Spotlight on A Sour Note by Jill Piscitello
June 24, 2023 by marianne h donley in category Apples & Oranges by Marianne H. Donley, Spotlight tagged as A Music Box Mystery, A Sour Note, Cozy mystery, Jill Piscitello, new release, Wild Rose Press
About the Book:
On the heels of a public, broken engagement, Maeve Cleary returns to her childhood home in Hampton Beach, NH. When a dead body turns up behind her mother’s music school, three old friends land on the suspect list. Licking her wounds soon takes a back seat to outrunning the paparazzi who spin into a frenzy, casting her in a cloud of suspicion. Maeve juggles her high school sweetheart, a cousin with a touch of clairvoyance, a no-nonsense detective, and an apologetic, two-timing ex-fiancé. Will the negative publicity impact business at the Music Box— the very place she’d hoped to make a fresh start?
EXCERPT:
With his mouth set in a grim line, he waited.
If anyone else had enough nerve to presume she owed them an explanation, she would respond with a solid mind your own business. Instead, the seventeen-year-old still inside her refused to tell him to get lost. “He was hiding money in his office.” This was one of those times when learning how to wait a few beats before blurting out inflammatory information would come in handy. Each second of passing silence decreased her ability to breathe in the confined space. She turned the ignition and switched on the air conditioner.
“How do you know?” His volume just above a whisper, each dragged-out word hung in the air.
“I found it.”
“When were you in his office?” He swiped at a bead of sweat trickling down the side of his face, then positioned a vent toward him.
“Last night.” When would she learn to bite her tongue? Finn’s switch from rapid-fire scolding to slow, deliberate questioning left her unable to swallow over the sandpaper lump in her throat.
“Where was Vic?”
She stared at the back of the building, wishing she’d kept her mouth shut. “He’d left for the night.” If she averted her gaze, she could pretend his eyeballs weren’t bugging out of his head, and his jaw didn’t need a crane to haul it off his chest.
“You were at the town hall after hours? Did anyone see you?”
“A custodian opened his door for me.” She snuck a glance. Sure enough, features contorted in shock and horror replaced his boy-next-door good looks.
About the Author:
Jill Piscitello is a teacher, author, and an avid fan of multiple literary genres. Although she divides her reading hours among several books at a time, a lighthearted story offering an escape from the real world can always be found on her nightstand.
A native of New England, Jill lives with her family and three well-loved cats. When not planning lessons or reading and writing, she can be found spending time with her family, trying out new restaurants, traveling, and going on light hikes.
Purchase Links:
Social Media Links
Website ~ Twitter~ Facebook~ Instagram~ Amazon ~ GoodReads~ BookBub
BLACK FOOD: STORIES, ART & RECIPES FROM ACROSS THE AFRICAN DIASPORA ed. by Bryant Terry—A REVIEW BY VERONICA JORGE
June 22, 2023 by Veronica Jorge in category Write From the Heart by Veronica Jorge tagged as Black Food, Bryant Terry, Reviewed by Veronica Jorge
I recently participated in a Community Read event at my local library, (Lower Macungie Library in Macungie, PA), in partnership with Longwood Gardens of Kennett Square, PA. This year’s theme was the connection between food and people, and food and gardening. The book we read was Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora, edited and curated by celebrated chef and writer Bryant Terry.
4 Color Books
an imprint of Ten Speed Press
2021
ISBN 978-1-9848-5972-3
Buy Links
The collection of essays and recipes was a unique exploration of topics such as, the bond between food and culture, food insecurity, the empowerment of taking charge of your food and health, the bounty of gardening, and food as a connector of people, among other topics.
Some of the stories were heart-wrenching. We followed the journey of one slave, ripped from her land, as she described braiding seeds into her hair in order to carry something of her food and culture to an unknown land.
The library, in addition, organized a variety of activities to enhance the reading and learning experience. In keeping with food and gardening, the library supplied planters, soil, and herbs for each of us to decorate our very own potted plant.
A registered dietician gave a talk on the common sense of eating well.
And as part of the book read, we each selected a recipe from the book to make and then share together. Below you can see my choice, Nicole Taylor’s Cocoa-Orange Fish. As she describes it on page 195 of the book, “Cocoa powder transforms both savory and sweet dishes. Its luxurious earthiness adds depth to proteins, like fish.”
I paired the catfish with okra and yams. The beverage is sorrel, also known as hibiscus flowers, with origins in Africa.
Black Food: Stories, Art and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora provides much food for thought (pun intended) and is an enlightening, inspiring, delicious, and empowering read.
And libraries are more than just a collection of books. They broaden our worldview and unite peoples and communities. I hope you enjoy and love your library as much as I appreciate mine!
Veronica Jorge
I’m off for the summer so see you next time on September 22nd!
Other Books Reviewed by Veronica Jorge
Tracy Reed: Our June Featured Author
June 21, 2023 by Tracy Reed in category Apples & Oranges by Marianne H. Donley, Featured Author of the Month tagged as Beautiful Men, fashion, Sophisticated Romance, the Big Apple, Tracy Reed
Tracy Reed: Our June Featured Author
A California native, novelist Tracy Reed pushes the boundaries of her Christian foundation with her sometimes racy and often fiery tales.
After years of living in the Big Apple, this self proclaimed New Yorker draws from the city’s imagination, intrigue, and inspiration to cultivate characters and plot lines who breathe life to the words on every page.
Tracy’s passion for beautiful fashion and beautiful men direct her vivid creative power towards not only novels, but short stories, poetry, and podcasts. With something for every attention span.
Tracy Reed’s ability to capture an audience is unmatched. Her body of work has been described as a host of stimulating adventures and invigorating expression.
Books by Tracy Reed
Discovering the Seasoned Romance
June 20, 2023 by marianne h donley in category Ages 2 Perfection Online Class, Online Classes tagged as Aged to Perfection Online Class, Brooke Wills, July Online Class, Two Week Workshop
Discovering the Seasoned Romance
Presented by: Brooke Wills
Date: July 24 – August 4, 2023
A Two Week Class
Registration Closes: August 1, 2023
Pricing: A2P Member fee: $15
Non-A2P Member fee: $25
About the Workshop:
Whether you call it seasoned, later in life or mature romance, this new category of romance stories is here to stay. And there’s more to writing one than just upping the ages of your characters.
In this two-week workshop, we’ll look at:
– what exactly is the seasoned romance category
– characterization, settings and tropes
– how to market your story whether you plan on indie or traditionally publishing
There will also be time for Q&A, FAQ’s and general discussion about this exciting category of romance.
About the Presenter:
Being a seasoned person herself, Brooke Wills is a retired CFO, controller and consultant who now spends her days storytelling as a copywriting specialist, creating seasoned characters like herself and enjoying living on an island in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her mostly Maine Coon kitty, Tuxie. She is actively involved with the Aged to Perfection Seasoned Romance Writers as well as serving as treasurer on the RWA board.
Plotting Hacks for Pansters
June 19, 2023 by marianne h donley in category Ages 2 Perfection Online Class, Online Classes tagged as Aged to Perfection Online Class, Jessie Cal, July Online Class, One-day Workshop
Plotting Hacks for Pansters
Presented by: Jessie Cal
Date: July 8, 2023
9 AM PT/ 10 AM MT/ 11 AM CT/ 12 Noon ET
Registration Closes: July 9, 2023
Pricing: A2P Member fee: $5
Non-A2P Member fee: $10
About the Workshop:
Are you tired of pantsing into dead ends and having to delete thousands of words? Or do you find yourself overwhelmed with over-plotting? In this course, you’ll learn how to plot a novel in one page using 4 writing hacks called the “Catalyst Method.” With minimal plotting, you can write faster and create deeper stories that will have readers recommending your book to others.
About the Presenter:
Jessie Cal is a USA Today bestselling author with over eighteen romance and suspense novels. When she’s not writing, she’s teaching courses on writing, plotting, and much more. She works with both independent and traditionally published authors, helping them to make their books as best as they can be.
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BANANAPANTS
Estranged childhood friends unexpectedly reunite under bizarre circumstances and bicker their way to love in this bonkers romantic comedy.
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A SOLDIER’S ITALIAN CHRISTMAS
A soldier and a nun discover forbidden love in war-torn Italy during the winter of 1943.
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