Tangled Passions

 . . . They both hate liars and yet both are being deceived. Will the truth tear them apart or bring them together?

Wild Women Authors focus on Diana Stout and Tangled Passions, #5 of the Laurel Ridge series of novellas, a February 2023 release.

 About Tangled Passions:

When Senator Jefferson Jackson first meets Madison Butler while attending a friend's party back home in Laurel Ridge, he's immediately smitten. But then, he learns she's a lobbyist—probably the one who's been determined to schedule a meeting with him in Atlanta.

Jefferson doesn't trust that she's there by accident, to see mutual friends. Besides, he's sworn off serious dating. Getting involved with Madison could be trouble, and the last thing he wants is a scandal while in office.

Madison Butler isn't about to let Jefferson—even if he is the second biggest pecan grower in the state—deter her from meeting with him. At stake is her job, one she can ill afford to lose. But then, he tells her that she's been lied to by her employer.

He's sidelined learning a bracelet found in the car pulled out of the lake had belonged to his mother and meets with his father to learn the truth of that day where he had watched his parents' marriage breakup. In the process he learns who's been lying to him all these years.

When Madison and Jefferson meet again, can she forgive him for turning her life upside down? Can he trust that she isn't involved with anyone else, despite what he's seen and heard? Can he finally put a past filled with lies behind him so he can find love once again?

 

More about the entire Laurel Ridge Novella series:

A series of 7 books with 7 couples, 7 conflicts, 7 romances. Nine of the main characters are classmates. Three non-residents are best friends from Atlanta, and Connie with no family of her own is a waitress at the popular diner in town appears in every book and is a mom to them all.

          These 15 people are in and out of each of the seven books. A main thread features a Volkswagen Bug that is fished out the lake in of Book #1 and becomes a mystery to solve while its being restored, with the mystery touching one character from every book.

 Available only as an Amazon eBook at:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTRKKJJK

 We asked author Diana Stout about creating this series in this particular manner, she said: Why did I use this method instead of writing the book in a consequential time arc where each story follows the next? Because these characters started interacting in scenes of multiple books, plus I liked the idea of these classmates still getting together and caring for each other and their community.

So, who are these people and what is this mystery involving car?

Shattered Dreams #1 - Mason Baylock (judge) & Shelley Willis (waitress at the diner) were high school sweethearts, savagely separated at graduation. They see a yellow VW go by on a tow truck's trailer. Mason heard earlier that Cutter had fished the car out of the lake.

 Burning Desires #2 – Aaron Rhett Sinclair Renoux (newcomer firefighter & house flipper) & Edwina (Eddie) Taylor first meet when Rhett and William are asking her if she knows anyone who restores cars. Then, her house burns and Rhett offers to help her repair it.

 Arrested Pleasures #3 – Cutter Logan (sportsman) & Annie Martin (game warden). They had one date in high school and Annie said no more. Bad boy Cutter has been teasingly chasing her ever since and been satisfied in the best friend zone. Until now.

 Buried Hearts #4 – Clint Anderson (archeologist professor) & newcomer Gabriella (Gabby) King (balloonist & psychic) meet when he hires the balloonist for his parents' 50^th wedding anniversary party. Afterward, when her truck won't start, she's stuck overnight, waiting for a part to arrive. Gabby finds a bracelet in the restored VW, [has some vibes about it], so she and Clint track down its owner.

 Tangled Passions #5 – Jefferson Jackson (state senator & pecan grower) & newcomer Madison Butler (lobbyist) meet at the party Clint throws for his parents. Jefferson doesn't trust Madison’s reasons for being there. When Clint and Gabby reveal their find of a bracelet that had belonged to Jefferson's mother, he meets up his father and learns why the car was sold abruptly when he was in school. Later, Jefferson tells Madison the company hasn't been truthful with her and then discovers she hasn't been truthful with him about a personal issue.

 Reserved Yearnings #6 – William Stuart (library director) & newcomer Charli Davidson (travel blogger) meet when Charli delivers Gabby's needed truck part. Charlie stays a few days to visit area landmarks for her travel blog, with William accompanying her, of course. That's when William suspects Charli is hiding a deep, dark secret.

 Sweet Cravings #7 – Joe Benton (lawyer) & newcomer Josephine (JoJo) Wheeler (mechanic, car restorer) meet on a blind date set up by Clint, William, and Charli. When the date is a disaster, they attempt a do-over. When it's a disaster, they try again, and then again after yet another failure. Clint hosts a summer prom party in his backyard for his classmates and their new partners, where he unveils the restored Volkswagen and reveals how the car came to be in the lake and why it remained a secret, much to everyone's surprise.

 A bit about our focus author:

A multi-genre award-winning writer, Dr. Diana Stout enjoys the crowd who surrounds her: characters who make her laugh or tug at her heart with their wounds and confessions, and the friends, loved ones, and even strangers who visit from the other side of the veil.

Today, she's an indie author / publisher and celebrates her return to writing full-time. Currently, she's working on the second nonfiction, motivational how-to book for a series of books for writers, students, and teachers. This one is about punctuation and grammar. The first book was published in 2022: Finding your Fire & Keeping It Hot: Discovering Your Why, Your Passion, Your Purpose in Life.

Additionally, she's finishing the last two novellas in the Laurel Ridge series and plotting a paranormal romance that she'd like to write both as a novel and a screenplay.

 To learn more about Diana and her writing, go to: Sharpened Pencils Productions where her blogs about writing and her intuitive, paranormal experiences are listed. Her social media link are:

You can also find Diana at:

Goodreads

Private Facebook group

Facebook page

Instagram

Pinterest

Twitter

BookBub

 And, you can subscribe to her newsletter here.

    

Polly's List by Kim Janine Ligon

 CJ Reynolds couldn’t wait to escape his hometown. He’s loving his bachelor life as a software developer in California. So much so that he hasn’t been back in years to see the grandmother who raised him.

Mikal Benson believes her small town is perfect for raising her son, Will, alone. When Mikal finds her neighbor, Polly Rogers, sprawled on the floor in a pool of blood, barely clinging to life, she calls Polly’s grandson—CJ Reynolds—and insists he must come home. Now!

From her coma, Polly whispers three words that change everything. Did she fall or was she pushed? CJ, Mikal, and Will form an unlikely team coming together to discover the truth as danger engulfs them and love transforms them into a family.

 Wild Women Authors welcomes Kim Janine Ligon and her debut novel, Polly’s List, a contemporary romantic suspense released by the Wild Rose Press. With Kim, is stay at home mom Mikal Benson who will go first.

Welcome, Mikal. Let’s start with where you are from. I grew up in the northern suburbs of Chicago. Now I live in the small town of Lansdale, Wisconsin.

Tell us a bit about Polly’s List. I had no idea when I went over to check on my neighbor’s dog that it would develop into a full blown mystery. I was just trying to be a good neighbor to Polly Rogers because she’d always been so sweet to me. My son, Will, and I live in the little white house behind Polly’s. The dog was making so much noise. I followed him into the front hallway. My heart stopped when I saw her laying at the bottom of the stairs. Fortunately, the ambulance got there quickly. Then I had to track down her California grandson, Caleb Reynolds, and coax him into coming to Wisconsin. It was a lot more difficult than it should have been.

What did you think the first time you saw CJ? I talked to him on the phone before I ever met him. To be accurate, he hung up on me twice before I finally got to actually talk to him. I thought he was…the nicest thing I can say with my five-year old son nearby is he was a card-carrying jerk.

Good description. What was your second thought? My second thought after meeting him face to face was much the same. It was after nine o’clock in the morning and he was only dressed in plaid silk boxer shorts when he answered the door. During that encounter he made my son cry and told me to call him CJ, not old-fashioned sounding Caleb. Let’s just say I was less than impressed with Mr. Reynolds.

Even better. So it wasn’t love at first sight? Are you kidding? Love was the farthest thing from my mind. I was thankful he was there for Polly’s sake. I wanted as little to do with him as possible.

Now that you know CJ a bit better, what do you like most about him? Probably, how much he truly loves his grandmother.

How would you describe him? He’s tall enough I can wear heels with him. He has a boy’s heart and sense of adventure. I would say he’s good looking. He’s fiercely protective and persistent when trying to correct any problem. There’s a lot more, but I don’t want to ruin Kim’s story.

How would CJ describe you? Initially, I’m sure he thought I was a buttinski neighbor who was overreacting and bossy. Oh, he also thought his grandmother’s next-door neighbor was male. So he was a little confused when we first met. Fortunately, things definitely improved since that first meeting.

What made you choose to be a stay-at-home mother? I went to school to be a teacher. I actually taught one semester before I lost Jared. Then I had to put all my energies into having my baby and keeping him safe. Fortunately, Jared had prepared well financially so I was able to be a full-time mom.

What is your biggest fear? Losing more of the people I love.

How do you relax? Polly taught me to knit; I find that very relaxing, especially if I’m making a pattern I’ve done before. The rhythm of knitting (when it’s going well) is comforting to me.

Who is your favorite fictional character? Selina DeJong in Edna Ferber’s So Big. She’s left to raise her son alone and has to work hard to keep her life together. I think my story is happier than hers, but I still admire the character.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? “Don’t wait for everything to be perfect. Follow your heart and act!” from my Great Aunt Janine who left me this house.

Mikal, we thank you for spending time with us. Now we’d like to chat with Kim.

What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? I’m a voracious reader. Probably the most impactful book I’ve read is Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. I love the idea that one person can stop evil and make meaningful change in the world. I devoured biographies in junior high school and loved Nancy Drew novels. I read all the Lemony Snickett books as an adult and thought they were delightful. My mom was a big Harlequin romance reader and shared them with me.

Is there an event in your private life that you were able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? I grew up in a small town in Wisconsin and Lansdale is modeled after my hometown. I spin yarn on a spinning wheel and spend many hours looking out the window in front of my wheel writing stories in my head and working out sticking points in my plots. Sometimes, I even see something unusual from my catbird seat.

Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? I researched publishers and found The Wild Rose Press (TWRP) on more than one list as a top small publisher. I wanted a company that would accept submissions without an agent and was willing to work with first time authors. Rhonda Penders and RJ Morris have a wonderfully nurturing “garden” for authors to bloom in.

What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile?  Since I joined TWRP, the list grows constantly. I have been reading fellow authors and branching out into genres I have not sampled before like paranormal and fantasy. I’ve been reading and reviewing books and enjoying getting to help and support other authors. I’m currently reading Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in paperback and my Kindle has 33 books on it (I’m a little out of control) from Mary Morgan’s Wishes Under A Highland Star to Barbara Bettis’ Last Stop Wylder to Elizabeth Goodard’s Deadly Target to Terry Newman’s Rewrites of the Heart. And I have some preorders in for other coming stuff. I could read 24/7 but then when would I write, spin, do laundry, and feed my sweet, supportive husband?  

Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? My second novel with The Wild Rose Press is in proofreading and I expect it to be available later this year. It is Landing On Her Feet, a cozy mystery with a touch of romance, also set in the small town of Lansdale, Wisconsin. There are some characters who were also in Polly’s List but it is a stand alone novel.

 Kim brought an excerpt for us:

Why is the Bassett baying? Mikal Benson hurried across the yard and pushed her neighbor’s unlocked back door open. It groaned loudly. The still howling dog rumbled into the kitchen – as quickly as his short legs would allow.

“What’s wrong, Rhett? Polly, where are you?” she called as she crossed the worn linoleum-covered kitchen floor. “It’s me, Mikal.” 

The dog loped into the front entryway. She followed. What happened? Was the purple-flowered heap with legs and arms akimbo Polly? Blood pooled beneath her head . The body was lying in front of the door. Was she still alive? Mikal knelt beside her neighbor’s crumpled body. She gently picked up her arm and felt for a pulse. It was faint. Polly took a ragged breath and moaned. Mikal pulled her cell phone out and called 911.

A blood stain circled Polly’s head like a dark, expanding halo – blotting out the muted colors of the antique rug and spreading into the cracks in the parquet floor. Something had to be done.

 

To purchase Polly’s List, go to:

GOODREADS https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61135497-polly-s-list

BOOK BUB     https://www.bookbub.com/books/Polly-s-list-by-Kim-Janine-Ligon

AMAZON        https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZYVGWF1

BARNES & NOBLE

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pollys-list-kim-janine-ligon/1141488044

To learn more about Kim Janine Ligon, go to:

https://www.spinningromance.com

KimJanine@spinningromance.com

 

 

 

The Firstborn Son by Kaia Misk

A reluctant mafia princess marries a firstborn son to stop a citywide turf war. May the best wiseguy win.

Becoming a ruthless mob boss like his father is the last thing Frankie Renzi wants, but when Sofia Ciambatti’s father is gunned down, Frankie must become the very thing he loathes to protect the woman he loves. Sofia was devoted to Frankie, until he stood her up and she questioned his fidelity. Now that she’s alone and an heiress, mafia suitors slither around her. 

Marriage to him might be her only hope.

 Wild Women Authors features Kaia Misk and The Firstborn Son, book 1 The Renzi Affairs, a contemporary romantic suspense out of the Wild Rose Press. With Kaia is Frankie Renzi who will go first.  

Good morning, Frankie. Let’s start with where you are from. Pittsburgh, PA

Tell us a bit about The Firstborn Son.  It exposes my crazy family and the one good thing that came from that life, Sofia.

What did you think the first time you saw Sofia? Not sure I remember. We had known each other forever, like all the families did. It was after college, after I saw her grow into a woman, that I took interest.

And your second thought? After seeing how beautiful she was, I couldn’t think at all.

Was it love at first sight?  No. I don’t believe in that.

What do you like most about her? There’s no one thing. She’s successful without me as a restauranteur, she’s smart and pretty. She doesn’t take crap from me. But most of all, she understands me. She knows everything about my past, my family, and she still accepts me.

How would you describe Sofia? Fussy but elegant. Demanding but giving. Fierce but feminine.

How would she describe you? After she tells you what a pain I am, she’d say I’m a leader.

Hah! What made you choose the mob life for a career? Well, it chose me and it is not my career. I’m a businessman with an MBA and I run a large construction company. It’s a family business that my father had, and his father before him. I’m taking it to the next level.

What is your biggest fear? Losing Sofia.

How do you relax? I don’t.

Who is your favorite fictional character? Does the President of the United States count? He seems so far away from real life.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? Trust no one.

Thanks for spending time with us, Frankie. Now it’s time for Kaia to have a say.

What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? Classic literature required by college professors made me want to read for pleasure alone for the rest of my life. Other than that, Las Dos Elenas by Carlos Fuentes (in Spanish), Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Lady Chatterly’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence are three stories I will never forget. I suppose they all feed my love for romance. Also, I like action and mystery movies. For example, 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi was almost non-stop action. I tried to imagine writing the script. When I write, I often have a picture in my mind of what the characters look like, where they are. It’s the same when I read. I’m disappointed in a novel that cannot help me create the picture.

Is there an event in your private life that you were able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? I used a lot of personal history as a setting in the novel because I know it so well. Uncle Nutsy’s character is a combination of my own Uncle Ignatius/Ignazio and an Italian tailor I worked with when I sewed at a men’s store. My grandfather who was born in 1902, left school after the fifth grade, and went to work in the mills. He was a gruff man who was devoted to his family. All Italian families I know have a hierarchy. He was the head of the family. Anything he wanted, he got. His wishes were always first. Our family stories have been handed down through generations. My cousins can’t wait to read the book.

Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? On submission, an editor at The Wild Rose Press recommended books that would teach me how to write. I studied and rewrote my book, using the information to create something better. The Wild Rose Press accepted the novel soon after.

What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? I just finished one by Kat Martin and am looking for more. Although Meet You In Hell was recommended to me.

Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves?The Second Son, the next book in the Renzi Affairs series, is well on its way. Joey has always been my favorite character. He became a fun figure in my first writing attempt as a side character, then again in The Firstborn Son. I hope to have his story out by the end of 2023. I started Tiny’s story as well. Strong and silent, one never knows what goes on in the big guy’s mind.

Is there anything else you’d like to have our readers know? During the month of February, I’m giving away a $20 Amazon gift card and a $20 Barnes and Noble gift card in a drawing on February 28, 2023 at 5 p.m.

Anyone who signs up for my newsletter will be included in the drawing. Here is the link to sign up. https://www.kaiamisk.com/newsletter/

Here's a bit about today’s featured author: Kaia Misk is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, otherwise known as a "Yinzer." Her maternal grandparents came from Italy and her father's family from the area now known as Slovakia. Her parents grew up across the street from each other in a small town where most people worked in the steel mills. Their ethnicity was a strong part of her childhood which included foods, holidays and religion. Several of her characters are based on her family members and other Pittsburghers.

     Kaia has a background in legal and technical writing. She is particularly inspired by the Hat Squad books of Karen Rose and Joe Lansdale's novels, although her first love was by Fyodor Dostoevsky. She currently lives in suburban Pittsburgh with her Norwegian Elkhound, Boss.

 

Kaia brought an excerpt for us:

“I mean someone that puts me first. Like my father.” Her hands went to her hips.

“Oh, I’m not signing up to be your father, sweet. I want way more than that.”

Lust, anxiety, and fear of a lonely future came to a fiery head within him. He prowled closer. Grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. Heedless of the open window, he braced his arm behind her back and one hand behind her head. When he pressed his mouth against hers, she struggled for a moment. He almost let her go.

Slowly, her body settled. Chest to chest, hip to hip, her voracious kiss gave him hope. But he had to be clever, had to keep her mouth occupied so she wouldn’t argue. He stripped off his shirt and broke the kiss for a second.

Big mistake. She slapped him. The magic ended.

“This can’t happen, Frankie,” she said and stomped away from him. “You don’t get to seduce me and pretend everything’s all right. I love you. I want your body. I can hardly stand here and look at your chest without ripping the rest of your clothes off. But I need more than you’re giving me.”

 

To learn more Kaia Misk and the stories she creates, go to:

Website: www.kaiamisk.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KaiaMisk

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

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

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@KaiaMisk/featured

 

Here are some places to buy The Firstborn Son:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Firstborn-Son-Renzi-Affairs-Book-ebook/dp/B0BPLLTJX9?ref_=ast_sto_dp

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-firstborn-son-kaia-misk/1142840680

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/68044334-the-firstborn-son

IndieBound https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781509246755

Alibris: https://www.alibris.com/booksearch?keyword=9781509246755&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=GwEz7vxblVU&utm_campaign=10&siteID=GwEz7vxblVU-i8cp942pBAOYRUB0p5M1RQ

  

The Lady of the Mirrored Lake by Jennifer Ivy Walker

              Mirror, mirror on the lake.  Reveal the path the queen will take.

Hunted by the Black Widow Queen, Issylte--a healer with the verdant magic of the forest--must flee Avalon with the two finest knights in the Celtic realm, both wrongly accused of treason. The trio travels to Bretagne, where Issylte heals a critically injured wolf and obtains fiercely loyal, shapeshifting allies.

In mystical Brocéliande, Issylte becomes a warrior priestess of the Tribe of Dana and otherworldly mate of the Blue Knight of Cornwall, discovering with Tristan a passion that transcends all bounds. When she becomes the Lady of the Mirrored Lake, sworn to defend the sacred waters of the Goddess, Issylte must undertake a perilous quest to discover what priceless object lies hidden in its murky depths. As a nascent evil emerges in a fetid cave, Issylte and Tristan must face a diabolical trio that threatens their lives, their love, and their kingdoms.

Enchanted. Enflamed. Entwined. Can their passion and power prevail?

 

Wild Women Authors welcomes author Jennifer Ivy Walker who celebrates of The Lady of the Mirrored Lake, Book 2 of The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven series, a recent release out of the Fantasy Rose line for the Wild Rose Press. With Jennifer is Issylte, Lady of the Mirrored Lake and priestess of the Tribe of Dana.

 Welcome Lady Issylte. Thank you for spending time with us today. Let’s begin with where you are from. Ireland

Tell us a bit about The Lady of the Mirrored Lake. It tells the story of how I venture from Avalon, where I have trained to become a gifted healer, to France, where I become a warrior priestess of the Tribe of Dana (the Earth Goddess) and Lady of the Mirrored Lake, sworn to defend her sacred waters.

What did you think the first time you saw the warrior Tristan? The first time I saw him, it took my breath away. I had previously seen him in a vision for I have the gift of Sight. He was brought—critically injured by a poisoned sword-- to Avalon, the Island of Healing, by his best friend Lancelot. It took three days, during which l employed all of my talents as a guérisseuse celtique—a Celtic healer—to cure him. When he opened his brilliant blue eyes, I glimpsed in them a kaleidoscope of visions and knew that my fate had been entwined with his.

What was your second thought?  My second thought was: how could this man be my fated mate, when I was romantically involved with another?

Was it love at first sight?  No—because I was in love with the Elf Ronan when I healed Tristan.

What do you like most about Tristan?  His fiercely loyal heart.

How would you describe him?  A brute of a man—an enormous, battle-scarred knight—haunted by horrors of a turbulent past.

How would he describe you? As his “green and golden  goddess”, for my face was the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes on the island of Avalon. I have deep green eyes and blonde hair, and he later told me he’d seen me as an ethereal figure, as if I were the Goddess Dana herself.

What made you choose to become a healer? I was taught by the fairy witch Maiwenn in the enchanted Hazelwood Forest in Ireland.  I was sent to Avalon to flee my wicked stepmother—the Black Widow Queen who poisoned my father, King Donnchadh of Ireland, and is hunting me even now, for I am the rightful heir to my father’s throne.  In Avalon, I completed my training, earning the prestigious title of Guérisseuse Celtique (Celtic Healer).

What is your biggest fear? That the Black Widow Queen will starve and impoverish my country and send her voracious Vikings from Dubh Linn  to pillage and plunder the Celtic realm.

How do you relax? I love to go horseback riding. Tristan gave me a magnificent black mare, Minuit (Midnight). He and I go galloping across the grassy plains of western France and through the Forest of Brocéliande, heart of the Tribe of Dana.

Who is your favorite fictional character? Roland, Charlemagne’s paladin from the epic poem, La Chanson de Roland.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? My dear Maiwenn—the fairy witch who helped me discover my latent verdant magic as an herbal healer—told me to never turn my back on my gifts from the Goddess. She encouraged me to always use my divine magic for healing. To be a light in the realm of darkness.

Thank you, Issylte. We appreciate all this fascinating information. We’d like to spend a bit of time with Jennifer.

 

What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer?  Marion Zimmer Bradley’s classic, The Mists of Avalon, had a profound influence on me as a writer. Sarah J. Maas and her  Court of Thorns and Roses series inspired me to finally write the novel I have been wanting to pen ever since I discovered the medieval legend of Tristan et Yseult when I earned my MA in French literature.

Is there an event in your private life that you were able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel?  I have been to many of the places in France that I incorporated into the novel. For example, I visited troglodyte caves in the Loire Valley and la Grotte de Lascaux in Aquitaine (a province in southwestern France) and knew that is where I wanted my bear shape shifters—le Clan des Ours (the Bear Clan)—to live.  When I discovered through research that there is a valley in the Forest of Brocéliande called le Vallon de la Chambre aux Loups (the Valley of the Chamber of Wolves), I selected that to be the locale for my Wolf Tribe (la Tribu des Loups).

Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? My debut novel is entitled “The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven”, so when I discovered that there was a publishing company called The Wild Rose Press, I was immediately drawn by the name. I researched their background, and really liked the awards they had received. They were so welcoming, helpful, supportive, and friendly that I decided to go with them. I am delighted to say that I have now signed four contracts with The Wild Rose Press!

What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan; City of Ruin by Charissa Weaks; The Dragon Ring by Fil Reid

Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? The Emerald Fairy and the Dragon Knight, the conclusion of “The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven” trilogy, will be published soon by The Wild Rose Press.

Jennifer brought an excerpt for us:

“The Gallizenae,” the Lady of the Fountain continued, “are Mélusines-- mermaids who can shape shift. They control the tides and the seas, invoking horrendous storms to capsize invading ships which threaten their shores.” Laudine locked eyes with Issylte. “It is rumored that the Mélusines are the legendary Dragons de Mer. The Sea Dragon warriors who destroy any ship which enters their sacred realm.”

Murmurs rippled across the table. Tristan squeezed her trembling hand.

“But a woman such as a Priestess of Dana may go there,” Laudine continued, her fiery eyes glowing with challenge. “Seeking knowledge from the Gallizenae. To protect the Celtic realm. And defend the three sacred elements of the Goddess.”

Issylte’s breath hitched as realization dawned upon her. “I must go there to discover what lies hidden in le Miroir aux Fées.” She turned eagerly to Tristan, her heart filled with wonder, excitement, courage.

And fear.

“Yes, Issylte.” Laudine reached across the table to squeeze her other hand.  “They will tell you what secret lies hidden in the Mirrored Lake.  And why the dwarves are desperate to obtain it. It must be an object of tremendous power.”

 To learn more about Jennifer Ivy Walker, go to:

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22671046.Jennifer_Ivy_Walker

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-lady-of-the-mirrored-lake-the-wild-rose-and-the-sea-raven-book-2-by-jennifer-ivy-walker

Website:  https://jenniferivywalker.com/

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

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/bohemienneivy

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

Amazon link:  https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B0B91R2MJZ

Email: jenniferivywalker@yahoo.com