Book Feature & #Giveaway ~ Damned: The Circle of the Red Scorpion World, Book 1 by Charlene Johnson @shadowmoonplace ~ #PNR #Paranormal #Romance

 

Damned

The Circle of the Red Scorpion World Book 1

by Charlene Johnson

Genre: Paranormal Romance 

When Archangel Michael discovers a demon pierced the veil into another realm, he assigns his top warrior, Rayven Stone, to retrieve her.

Desiree Black is the fiery haired demon with stunning emerald eyes Rayven can’t resist. And the one thing he never expected to do was to fall in love.

Returning to present day meant protecting Desiree from the cruel demon leader who vows to punish her for disobeying him. What will Rayven have to do to save her?

It’s angel versus demon. Who will emerge the victor?

Add to Goodreads * Purchase form Amazon https://amzn.to/3oaQEo0

Watch the Book Trailer:

Charlene writes Paranormal Romance and Romantic Suspense/Thrillers. She lives on a farm outside of Colville, Washington.

She's won the following books awards:

2020 Book Excellence Awards Finalist for Homecoming (Sterling Wood Series Book 1)

2020 Literary Titan Silver Award for Blown Away (The Crimes of Passion Series Book 2)

2021 Book Excellence Awards Finalist for Blown Away (The Crimes of Passion Series Book 2)

2021 Book Excellence Awards Finalist for Awakened ( Circle of the Red Scorpion Series - Book 5)

2021 Literary Titan Silver Award for Awakened ( Circle of the Red Scorpion Series - Book 5)

She is currently writing two paranormal romance series, Circle of the Red Scorpion and Circle of the Red Scorpion World, and a romantic suspense/thriller series, Sterling Wood. She also wrote a book for a multi-author romantic suspense/crime thriller series, Crimes of Passion, and several short stories for anthologies.

Books have always been Charlene's passion. She started reading at an early age and progressed to full-length books by age nine. The first supernatural book series she read was Dark Shadows, and it sparked her interest in all things paranormal, with a spicy touch of romance mixed in for good measure. She also started writing poetry in grade school and continues to do so today. Being an avid reader, the consummate daydreamer, and an incurable romantic with a Cinderella complex, she started creating her characters and storylines because she realized she had her own stories to tell. She’s traveled the world, crossed galaxies, traveled through time, and explored history on the pages of books.

Besides reading and writing, she also enjoys photography, travel, music, great movies, and Elvis.

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Book Spotlight & #Giveaway ~ The Corpse in the Gazebo (A Food Blogger Mystery) by Debra Sennefelder #CozyMystery

 

The Corpse in the Gazebo (A Food Blogger Mystery) by Debra Sennefelder

About The Corpse in the Gazebo:

 

The Corpse in the Gazebo (A Food Blogger Mystery)

Cozy Mystery

5th in Series

Setting - Connecticut

Publisher: ‎ Kensington (September 28, 2021)

Mass Market Paperback: ‎ 368 pages

ISBN-10: ‎ 1496728939

ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1496728937

Digital ASIN: ‎ B08RWQYH54

Food blogging is turning Hope Early into a household name. But the dead body down the block makes her a #1 suspect . . . 

It seems everyone loves Hope’s blog these days, and she’s busier than ever volunteering to help other women create their own paths to success. So she’s shocked when a neighbor petitions to run Hope right out of her small Connecticut town! Set in her ways, apparently Birdie Donovan doesn’t like the chaos Hope’s sleuthing creates, the police activity and crime scenes, and it’s happening way too often lately. Eager to make amends, Hope bakes Birdie a batch of her best muffins. The delicious treats might have smoothed things over—until Hope discovers Birdie dead in her gazebo the very next day . . . 

Now instead of worrying about holding on to her beloved home, Hope is trying to stay out of jail. Because suddenly she’s the lead suspect in the case. Not even her boyfriend, Police Chief Ethan Cahill, is promising he can clear her name, much less discuss the investigation with her. It’s up to Hope to get to bake new ground on the case before the lifestyle brand she’s created—and her whole life—crumbles . . . 

Includes Recipes from Hope’s Kitchen!

About Debra Sennefelder:

Debra Sennefelder is an avid reader who reads across a range of genres, but mystery fiction is her obsession. Her interest in people and relationships is channeled into her novels against a backdrop of crime and mystery.

Her first novel, THE UNINVITED CORPSE (A Food Blogger mystery) was published in 2018.In addition to writing the Food Blogger mystery series, she writes the Resale Boutique Mystery series. When she’s not reading, she enjoys cooking and baking and as a former food blogger, she is constantly taking photographs of her food. Yeah, she’s that person.

Born and raised in New York City, where she majored in her hobby of fashion buying, she now lives and writes in Connecticut with her family. She’s worked in retail and publishing before becoming a full-time author. Her writing companion is her adorable and slightly spoiled Shih Tzu, Connie.

Author Links

• WEBSITE: https://bit.ly/2lQwSNi
• NEWSLETTER: https://bit.ly/2jBx9oV
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• INSTAGRAM: https://bit.ly/2EQh6da
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Purchase Links:

AMAZON - BARNES & NOBLE - KENSINGTON - KOBO - GOOGLE - INDIEBOUND

TOUR PARTICIPANTS:

September 21 – Author Elena Taylor's Blog – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

September 21 – Novels Alive – GUEST POST

September 22 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW, RECIPE

September 22 – Maureen's Musings – SPOTLIGHT

September 23 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

September 23 – Christy's Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

September 24 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

September 24 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

September 25 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews - REVIEW, GUEST POST

September 25 – Baroness' Book Trove – REVIEW

September 26 – Brooke Blogs – RECIPE POST

September 26 – Lisa Ks Book Review - REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

September 27 – Literary Gold - SPOTLIGHT

September 27 – I Read What You Write – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

September 28 – I'm All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

September 28 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

September 29 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

September 29 – Christa Reads and Writes – SPOTLIGHT

September 30 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

September 30 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 1 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 2 – Laura's Interests – GUEST POST

October 3 – Cassidy's Bookshelves – GUEST POST

October 3 – Reading Authors Network – SPOTLIGHT

October 4 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT

October 4 – Melina's Book Blog - REVIEW

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Release Blitz ~ Roulette by Carina Alyce @AlyceCarina ~ @RABTBookTours #RABTBookTours #Roulette #CarinaAlyce #Romance ~ Romantic Suspense, Multicultural Romance, BWWM, Medical Romance

 

Roulette by Carina Alyce

A Strong Woman Medical RomanceMetroGen After Hours Book 4

Romantic Suspense, Multicultural Romance, BWWM, Medical Romance

Date Published: September 30, 2021

About the Book:

She’s only spoken to him online. He’s used to making crazy plays. Will they bet on passion’s winning numbers?

Kyra Washington has always prided on order. For her, working as a nurse in the busy neonatal unit at MetroGeneral Hospital, order saves lives. The most chaos she ever tolerates is her football team’s perpetual losing record. On a whim, she agrees to meet another super-fan from a message board on a girl's trip to Vegas.

Ryan Yates thrives on pressure and craziness. An ER doctor who embodies all things adrenaline in the emergency room, he's used to making bold decisive decisions. Too bad his favorite football team can't show any of the same skills. However, he has a pretty good feeling about fellow fan, Kyra, after they meet in Sin City.

Throwing the dice like this is something Kyra has never done before, and she fears the stakes could lead to heartbreak. When they end up working together at MetroGen, can Ryan convince Kyra that being together is winning the jackpot?

So bet big on your favorite team in the fourth book of the MetroGen After Hours series and fall in love with these opposites attract superfans. Buy Roulette today!

All Books in the MetroGen After Hours series:

Wildcat: A Strong Woman Firefighter Romance

MetroGen After Hours Book 1

She’s not looking for Mr. Forever – just Mr. Right Now. He’s aiming for the city’s first football championship in forty years. Neither were betting on love.

Embers: A Strong Woman Firefighter Romance

MetroGen After Hours, Book 2

When her firefighter brother disappears, Abby is determined to find him. Will she find love too on her journey to the ashes in NYC?

Burn Card: A Strong Woman Firefighter Romance

MetroGen After Hours, Book 3

She plays her cards close to the vest. He hides from himself. Will a few drinks and a quick Vegas wedding change everything?

Roulette: A Strong Woman Medical Romance

MetroGen After Hours, Book 4

She’s only spoken to him online. He’s used to making crazy plays. Will they bet on passion’s winning numbers?

Unchecked: A Strong Woman Medical Romance

MetroGen After Hours, Book 5

Coming November 30, 2021

Sometimes girls just wanna have fun, so dating three guys isn’t bad . . . unless someone gets their heart broken.

Amazon https://amzn.to/3ATTwsU

About the Author:

The Author is a full-time triple board-certified physician who started writing dramatic medical romances after 20 years in the trenches of health care. She's done it all from candy striper (needed a wheelchair driver's license) to nursing home aid (mastered wheelchair driving) to hospital barber for neurosurgery (they rated her skills as subpar.). She promises she never had sex in a call room - the mattresses are not comfortable - or had a fistfight with a patient - though she did work as a fight doc at the Octagon. Her stories are sexy, snarky, and real with all the romance and drama of the lives of our first responders.

She writes the MetroGeneral Downtown series that tackles the personal and professional challenges facing our front-line providers. Her stories have the drama of Grey's Anatomy, the comedy of Scrubs, the sexiness of Outlander, and the medical details of Forensic Files. They feature fast, witty dialogue, strong women with goals, and quirky ensemble casts because the hospital is full of smart weirdos who are willing to save your life.

When not working or writing, she is a brown belt in judo, an avid reader, and an attending surgeon in stuffed animal veterinary medicine for her six kids. (No one trusts her husband's medical skills because he's just a lawyer.) You can follow her at carinaalyce.com

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Release Blitz ~ The Brazen Bluestocking by Tracy Sumner @sumnertrac ~ @RABTBookTours #RABTBookTours #TheBrazenBluestocking #TracySumner #HistoricalRomance ~ Regency Romance

 

The Brazen Bluestocking by Tracy Sumner

The Duchess Society Series, Book One

Regency Romance

Date Published: September 30, 2021

Publisher: WOLF Publishing

About the Book:

In this Regency romance by award-winning author Tracy Sumner, a willful bluestocking matches wits with a devilish scoundrel she never expected to desire with every beat of her heart.

A defiant society outcast.

A forbidding rogue who doesn’t believe in love.

And a passionate wager.

Daughter of an earl, Lady Hildegard Templeton hasn’t conformed to what society expects from a woman of her station. Industrious and unique, she’s created an emboldened organization for women on the cusp of marriage, The Duchess Society. Called a bluestocking to her face and worse behind closed salon doors, she vows to marry for love. And nothing but. Although the emotion has never shown itself to her. Until she meets him.

Bastard son of a viscount and king of London’s sordid streets, Tobias Streeter has spent a lifetime building his empire, and he needs the Duchess Society to find a suitable wife. An asset to expand his worth in society’s eyes. But he vows his search will have nothing to do with love and everything to do with vengeance. Until he meets her.

Soon, Tobias and Hildy’s plans are in turmoil as they choose between expectation, passion, and love.

Other Books in The Duchess Society Series:

The Ice Duchess

Prequel to the Duchess Society Series

Release Date: July 22, 2021

A scandalous countess plays matchmaker…for a man she once longed to take for herself.

Georgiana Whitcomb, Countess Winterbourne, is known as the Ice Countess for her rebellious ways and refusal to marry again. But a scandalous Christmas wager fashioned by Georgiana’s childhood obsession changes everything.

The demanding duke needs a bride…

Dexter Munro, mere days from becoming the Duke of Markham, made a promise to his dying father to find a wife by the Twelfth Night. Except the only woman he’s ever desired has vowed never to marry again. Not even to become his duchess.

Georgiana and Dex share a sizzling attraction and a wicked past…but is their scorching passion enough to melt the Ice Countess’ heart?

If you adore sexy Dukes, feisty Duchesses, and a steamy second-chance romance set in the magnificent Regency era, The Ice Duchess is the romance novel for you!

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About the Author:

Award-winning author Tracy Sumner’s storytelling career began when she picked up a historical romance on a college beach trip, and she fondly blames LaVyrle Spencer for her obsession with the genre. She’s a recipient of the National Reader’s Choice, and her novels have been translated into Dutch, German, Portuguese and Spanish. She lived in New York, Paris and Taipei before finding her way back to the Lowcountry of South Carolina.

When not writing sizzling love stories about feisty heroines and their temperamental-but-entirely-lovable heroes, Tracy enjoys reading, snowboarding, college football (Go Tigers!), yoga, and travel. She loves to hear from romance readers!

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Book Blitz & #Giveaway ~ A School of Daughters by Kate Rene' MacKenzie ~ @RABTBookTours #RABTBookTours #AschoolofDaughters #KateReneMacKenzie #WomensFiction

 

 A School of Daughters by Kate Rene' MacKenzie

Women's Fiction

Date Published: 12/28/2020

Publisher: Red Lace Books

About the Book:

It's funny how things sneak up on you...

After 22 years of marriage, Kate Willoughby loves her husband, Brian, with an even greater passion than when she spoke her vows. “My world spins on his axis,” she admits. But when Kate finds a love letter to Brian from “Micky,” she’s torn between proving Brian’s innocence and nailing him to the wall with his guilt.

Seeking comfort and guidance, Kate turns to the one constant in her life: her animals. No surprise since Kate’s a champion for throwaways—discarded dogs and cats, abandoned horses bound for slaughter, and all creatures great and small. But she never imagined she would become a throwaway herself.

Yet few things are as they seem. Finding evidence that Brian still loves her, Kate is at a fork. Will she follow her human heart…or animal instincts?

About the Author:

Kate René MacKenzie spent her childhood overseas, the daughter of US diplomats. Attending college in Illinois, she volunteered at the local humane shelter, eventually becoming director. While earning a BA in Art and then an MBA, Kate worked at various jobs including go-go girl, bartender, and teaching assistant. At 26, she sold her 280Z and packed her dog and cat into a Ford truck and drove the Alcan Highway to Alaska where she spent 23 years exploring The Last Frontier in a single-engine Cessna. A vegan and animal rights advocate, Kate provides a sanctuary on her Arizona ranch for all creatures great and small. Every year, like the Gray Whale, Kate returns to Alaska. Kate Rene’ MacKenzie is the women’s fiction alter ego of romance novelist and Golden Heart nominee Maggie McConnell. Visit Kate’s website at KateReneMacKenzie,com.

Contact Links:

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Book Feature & #Giveaway ~ The Spiricom: An Early Mystery, Book 2 by Roslyn Reid @the_moonshadow ~ Paranormal Mystery

 

The Spiricom

An Early Mystery Book 2

by Roslyn Reid

Genre: Paranormal Mystery

She was killed on their wedding day…but he couldn’t let her go.

Tall, handsome Dr. Spencer Py was a well-respected environmental scientist…until a limo crash killed his new bride Melanie and left him in a wheelchair. He is racked with despair over his failure to save her until the fateful night he discovers plans on the internet for the Spiricom, Thomas Edison’s electronic device for communicating with the departed. Determined to be united with his beloved Melanie, he builds the device—never imagining his unexpected results would draw an unsuspecting James Early into the scariest case of the Maine detective’s life.

Add to Goodreads 

Purchase from Amazon https://amzn.to/3ADStgy

A Scandal at Crystalline

An Early Mystery Book 1

Chandler Hammond’s wife says he and his hot Iraqi girlfriend skipped out of their Maine town of Finderne with his company’s millions. But his sister thinks his wife murdered him and hires detective James Early and his teenage son Tikki to find the truth. A Scandal at Crystalline follows them through an intriguing maze of unexpected encounters: financial shenanigans, two beautiful women who were sleeping with each other (and with Chandler Hammond), a police psychic, and a runaway kid in a remote mountain cabin. But things turn dark when their investigation forces them to consider the unimaginable—the sinister side of raku pottery.

**Only .99 cents!!**

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Purchase from Amazon https://amzn.to/3CH7M8J

Amazon best-selling author Roslyn Reid's first mystery, A Scandal at Crystalline, debuted to almost a dozen five-star reviews on Amazon. It reveals the sinister side of raku pottery and kicks off a series of quirky mysteries set in Maine, featuring Black private detective James Early and his teenage son Tikki. The Spiricom, second book in the series, debuts in September 2021.

Reid lives with her corgi, Great Pyrenees, and husband in Downeast Maine, where she gardens, lifts weights, and hikes. A former model, she contributed to Llewellyn's annual almanacs for several decades and has written for a few of the local newspapers. She is a member of the Author's Guild, has a blog on Goodreads, an author page on allauthor.com, a LinkedIn account, and several boards on Pinterest. You can follow her on Bookbub, or on Twitter as @the_moonshadow.

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Book Spotlight & #Giveaway ~ A Few Good Elves: Toy Soldier Saga, Book One by Diane Morrison ~ #SciFi #Fantasy

A Few Good Elves

Toy Soldier Saga 

Book One

Diane Morrison

Genre: Science Fiction Fantasy, Military Science Fiction, Space Opera, Epic Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Blackpowder Fantasy

Publisher: Aradia Publishing

Date of Publication: September 7, 2021

ISBN Ebook 978-1-9995757-5-5

ISBN Hardcover 978-1-9995757-4-8

ISBN Paperback 978-1-9995757-3-1

ASIN: B09D79BJW1

Number of pages: 490

Word Count: 155k

Cover Artist: Cayotica

Tagline: A dark blackpowder fantasy military space opera

About the Book: 

Toy Soldier: A derogatory slang term for an elven marine.

Battles great and terrible, small and bitter, raged across Known Space as the wars of Elves and Orcs played out their legacy of hatred across the stars themselves. Epics would be written, songs would be sung; but wars are fought by real people with loves and families and homes.

All Shaundar Sunfall ever wanted to be was a Star-Pilot. Raised on his father's ship, he has found an affinity for the stars -- although as a mixed-race elf and a bit of troublemaker, he often runs afoul of his commanding officers.

Now the orcs have returned to once again wage war on their ancient enemies. The fate of his people is at stake. Although he is too young, Shaundar lies about his age to join up. But he is about to learn that no matter what the sagas say, war is no great adventure.

A bit like what would happen if Horatio Hornblower met the Honorverse, met Lord of the Rings, met Game of Thrones, A Few Good Elves is part naval adventure, part high fantasy, part space opera, and part war novel.

CW: graphic violence, sexual violence, torture, war, genocide

Watch the Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/7LG4_Jp9yfw

Purchase Links:

Amazon      Books2Read

Read an Excerpt:

All about on the decks of the Queen’s Dirk, the crew were running and screaming. There were too many dead and wounded to count, and the Chiurgeons had elves spread out over the tables in the mess, the garden, even the Captain’s bed.

Shaundar sensed Lieutenant Sylria on the remains of the fo’c’sle, now mostly a debris field, commanding the mages to ready spells and the weapons crews to continue their attack. He could also see the gravity well of the Vengeance, just now coming about on their starboard side, though he was certain that it had been much longer than they needed.

“I have the helm!” Shaundar cried.

“Get us out of here, Shaundar!”

He turned his head and studied the rapidly oncoming Balorian ship through both the hole in the starboard wall, and Queenie’s senses. Even with Sylria’s magical boost, he knew this to be hopeless.

“I can’t do it, Sylria,” he said in a hollow voice. “They’re just too fast.”
Sylria looked down at her feet for a long moment. She squared her shoulders. “Then we shall die with honour.”

Shaundar nodded. Amazingly, there was no fear, just sadness, that he would not see his family or Narissa again. “Sails, evasive manoeuvres!” Shaundar commanded. “Hard down!”

As the insectoid ship neared, it closed those claw-like limbs to grapple them. But under Shaundar’s power and direction, they dodged the attempt. Shaundar saw a whole army of armoured Balorian warriors pour out onto the deck and stand to the rails.

Sylria shrieked, “Mages, fire!” and she let off a lightning bolt herself. There were only a couple of elves left alive topside to obey Sylria’s command, but they responded. Flames and electricity washed over the orcs, enough that it stopped them in their tracks and aborted their boarding attempt.

“Bring ‘er about,” Shaundar ordered. “Hard astarboard!”
Queenie answered sluggishly with all the shorn rigging and shorthanded crew, but she came back around. As they swooped back towards each other, Sylria’s command rang out. Defiantly, the Queen’s Dirk fired another volley.

The Balorians greeted it with a broadside of their own as they both swung starboard at the last moment. The larboard ballistae both missed, but two of the three others dented the hull. The third pierced it once more on their larboard side with a ringing tear of sheet metal.

Their catapult did not fire at all. Whether it was because it was damaged, or because there were too few crew left to man it, Shaundar would never know.

The decapitated Vengeance had only one gun it could bring to bear on the pass, but it fired that larboards bombard at point blank range. The fo’c’sle simply collapsed like a sandcastle. Sylria was swallowed into the sinkhole. Shaundar roared in horror and pain but could not hear his own voice in the overwhelming noise.

There was no sail crew left to command, but hoping against hope, Shaundar bellowed anyway,

“Hard aport!” The mizzenmast was shorn away, and he knew it, but knowing there was nothing else to be done, he yelled out, “Prepare to ram! All hands brace for impact!” just as Garan had attempted.

He didn’t flinch as the Queen’s Dirk collided head-on with her foe.

Meet the Author:

Diane Morrison lives with her partners in the Okanagan Valley, BC, where she was born and raised. She has been published in SFF markets such as Terra! Tara! Terror!, Air & Nothingness Press, and Cossmass Infinities. Under her pen name “Sable Aradia” she is a successful Pagan author, a musician, and a Twitch streamer and podcaster.  She likes pickles and bluegrass, and hates talking about herself.


https://dianemorrisonfiction.com/

https://sablearadia.tumblr.com/

https://www.twitch.tv/sablearadia

https://www.ko-fi.com/sablearadia

https://www.patreon.com/SableAradia

https://aradiapublishing.wordpress.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/sablearadia

https://www.youtube.com/user/sablearadia

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/toysoldiersaga

https://www.amazon.com/author/dianemorrison

https://www.worldanvil.com/author/SableAradia

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/diane-morrison

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Book Spotlight & #Giveaway ~ Far Beyond Woman Suffrage: The Prices of the Vote, Book One David McCracken ~ Alternative History

Far Beyond Woman Suffrage 

The Prices of the Vote

Book One

David McCracken

Genre: Alternative History

Date of Publication:  8/25/21

ISBN: 979-8464929616

ASIN: B09DPSTN35

Number of pages: 104

Word Count: 32,514

Cover Artist: PixelStudio

Tagline: “It isn’t just about women in long skirts finally voting!”

About the Book: 

It isn’t just about women in long skirts finally voting. The racists and the rich know that, and the politicians worry.

Mercy Martin has an inside view as the battle for woman suffrage nears a climax, but she encounters many puzzles.

So many women and Southern states oppose votes for women.  

So many people are afraid it would bring on free love, abandonment of family, economic catastrophe, or communism.

So many suffragists are willing to abandon black women voters.

From an innocent teen to a young adult, Mercy has a central role in the campaign. She advances from confinement in a suffragist jail cell to the national campaign for the suffrage amendment. She campaigns around Tennessee, ending at the capitol for the explosive climax in the last state that might ratify the amendment and grant the vote to women. 

Why should something so clearly right be so hard, and why were some bitter compromises made? Mercy is right in the middle, relied on by key players. Along the way, she acquires a husband, a baby, and better parents than she was born with.

This is an intimate view via alternative historical fiction, as accurate as it can be and as thoughtful and moving as it must be. In this first novella of a series, Mercy jumps into the campaign for woman suffrage and prepares for a vital role in the coming decades. She’ll continue on into the wider civil rights struggle growing out of woman suffrage. 

Purchase Link:

Amazon https://amzn.to/39j9PDm

Read an Excerpt  :

Anita and I have taken a circuit northwest from Knoxville and back around to the northeast. We’re canvassing as many legislators and their key supporters as we can track down. Finding them is the tricky part. Sometimes we go as far as the road goes and finish the journey to an isolated farmstead on foot, with our dresses trailing in the dust. We’ve been drenched by rainstorms, chased by watchdogs, and even had to change a flat tire, which isn’t that easy in a long dress, but we find our men.

Some seem to be avoiding us, like Representative Cletus Jacobs. He keeps barely visible off in his woodlot. We mark him as a “no.” Senator Phil Gridley graciously, really graciously, says we are communists betraying our gender, our state, and the country. Fortunately, the next two are warm and positive. However, Sen. Billy Broadus says he is nervous the women’s vote will support that anti-American League of Nations. He seems mollified when we point out it would first have to go through a vote in the U.S. Senate, where it is sure to fail.

“Anita,” I ask, back in the car, “why is there such a fear of communism here?”

“Well, with the recent Russian Revolution and the widespread unrest in European countries after the war, people are nervous, especially people with property. You may not realize that Communism seemed on the verge of sweeping across Europe after the war, with uprisings all over. I guess women are considered softies who might vote communists in or go easy on them. Maybe they’re especially sensitive in the South on the loss of property since their human property, slaves, were ‘taken’ at the end of the Civil War.”

“I guess big business is hyping the fear for their own purposes, against labor unions.”

“You’ve got it, Honey!  That started before the Russian Revolution, as a way to smear and foil labor unions.”

“I don’t guess we could ever reach people so concerned about communism, however they got concerned!"

“ ’Not bloody likely,’ to use a term  Alice Paul picked up from a friend over from England. (The shocking phrase was uttered by Eliza Dolittle in George Bernard Shaw’s new hit play, Pygmalion. Alice loves throwing  it out.)”

Driving east from Livingston, on a dim overcast day, we have a scare. Three white-robed riders and horses are moving into position as if to stand astride the road and block our path. Behind us, we see three more horsemen trotting out of a grove we had just passed and following us.  We look at each other and gulp. It doesn’t look good, even if their robes look rather shabby. A lonely road doesn’t seem ideal for a twilight chat with six mounted Klansmen. Luckily, they hadn’t reckoned how fast our Blue Knight moves or how well Anita can handle it. Just as the ones in front are getting into position, Anita swerves far over onto the left edge of the road and races onward. The nearest horse nervously dances back, then rears and throws his rider as we roar around them.

“I thought the Klan was dead,” I say.

 “Apparently, that Birth of a Nation propaganda film of a few years back is reviving them. Next, they’ll burn a cross.”

 “Well, they’re eating your dust. Great driving!”

“I hope we’ve seen the last of them. How’d they know where we were?”

I think and respond, “Was Senator Broadus actually less friendly than he seemed?”

“I wondered why he spent so long in idle chatter before he let us go,” offers Anita.

About the Author:

David McCracken became a political activist when the Supreme Court ruled against school segregation. Fellow students joined him in urging the school board in Winchester, KY, to integrate immediately. He campaigned for a Democratic governor and joined the ACLU before he graduated from the University of Kentucky. After debating at U.K., he got a degree in economics and a job with the U.S.  Department of Commerce.

When his daughters approached school age, he became increasingly concerned with how he wanted them schooled. Researching that, he decided teaching was what he really wanted to do. He got a master's degree in elementary education at Murray State University. He taught for several years, until the fact that his girls qualified for reduced-price lunches based on his salary got to him. Ronald Reagan's anti-government policies prevented him from returning to government work, so he took programming courses and shifted careers again. Programming was like being paid to solve puzzles all day, but teaching eventually drew him back until retirement.

For many years of this time, he was working intermittently at a novel that became Fly Twice Backward: Fresh Starts in Times of Troubles. This concerned his waking on his twelfth birthday, trying to figure out what had happened, following his new opportunities, and ultimately outliving an evil president resembling Donald Trump. After thirty-six years, David finally published it as an interactive alt-history Kindle novel. He soon started Far Beyond Woman Suffrage: The Prices of the Vote, an alt-history novelette dealing with the campaign for woman suffrage. He finished this piece in just ten months. At 81, he is bold(?) enough to plan this as the first of a six-volume set dealing with the far-reaching results and implications of woman suffrage. His completed novels and another in the works are presented for discussion on a new website, DoFancifulFlights.com

David now lives with his third wife, stepdaughter, and step-grandson near Winchester, VA. He has a son from his second marriage, six grandchildren, and two stepchildren. And a funny black dog with four white feet.

https://dofancifulflights.com

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