

 

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How could Carla, her second mother, have done this to her? A body blow, this deception. She stared at her father, hoping he felt her eyes boring into him. “It’s awful, the three of you con-spiring to leave me in the dark. How could all of you have been so treacherous? And stupid?”

Richard cracked his knuckles, something he had told her many times not to do. “We talked long and hard about it. You were better off growing up without the burden. I didn’t want to wreck your chance to have a halfway normal childhood.”

Julia glared at him. “So it was fine for all of you to lie to me?”

“Brutal enough for you to lose your mother when you were only six” he said, sounding indignant. “Why saddle you with fears about a horrific future that might never come to be?...Then later, darling—I couldn’t bring myself to inflict so much pain on you.” He looked down at his lap. “If you judge me weak, I don’t blame you.”

“It was cowardly of you,” Matt said, ground glass in his voice.

The black birds on her father’s shirt were mesmerizing. Julia fervently tried to make out the doves, but they wouldn’t come into view. How could he wear such an ominous shirt tonight? Ravens symbolized loss and ill omens. And the doves were ironic—symbols of peace when he was bringing torment. Julia made herself breathe deeply, rhythmically.

As she started to feel slightly calmer, a question hit her full force. Had her father known about the horror in her mother’s genes before he married her? Would someone in his right mind make such a choice? She shut her eyes against the thought barrage, to no avail. What would Matt have done if he’d known about her dire genetic risks early in their courtship? Perhaps he would have lost interest, and who could blame him? Had her father been secretive in recent years to preserve her relationship with Matt?

A hateful thought but there it was, a banner headline in her mind.

Opening her eyes, she saw her father staring at the photo of the Andromeda Galaxy. The blazing white center of the galaxy drew her in. All the energy in the room seemed concentrated there, and the spiral of stars appeared to pulsate. Migraine material.

She wrenched her gaze away.

More pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

Carol earned her MD from Johns Hopkins, served on the faculty at Stanford and John Hopkins, and built a thriving private practice in Silicon Valley. Working on the front lines of genetic testing, she felt an urgent need to write this book, and she would love to talk to you about how these real-world experiences inspired her debut novel, along with the broader implications of genetic testing.

 

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*Release Tour & Giveaway* When Harry Met Charlie-GUEST POST

 

Can two men who clash over everything ever agree on love?

When Harry Met Charlie

by Donna Costa

Genre: MM Romantic Comedy

Harry is a number-cruncher. Charlie is a people-person. One is bubbly and optimistic, the other serious and pessimistic. With an endless stream of verbal sparring and heated debates filling the car on their road trip from Vancouver to Toronto, they arrive at the conclusion they are complete opposites and go their separate ways.

When they meet years later – older, wiser, and love-worn – will their sparring become a prelude to romance? An exciting turn on? Will they be there for each other when it’s needed most?

Boys’ Love + Nora Ephron Fan Fiction = When Harry Met Charlie

 

“Fun, funny and wonderfully delightful! Reminds you of experiencing your first crush – I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough!” – Leeanne Whitehouse, Pure Country Morning Host

 

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Chapter 1

    It’s 1977. Harry Burns has just graduated from law school on the West Coast and is standing at the window of his third-story dorm watching for the arrival of his ride to Toronto. He crosses his arms and drums his fingers impatiently.

Behind him, Harry’s friend and dorm mate Rufus is vigorously kissing his girlfriend, Sally. They’re sighing and murmuring to each other. Oh, I’m going to miss you so much. I love you. Will we ever see each other again? Kiss me again. Harry rolls his eyes.

Out the window, Harry spots a VW Beetle pulling up to the curb across the campus green. Rays from the rising sun glint off the car roof. He pushes his glasses up his nose and shouts, “Ride’s here, Rufus.”

Harry slings his backpack over one shoulder and wedges a heavy box of textbooks under his arm, then grabs his suitcase with his other hand. Why couldn’t someone invent luggage with wheels? Struggling to carry all his gear, Harry loses patience with the couple’s sloppy sweet-nothings and shoves Rufus’ arm none too gently, dislodging him from the embrace. “C’mon. Let’s go!”

“Bye, sweet-ums!” Rufus gives Sally one last smooch. “I’ll call as soon as I get there.” He stares longingly into her eyes and blows her a kiss, then snatches up his duffel and follows Harry down the stairs.

Harry stops as they reach the VW, taking in the vomit-green color, which reminds him of the nauseating flight he took from Toronto when he moved west to start university. He’s in no hurry to repeat that experience. A two-day nonstop road trip is the lesser of two evils.

He eyes the car’s thick rust and immediately wonders if the car will make it all the way across the country. With two unknowns—the driver he’s never met and the state of the car—his anxiety increases. Why hadn’t he been more prepared, done more research? Am I going to regret this?

A young man gets out of the VW, and Rufus, the common denominator, makes the introductions.

“Charlie, this is Harry, my roommate here in Vancouver and my pal growing up in small-town Ontario. Harry, meet Charlie, my friend from karaoke. That’s where Charlie told me he was headed to Toronto, like you, and why I suggested you ride together.”

I don’t know what I was expecting, but it isn’t this. Shouldn’t a future flight attendant be clean-cut and well groomed? Instead, Charlie has the appearance of a furry teddy bear. Even his forearms, visible below the short sleeves of his Oscar Wilde T-shirt, are bushy. His faded bellbottoms are a little too tight. Is that the start of a pot belly? Don’t flight attendants have weight restrictions? He extends his hand to Charlie for a handshake.

As Charlie settles behind the wheel of the Beetle, Harry places his suitcase and textbooks on the back floor behind the passenger seat. A Coleman thermos and small picnic cooler already take up the floor space on the driver’s side. Harry folds his long frame onto the rear seat beside Charlie’s nineteen-inch Electrohome TV, complete with rabbit ears. The only place for his feet is atop the box of his books. He squeezes his knees together and holds his backpack on his lap. It’s only a short drive to the airport. I can manage.

Rufus jumps into the front passenger seat. The bud vase on the dash holding a single daisy catches his attention, and he flashes a peace sign at Charlie. “Cool!”

“I knew you’d like it,” Charlie says, beaming a hundred-watt smile. He grabs an imaginary microphone. “Good morning, ladies, ahem, gentlemen. Welcome aboard Flight 2B with service from Vancouver to Toronto, with a short layover at the airport. We expect to be on the road for approximately forty-eight hours. Please fasten your seatbelts and stow your baggage. Please note there are two exits.” Charlie points at the car doors, then adds, “Thank you for choosing Charlie’s VW Air.”

Harry rolls his eyes and wonders if he’ll have to put up with aviation demonstrations every time Charlie takes the wheel.

Maybe flying would have been a better option?

Too late now.

Donna Costa draws on her love of romance, both novels and movies, plus her years in the aviation industry for When Harry Met Charlie. She writes in a variety of genres including YA, memoir, romance, and historical fiction. She lives in London, Ontario.

 

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GUEST POST

Whether to Write for an Audience or One’s Self 

Do you write to deliver to readers what they want or do you write for yourself? 

I’ve been asked this question from time to time. Quite simply, I write for myself. To be more specific, I often write for the characters that present themselves and talk to me in my head. I give them a voice.

With my first book, Breathing With Trees, the voice of the protagonist, Lucy, spoke to me and I simply began writing her story. At first, I thought I was working on a blog, until it got so long I had to wonder if it was something else. I had no audience in mind because I didn’t even know it was a book.

My memoir, If I Could Remember: Brains & Bears & Caring for My Mother, began when I was caregiving for my mother who had Alzheimer’s. Expressing emotions on the page was a therapeutic release. When I began weaving in stories of teddy bears who had Alzheimer’s, the creativity of that process took me out of myself and also helped reduce stress. I was definitely writing for myself and my health, not for an imagined audience.  

When Harry Met Charlie actually began with two teddy bear characters from that memoir. (Spoiler Alert: One of them develops Alzheimer’s.) When I decided to write a prequel to their life before Alzheimer’s, I wasn’t thinking about the audience. I was simply having fun creating the backstory of Harry and Charlie.

However, once I decided on the title, I began to presume that the audience might be fans of Nora Ephron movies (Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, You’ve Got Mail) and other rom-coms starring Meg Ryan (French Kiss). There are some dialogue scenes in the first part of the book where I had that audience in mind.

My Writing Process 

Writers use the terms “plotter” and  “pantser” to refer to different writing styles. 

A plotter (sometimes called plotser) creates a very detailed outline before starting to write any words to a manuscript. The approach is a methodical, organized, and logical.

A pantser prefers to write “by the seat of her pants,” tapping into intuition, listening to the characters speak and allowing the story to unfold as she types, rather than having a preconceived idea of how the story will move. This approach is spontaneous and instinctive.

Truthfully, authors use both writing styles, but to varying degrees. A writer will typically lead with one approach, but finish with the other style. My process usually is pantser:plotter in a 60:40 ratio.

With my first two books, I “downloaded” the story from the characters speaking in my head. But once that first draft was finished, I needed to revisit the story and edit, edit, edit. Adding description, rearranging scenes, and looking for plot holes. In short, becoming more methodical and logical in analyzing the story à la plotter style.

For When Harry Met Charlie, I led with plotter style since my story was patterned after the original screenplay of When Harry Met Sally. I followed Nora Ephron’s timeline—opening scenes in 1977, followed by a meetup five years later, then again five years after that. Once that outline was loosely written on paper, I reverted to pantser style to get a feel for the characters and let their repartee lead the scenes.

My Reading Habits 

Authors read as a form of studying technique. This observing of pacing, tension and plots of other writers helps build our own skills. But writers do also read simply for pleasure. 

I enjoy a variety of genres. I’ll go through a period of picking books from literary award lists like Booker Prize, Giller Prize or Canada Reads list. Then I’ll have a period of reading cozy mysteries like the Merry Muffin Mystery series by Victoria Hamilton or the Dr. Bannerman Vet Mystery series by Philipp Schott. I might switch over to regency romance for a time, then memoir, local authors, or books on spirituality, before cycling back to literary fiction.

My appetite is eclectic. I always have at least one book open on my cell phone so I can read while waiting for appointments or riding in the car. Likely there’s a paperback on my bedside table and often a third book in the livingroom that I pick up periodically. It might be a How To book, for instance, on gardening or writing. Plus I keep issues of a certain health journal in the bathroom to read one article at a time. (Maybe I shouldn’t admit that reading locale in public…Oops, too late.)

And one final reading habit of mine—I read when I’m eating alone. I’m told this is a bad habit that leads to mindless overeating, but I think of reading as having a conversation with a friend and where better to do that than over some tasty food.

 

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*Book Tour & Giveaway* Loving Her Enemy

 

Falling in love was never part of the deal. 

Loving Her Enemy

by Sharon C. Cooper

Genre: Billionaire Fake Dating Romance

A billionaire businessman. 

A heartbroken, unemployed chemist. 

A marriage agreement that can benefit them both.

Billionaire businessman Sloane Davidson needs a wife—fast. And although Halayna Tanaka is ten years younger than him, and an enticing temptation he managed to resist years ago, she's perfect for the role. But she thinks he's some gold-plated scumbag and wants nothing to do with him.

After a devastating string of bad luck, Halayna is struggling to stay afloat in a world that keeps knocking her down. So when Sloane, her best friend’s brother, offers a marriage of convenience as a solution to both their problems, she’s tempted. The thing is she can't stand him. He may be the sexiest man on the planet, but he’s also arrogant, infuriating, and overbearing. She shouldn’t want him. Shouldn’t even give him the time of day. Yet, her body ignites with desire whenever he’s around.

Is selling out to a billionaire worth it? Especially if he tempts her beyond her control. Or is this marriage of convenience the path to the love she always dreamed of?

 

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Ohmigod. Ohmigod. Ohmigod.

Running as if her ass was on fire, Halayna took the steps two at a time and burst into her bedroom suite, slamming the door behind her. Struggling to get air into her lungs, she paced the length of the room a couple of times before collapsing face first onto the king size bed.

What the heck had just happened?

One minute, she and Sloane were talking, laughing, and eating, and in the next minute, they were hugged up together kissing.

“Oh my God!” Halayna groaned into the mattress as the full weight of what they’d done hit her. He was her best friend’s brother. A man who was so far out of her league, it was laughable. Yet, he had kissed her, and it hadn’t been just any kiss, but a kiss that had her questioning her sanity.

Sloane kissed me… and I liked it… a lot.

Oh man, she more than liked it. She wanted a repeat. A repeat of his full, demanding mouth taking what he wanted from her. A repeat of the way he held her close to his big, hard, muscular body, and she wanted a repeat of how good it felt being held in his strong, unyielding arms.

For those few minutes, with their tongues tangling, all Halayna’s thoughts and worries had fallen away, and in their place had been a peace she hadn’t felt in months or maybe even years. Sloane had somehow made her feel more cherished than she’d ever felt by a man. Which was saying a lot since she’d been engaged to be married and supposedly crazy in love with Owen.

She snorted at the thought. Talk about her picker being off when it came to choosing men. It was a good thing her relationship with Owen had imploded. Marrying him would’ve been a huge mistake because kissing and being with him had felt nothing like what she had just experienced.

Kissing Sloane had felt like a dream. Like something straight out of a sexy fairy tale, an X-rated fairy tale. But this wasn’t a fantasy. His kiss and the way he’d held her had been very real. She still felt his lips covering hers and the taste of him lingered on her tongue.

How was that possible when it had been just one kiss? One soul-stirring, passionate kiss.

It was clear she and Owen hadn’t had a strong connection. Not like what she had felt a short while ago with Sloane, and that realization had her shook. She almost married a man she was sure she’d been in love with. Yet, she never felt the intense desire and passion swirling inside of her. Never felt that I-can’t-live-without-you vibe.

How was that even possible?

Halayna flipped onto her back, and as her heart rate slowly went back to normal, she stared at the ceiling, her mind reeling at these new realizations. The most shocking one was Sloane wanting her to agree to a marriage of convenience… with him.

She shook her head. Sloane Davidson, the wealthiest man she’d ever known, had asked her to marry him. He wanted her to be his fake wife. No, not fake. Just convenient. Wait. Not convenient. He wanted a marriage of convenience. But what the hell did that even mean?

USA Today bestselling author Sharon C. Cooper loves anything involving romance with a happily-ever-after, whether in books, movies, or real life. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, as well as romantic comedy. She enjoys rainy days, carpet picnics, and family game night. Her stories have won numerous awards, including The Rochelle Alers Best Series award for her Atlanta’s Finest Series (2022) and The Beverly Jenkins Author of the Year award (2021). When she isn’t writing, Sharon loves hanging out with her amazing husband, doing volunteer work, or reading a good book (a romance of course). To read more about Sharon and her novels, or to sign up to be notified of her latest releases, visit www.sharoncooper.net

 

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*Sales Blitz* Cursed

Title: Cursed 

Series: Joey Santana

Volume: Book One

Author: Karina Espinosa

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Hosted by Lady Amber’s Reviews & PR

Blurb:
The headlines read: Human Bitten by Werewolf.

Story of my life.

The name's Joey Santana and my twenty-fifth birthday didn’t necessarily go as planned. In a world where supernaturals and humans live together, I was attacked, then saved by none other than the Alpha of the Los Angeles Pack. But with survival came a price. And I wasn’t sure if I was ready to pay it.

Fast forward and I’m waking up the next morning in some stranger’s house with a half-naked man coming out of a bathroom. Awkward. And it so happens to be the Alpha’s son, Reed Stone. Right off the bat, he knows I’m trouble with a capital T since there haven’t been any humans turned into supes since supernaturals were outed five years ago. But if he thinks I’m going to sit back and take whatever he’s got coming, he’s painfully mistaken. I might have been human, but I now have canines, and I bite.

We’re forced to work together to wade through the supernatural politics and threats that await me. Our personalities clash in a battle of wills for dominance as the two of us grow closer together to solve the biggest mystery of all—why the hell would my father want to kill me?

99 CENTS FOR A LIMITED TIME!

Karina Espinosa is the Urban Fantasy Author of the Mackenzie Grey novels and The Last Valkyrie series. An avid reader throughout her life, the world of Urban Fantasy easily became an obsession that turned into a passion for writing strong leading characters with authentic story arcs. When she isn't writing badass heroines, you can find this self-proclaimed nomad in her South Florida home binge watching the latest series on Netflix or traveling far and wide for the latest inspiration for her books. Follow her on social media!

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99 CENTS FOR A LIMITED TIME!

*Release Blitz* Mistress of Fear

Title: Mistress of Fear

Series: A Legacy of Vengeance and Magic

Volume: Book One

Author: Lauretta Hignett

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publication Date: October 15th, 2026

Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR

Blurb:

Heartbroken. Traumatized. Laser-focused on vengeance.

All I ever wanted in life was to fall in love. Which was a little ironic, all things considered.

I grew up in a secretive commune of magical warrior women. We were the hidden powerbrokers of the supernatural world; spies, assassins and undercover operatives, trading in secrets and death. We didn’t help anyone except each other, and we didn’t trust anyone at all.

Especially not men. Only my sisters mattered. Everyone else in the world was a target, a tool to be used, or totally irrelevant.

The Flowers of the Sword didn’t fall in love.

I never really fit in with my family, though. Even from a young age, I knew I wanted a different life. A soft life—one without pain, without fighting, without hiding, without deception. A life where I didn't need to use my magic as a weapon. A life where I could trust people, and use my powers to help them heal.

So I turned my back on my family, and I walked away.

And I did it; I fell in love. I thought I was going to be happy forever.

I was wrong.

My family was right all along. Men weren’t to be trusted. Love isn’t real.

Now, vengeance will be my legacy. I’m going to rip the whole world apart to find the people who did this to my sisters. The path to revenge will take me right to the doorstep of the powerful political factions that rule the biggest supernatural city in the whole continent. Witches and wizards, vampires, combat mages, shapeshifters and fae... it doesn't matter to me.

The Senate of Magical Detroit won’t know what hit it.


Mistress of Fear is book one in A Legacy of Vengeance and Magic, a gripping Urban Fantasy series with nail-biting supernatural suspense, magical political intrigue, and a sizzling enemies-to-lovers slow-burn romance.

NOW LIVE & AVAILABLE ON KU!

Lauretta is an Amazon bestselling urban fantasy author with a passion for writing kickass characters, weird magical creatures, hilarious banter, and a touch of romance.

When she’s not writing, you'll find her enjoying terrible craft projects, unnecessarily complicated cocktails, and hanging out with her two little kids and her dog, Lola the delinquent lab cross.

In case you're here to check, please know that Lauretta does NOT use generative AI in any story or in any artworks in her books AT ALL. Every weird character and bizarre plotline comes entirely from her own brain, and she types every word herself. Support human art!

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