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Author Versus AI From author / editor Alison McBain

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Author Versus AI
A new project of global proportions that is going to change the book industry forever

Critically acclaimed author and editor Alison McBain is taking on the influence of AI in the book industry by meeting the technology head-on!!!

Alison McBain is the author behind Author Versus AI. Starting on Global Book Day on April 23, 2024, she is writing a book a week for 52 weeks. Her mission is to show that one author can take on AI and create novels almost as fast but much, much better than AI programs. She will answer the question now being posed by creators everywhere: Will AI replace me?

The answer is an emphatic NO.

Artificial intelligence (AI), in its broadest sense, is a field of research in computer science that develops and studies methods and software that enable machines to perceive their environment and use learning to maximize their chances of achieving defined goals. Currently, there are a number of programs using AI software to augment or replace human creativity.

**Alison McBain’s mission is to prove that writing can be done quickly, efficiently, and better with human instinct, emotion, and passion**

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Alison McBain’s human-created novels are the recipients of over 13 awards, including the Foreword INDIES. When not writing for herself, she’s a ghostwriter who has penned over two dozen books for clients, as well as an award-winning editor who has worked with both celebrity and NY Times-bestselling authors. She’s currently pursuing a project called “Author Versus AI,” where she’s writing a book a week over the course of a year, using NO AI at all (52 books total). When not writing, Ms. McBain is the associate editor for the magazine ScribesMICRO and draws all over the walls of her house with the enthusiastic help of her kids. She lives in Alberta, Canada.

“Magnificent Intentions: John Wood, First Federal Photographer” Documents Building of Nation’s Capital in Pictures

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New Book “Magnificent Intentions: John Wood, First Federal Photographer” Documents Building of Nation’s Capital in Pictures
Wood’s Photographs from 1856 to 1863 Chronicle Civil War Era Washington, D.C.

The work of John Wood, the country’s first federal photographer, has largely been forgotten by history. “Magnificent Intentions” sheds overdue light on his life and career with 160 photographs that reveal a national capital in progress and a country gripped by the Civil War. The new book is published by Smithsonian Books in association with the Library of Congress.

The book features photos of the construction of public buildings in D.C. including the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Aqueduct; the first panoramic photos of D.C.; the first inauguration photo, from James Buchanan’s inauguration in 1857; documentation of the Civil War and his innovative photographic copies of military maps; and the only surviving photo of Abraham Lincoln’s first inauguration in 1861 that newly uncovered evidence suggests was taken by Wood.

“Magnificent Intentions” shows how innovative Wood was as a photographer. His methods and subjects were unusual at the time, making Wood a fascinating subject in the early history of photography. “Magnificent Intentions” is a celebration of Wood’s legacy and a critical look at a pioneer in early photography. It will be sure to delight anyone interested in art, architecture and photography history, but also reveals the federal government’s role in using the arts to depict and shape American society and culture.

While virtually unknown by scholars, Wood’s photographs remained largely unattributed, however major collections survived, largely in government repositories, said author Adrienne Lundgren, a senior photograph conservator at the Library of Congress. The bulk of the images that appear in “Magnificent Intentions” were from the Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs and Manuscripts Division collections. However, his original collodion glass negatives, an incredible resource, still resided in the Photographic Branch of the Architect of the Capitol. A major collection of prints pertaining to the Washington Aqueduct was discovered in the archives at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Important images of Washington, D.C., were located in the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, which subsequently and graciously donated them to the Library of Congress to ensure their long-term preservation and access. Key images documenting the Lincoln inauguration were found at the Library of Congress and the Philadelphia Athenaeum.

About the Author: Adrienne Lundgren is a senior photograph conservator in the Library of Congress Conservation Division. She earned her Master of Science in Art Conservation from the University of Delaware and has published on technical art historical subjects relating to photography. Her publications include essays or contributions to “Clarence H. White and His World,” “Platinum and Palladium Photographs,” and “Coatings on Photographs.”

“Magnificent Intentions: John Wood, First Federal Photographer (1856-1863)” by Adrienne Lundgren published April 30. The book was published by Smithsonian Books in association with the Library of Congress. It is available in the Library of Congress Shop and via booksellers everywhere. 216 pp., $55 U.S. / $73 CAN. ISBN: 9781588347619

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov, access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov, and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.

Behind The Words With Ann H. Gabhart

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Welcoming bestselling author Ann H. Gabhart to the blog today. She’ll be talking about her latest Christian historical fiction book, The Song of Sourwood Mountain. Welcome Ann, let start with learning a little about the book.

Mira Dean’s dreams of marriage and motherhood seemed lost after the man she loved and planned to marry died of tuberculosis. Five years later, Mira is resigned to her life as a spinster schoolteacher until Gordon Covington shows up in town with an audacious marriage proposal. Following him to the mountains takes courage, but an even bigger challenge is being a proper wife to Gordon. The two take tentative steps toward learning about each other and sharing the mission of helping the people in Sourwood. Mira will see that doors she thought closed forever may be opening after all.

Your novels take place largely in Kentucky. Can you tell us why that setting resonates so much with you as a writer?

I was born in Kentucky and have always lived in Kentucky. I feel as though I know the people here, especially those who live in rural areas and small towns. Most of my stories have that kind of setting. I also have access to historical sites and a wealth of research materials that offer inspiration to my stories.

I understand the love of one’s homeplace and its land, which helps me as I follow my characters on their journeys. I understand how roots can go deep. I have the same kind of roots and feeling for the land here on my country farm. I truly love Kentucky and Kentucky people, both past and present.

The people of Appalachia have often been seen as backward or even immoral. How do you portray them in this novel?

Appalachian people are independent, proud, and strong. They are very family oriented and can be clannish if they feel they or their family have been wronged. Due to their isolation, they lacked the opportunities for formal education, good medical care, and ways to make a living other than subsistence farming or coal mining.

I try to portray my characters in ways that readers can relate to. They may not always be book smart, but they are often very wise about nature and life. I like seeing my characters in The Song of Sourwood Mountain as a community and showing how they relate to one another.

The early twentieth century was such a hopeful time. What makes it the perfect time frame in which to tell this story?

The early twentieth century was called the age of hope. Things were changing for many people as trains and automobiles gave new ways to travel. Commerce boomed as the nation turned from a rural-based economy to an industrial one. But while the rich lived privileged lives, many others remained in poverty. Churches began to sponsor missionaries to go into isolated areas to spread the gospel. At the same time, a number of dedicated teachers established mission schools in the Appalachian Mountains. That made 1910 an ideal time for my preacher to start his mission and recruit a teacher for a mission school. While any year is right for sharing the good news of the Bible, the first decades in the twentieth century seemed a time when Christians became aware of the need to devote time, resources, and energy to improving the lives of mountain people.

Mira Dean and Gordon Covington seem passionate about their professions—a schoolteacher and a preacher, respectively. What gives them such devotion, even when the people they work with are difficult or challenging?

Both preaching and teaching can be callings, and the ability to do either well is a gift. Gordon felt some trepidation when he was called to be a missionary to the mountain people. But he developed a love for them and wanted to share the gospel. A mission- minded preacher needs passion and courage to go wherever the Lord leads them.

Mira has a different kind of calling. She enjoys opening the minds of young people and helping them learn. She has always loved learning and reading, and the thought of children with no way to learn tugged at her heart. She, too, needed courage to surrender to the Lord’s push to go to the mountains to teach.

In many ways, this story is about the plans we make for ourselves and the plans God has for us, which don’t always align perfectly. How do your characters walk that line?

Gordon embraced his call to preach, but he hadn’t realized that his call would lead him to becoming a mission worker in the Appalachian regions of Kentucky. But he has come to love the people and realizes the need for churches and schools. For him, the unexpected call into the mission field was surprising but one he was eager to follow.

Mira had a harder time believing that going to the mountains to teach in a one-room school was the Lord’s plan for her. After the death of her intended husband, she resigned herself to being a spinster schoolteacher. She wasn’t ready to step out in faith to do something so completely different and unexpected. Only after the Lord has closed off all other paths does she take this new path seriously. Once she does, she is ready to embrace it, body and soul.

Have you ever had to step out in faith in the way Mira and Gordon have? Tell us
about it!

I have had times in my writing career where I’ve continued to come up with stories while clinging to what felt like only a slight hope of publication. After publishing thirteen books in the general market, I received a number of rejections over several years. I decided to write one more book and not obsess over what might be popular in the book market or when I would have my story finished.

While I didn’t focus on the inspirational market, I did write a story about a young girl whose father was a bi-vocational preacher. This invited spiritual themes and faith journeys for my characters. That story, Scent of Lilacs, eventually found a home with Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, a Christian publishing company.

When a second Hollyhill book, Orchard of Hope, was published, I made the decision to quit my part-time job and concentrate on writing. Twenty-two books later, I’m glad I took that leap of faith.

What do you hope readers will gain from reading The Song of Sourwood Mountain?

I always want readers to be glad they picked up one of my books and took a journey with my characters. With The Song of Sourwood Mountain, I hope they will invite my characters into their hearts as I did. I hope they will identify with the spiritual challenges Gordon faces and cheer on Mira as she steps out in faith to find a new future. I hope they will love my young character Ada June as much as I did while I shared her story. Last of all, I hope that something in my characters’ faith journeys will resonate with them and make their own faith stronger.

How can readers connect with you?

My favorite place to get to know readers is on Facebook, Facebook.com/AnnGabhart. I also enjoy posting on Instagram, Instagram.com/AnnHGabhart; Twitter, Twitter.com/AnnHGabhart; and Pinterest, Pinterest.com/AnnHGabhart. You can follow me on Goodreads, Goodreads.com/author/show/311723.Ann_H_Gabhart, and BookBub, BookBub.com/authors/ann-h-gabhart.

In addition, I am also active on my website, AnnHGabhart.com, where you can read my blog posts and sign up for my newsletter to get news about my books, things down here on the farm, giveaway chances, and more.

Where can readers purchase a copy of The Song of Sourwood Mountain?

The Song of Sourwood Mountain is available at most online booksellers, including Amazon, Amazon.com/Song-Sourwood-Mountain-Ann-Gabhart/dp/0800741730; Barnes & Noble, BarnesAndNoble.com/w/the-song-of-sourwood-mountain-ann-h-gabhart/1144111592; Christianbook.com; or through your local bookstore. If no copies are on the shelves of your favorite bookstore, most will order one for you.

A great place to buy a copy is Baker Book House, BakerBookHouse.com/products/553564. If you can’t go to their beautiful store in Michigan, you can order the book online with discounts— 40 percent off preorders—along with free shipping.

We are so glad you joined us today, Ann! Thank you. Readers, here’s a quick look at THE SONG OF SOURWOOD MOUNTAIN, which just released:::

While the century began with such promise, it is 1910 when Mira Dean’s hopes of being a wife and mother are dashed to pieces. Her fiancé dead from tuberculosis, Mira resigns herself to being a spinster schoolteacher–until Gordon Covington shows up.

No longer the boy she knew from school, Gordon is now a preacher who is full of surprises. First, he asks Mira to come to Sourwood in eastern Kentucky to teach at his mission school. Second, he asks her to marry him. Just like that. And all at once the doors that had seemed firmly shut begin to open, just a crack.

With much trepidation, Mira steps out in faith into a life she never imagined, in a place filled with its own special challenges, to serve a people who will end up becoming the family she always dreamed of.

Life Strikes Back By Candace MacPhie

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Life Strikes Back
A hilarious and messy backpacking adventure in the ’90s

The Back in a Year series continues with the hilarious mindset of author, Candace MacPhie

Ahh—here I am—on my dream backpacking trip overlanding from Russia—through Eastern Europe—to Istanbul with my travel partner, Khadejah. Bring on the sunny days of exotic sightseeing, tasty new food, interesting people, and places I can get lost in to soothe my tattered heart.
But …
It rains most days.
Don’t even get me started on the food.
The people are low on smiles but generous with leers and jeers.
And I’m drowning in grief.

But then the sun finally comes out, and with the help of George Michael’s music, we tackle culture shock, mountains, beaches, gropers, changing plans, and uncover gems I never thought I would see with my own eyes.

Through the ups and downs, I heal that little bit more each day.
Although I could do without the penis sightings and public masturbation … just saying.

Life Strikes Back (Back in a Year Series Book 2) eBook : MacPhie, Candace: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store

Grab your backpack and get ready for an adventure in the ’90s when the Internet was scarce but laughs weren’t. Life Strikes Back is Book Two in the five-part Back in a Year series, a true story of a young woman traveling around the world. Each book can be read independently, but it’s more fun to take the full trip.

**Content Warning: Profanity, sexual harassment, sexual assault, consensual sexual content, parental grief, alcohol consumption, smoking, and visits to Holocaust sites.**

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born in Montreal, Quebec, I spent years backpacking and working around the world. I have a Bachelor of Commerce degree, an MBA, and worked for twenty years on four different continents and now call Calgary, Alberta home.

I got married, had kids, and things got busy. Time was moving by quickly and my kids were growing up fast. I shifted gears and quit my job to spend time at home. During the COVID lockdown, I had time on my hands, decided to try writing, and started writing the Back in a Year series.

When I’m not at my computer yelling “Just a few more pages, then I’ll make dinner,” I love hiking in the Rocky Mountains, hot yoga, reading romance novels, and making up new cake recipes. I especially like to laugh and spend time with my husband, the self-proclaimed grumpy motherf*%ker, and my three awesome kids.

Waiting for Elijah:A Walk Through Time by Sheila Wood Book Trailer

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1933 Friedman’s Freedom Fighters Exchanged goods … for lives A “family business” with connections in Europe 2005 Phoebe attends her grandfather’s funeral Where secrets and mystery End in murder When Phoebe travels to Europe To uncover the past and solve the mystery She gets far more than she bargained for As she finds herself… Waiting for Elijah.

Buy HERE

 

 

Guest Post: 7 Ways to Ask the Angels for Any Purpose By Richard Webster

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You’re surrounded by angels who are willing to provide guidance or help whenever you need it. It’s sad that so many people don’t communicate with their invisible helpers and fail to experience the love, support, and companionship that they’re ready to provide.

Your most important angel is your guardian angel, who provides guidance, comfort, and protection throughout your life. Even if you’ve never asked your guardian angel for help, it will have intervened at different times to keep you safe and protected. Of course, as you have free will, you can make decisions on your own, and your guardian angel won’t intervene, unless you’re putting yourself in danger, or are planning to do something that isn’t in your highest good. No matter what mistakes you make (and we all make plenty of them), your guardian angel will remain loving, supportive, and nonjudgmental.

Your guardian angel will provide help whenever you need it, and may consult with other angels for assistance in your request. You can also speak directly to any of the angels whenever you need specific help. For instance, many people know that Raphael is the archangel of healing. You can call on Raphael for any purpose whatsoever, but as his main interest is healing; he’s the perfect angel to call on when you need spiritual, emotional, mental, or physical healing. Michael is God’s warrior angel and is the ideal angel to call on if you need help desperately. There are angels for almost any purpose you could think of, from overcoming addictions to eliminating worry. In An Angel for Anything, I included a list of angels who can help with 286 different needs.

There are many ways to invoke, or call upon, an angel. If you haven’t communicated with your guardian angel yet, you’ll benefit from experimenting with the seven techniques explained here to contact your guardian angel. Once you’ve done this once, you’ll have no difficulty in contacting your angel whenever you wish. If you’re already in regular communication, you can ask your guardian angel to contact a specific angel for you. Alternatively, you can use these methods to contact any angel you need.

1. Relaxation. All you need is a comfortable chair, at least twenty minutes of uninterrupted time, and a desire to communicate with a particular angel. You don’t have to know this angel’s name. Chamuel is an extremely busy angel, and one of his responsibilities is to help people suffering from loneliness. If you’re feeling alone and need help, you can call on Chamuel. If you don’t know Chamuel’s name, you can ask to speak to an angel who helps people who are lonely.

Sit down quietly, close your eyes, and relax. Start by taking three slow, deep breaths, holding each breath for a few seconds before exhaling slowly. Once you’ve done this, forget about your breathing and allow a wave of relaxation to spread through you. Follow this by relaxing the toes on one of your feet. Once they feel relaxed, allow the relaxation to spread into your foot, and to then drift over your ankles and into your calf muscles and thigh muscles. Repeat this with your other leg. Allow the relaxation to drift into your abdomen, chest, and shoulders. Allow the relaxation to drift down one arm to the tips of your fingers, and then repeat this with your other arm. Allow the relaxation to spread into your neck and face, and to then drift up to the top of your head. Take as much time as you need to completely relax your body. There’s no need to hurry. Once you’re fully relaxed, focus on your breathing again and enjoy the pleasant, relaxed state you’re in. Ask the angel you want to talk with to join you and wait until you sense the angel’s presence. Your mind will drift away at times. This is normal. Whenever you notice that this has happened, dismiss the thought, and focus on your breathing again. Once you make contact with the angel, talk silently or out loud, and enjoy the conversation. This could happen the first time you try this, but it’s more likely to occur after several sessions.

2. Dreams. Everyone dreams, though some people fail to remember them. Dreams help us evaluate and sort out what is happening in our lives, so we can function well when we’re awake. Many people experience angels in their dreams from time to time, but these occur involuntarily. You’re more likely to experience an angel in your dreams if you tell yourself before falling asleep that you want to communicate with a specific angel about a certain matter. You also need to tell yourself that you’ll remember the dream when you wake up. Do this three to five times before drifting into sleep. Continue doing this every night, until you remember a dream that relates to your angel and your concern. Keep pen and paper, or some type of recording device, beside your bed so you can record everything that you remember before the dream fades.

3. Thoughts, feelings, and hunches. We all experience thoughts and feelings all the time, and hunches, or intuitions, are common, too. All of these can be used to communicate with the angelic realms. Whenever you have a spare moment in your everyday life, think about your need to speak with a particular angel. Let the thought go and carry on with your day. If you do this frequently, you’ll start receiving replies from the angel you want to communicate with. You’ll recognize these responses as thoughts or feelings that come from some other source, rather than from your subconscious mind.

4. Coincidences. We all experience coincidences, synchronicities, and serendipitous occurrences every now and again. Many people believe that such moments are caused by angels working on our behalf. Next time you experience one, pause for a few seconds, and then silently speak to your guardian angel, or any other angel you wish to communicate with. You can do this at other times, also. A friend of mine talks to her guardian angel every time she sees a feather.

5. Letters. Writing a letter to the angel you want to communicate with is a particularly good way to make angelic contact. You’ll need to have a purpose in mind before writing the letter. The purpose might be as simple as wanting to establish contact with the particular angel. Write your letter as if you’re writing to a good friend and include information about your family, work, hopes, and dreams. The act of writing forces you to clarify everything in your mind. Finish by thanking the angel for looking after you and attending to your needs. It doesn’t matter if your letter is short or long, as long as you include everything you wish to say. You might be fortunate enough to hear from the angel while you’re writing the letter. In this case, you can stop writing and start talking about everything that’s on your mind. If that doesn’t happen, you’ll have to “mail” the letter. Place the letter inside an envelope and write the name of the angel you’re sending it to on the front. If you don’t know the angel’s name, write, “To the angel who looks after (whatever your concern happens to be).” Sit down in front of a lit candle with the envelope held in your cupped hands. Think of the angel you’re sending the letter to and express your thanks. When you’ve said everything you want to say, burn the envelope in the candle flame and watch the smoke carry your message to your angel. Collect the ashes and scatter them outdoors. Always keep a container of water nearby whenever you work with candles, in case of accident.

6. Prayer. Praying is another good way to contact angels. The Bible warns against worshipping angels, but that’s not what this is about. All you need to do is to pray in your normal manner and during the course of the prayer ask for help in contacting the angel you wish to communicate with.

7. Angel numbers. Repeating numbers are often a sign of an angelic presence. It doesn’t mean anything if you look at your watch and see the time is 11:11. However, if you see the same number repeating in a variety of ways over a short period of time, such as on a car’s license plate, a house number, the length of a movie, or the page you’ve reached in a book, the chances are that it will be an angel number. This is a sign that angels are wanting to communicate with you. Angel numbers can be any combination of numbers. 3648 may well be an angel number if it occurs three or more times within a short period. They don’t need to be repeating numbers such as 777 or 111. When you sense an angel number, sit down quietly as soon as you can, relax, and silently start talking to the angel.

There are many other ways to gain a connection with the angelic realms. If you’re prepared to be patient, and are willing and open to angelic communication, it won’t be long until you’re conversing with any angel you need to speak with.

Here’s a look at Richard’s latest release:

An Angel for Anything: Invoke Angelic Allies to Elevate Your Life

Sneak Peek: Murder at the Spelling Bee by Lee Hollis

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Murder at the Spelling Bee by Lee Hollis

The murder of a moderator for a school competition spells trouble for Portland P.I. partners and moms Maya Kendrick and Sandra Wallage . . .

Twelve-year-old Rocco Fanelli is a spelling bee champ in the making. He’s the odds-on favorite to win the local middle-school bee and go on to the regionals, the state, and ultimately the nationals. Which is why someone is trying to intimidate him to drop out with a threatening note in his locker. Rocco’s concerned parents hire Maya and Sandra to uncover the culprit and ensure their son’s safety.

But the competition turns killer when a high school teacher who’s running the bee, clearly favoring certain students, is found dead in the school supply closet. Sandra had already confronted Ellie Lambert over unfairly grading her son Ryan—which now makes her a suspect.

She’s not the only one who tangled with the teacher, however, and with suspects ranging from helicopter parents to the school custodian, Maya and Sandra will need to put their heads together to spell out who had the motive and opportunity to silence Ellie Lambert . . .

Book Review: “Zero Sum” by Barry Eisler

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Zero Sum” by Barry Eisler

After spending the last 10 years fighting in the Philippines, John Rain decided to come home to Tokyo.

Connecting with an old contact to find work, Liberal Democratic Party fixer Miyamoto…

Rain finds work…..and a whole lot more.

“Zero Sum” is a fantastic prequel as we follow along with John Rain and how he comes to be, well…John Rain.

Full of brutal, gory, action…we are re-introduced to old friend, Tatsu, and the words “natural causes”.

Wow!

Behind the Words With Suzanne Woods Fisher

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Today, we welcome author Suzanne Woods Fisher and are excited to discuss her latest release Love on a Whim. Welcome Suzanne! First, tell our readers about about your newest book.

Brynn Haywood prides herself on her mistake-free life, until one impulsive weekend in Las Vegas changes everything. A whirlwind romance leads to a hasty wedding. When Monday morning arrives, it delivers an overwhelming sense of regret to Brynn. Panicking, she seeks solace in Chatham, Massachusetts, with her best friend, Dawn Dixon. However, Dawn’s well-intentioned efforts to fix Brynn’s mistake only make everything worse.

Brynn Haywood is not known for her impulsivity. But she makes a quick decision that she almost immediately regrets. Can you tell readers about her decision and what led her to this choice?

As a meticulous civil engineer, Brynn knows to approach life with caution—to anticipate problems in order to avoid them. She’s determined to be the opposite of her own parents with their messy track record of marriages and divorces. But that was before she met T.D. DeLima. Before she fell head over heels in love with him. Before she said yes to marrying him . . . all within twenty-four hours.

How does Brynn handle the consequences of her decision?

Panic! Brynn packs up and leaves T.D. while he’s still sound asleep. No goodbye, no note, no explanation. She just flees.

One of Brynn’s closest friends—the one she fled to during her own conundrum—is going through a crisis that requires Brynn’s help. How does Brynn step in to help save the day?

Brynn arrives at the Main Street Creamery in Chatham, Massachusetts, during the peak of tourist season—the fourth of July holiday. For the Dixon family, it’s an “all hands on deck” scooping ice cream kind-of-busy. Adding to the pressure is the lavish wedding of Lincoln Hayes’s daughter. Lincoln has been a fairy godfather to the Dixons, providing all kinds of help to keep the Main Street Creamery afloat. He’s also the “very special friend” to Dawn’s mom. How can they say no when he asks for help with his daughter’s wedding—catering the food and baking the cake? Callie Dixon (book 2) has plenty of experience with fine dining, but she has no time to bake the wedding cake. And that’s where Brynn, a hobby baker, comes to the rescue.

How does this event help her rethink her future?

The more Brynn bakes, the more her whole soul settles. The more she realizes what her life has been missing. So maybe her impulsive marriage—which has yet to be untangled—was driven by intuition. Maybe it occurred because she’d been stifling a desire to make a change in her life. A big one.

Although Love on a Whim is a contemporary romance novel, it takes readers on a powerful journey of a family whose lives have been shattered by different circumstances. How do they move toward rebuilding their new lives?
Asking for forgiveness started the ball rolling in this novel toward each of the characters’ ability to heal from invisible wounds. Each one! Brynn, Dawn, T.D., Bear, and Lincoln. Especially Lincoln.

What do you hope readers will gain from reading Love on a Whim?

Beyond an entertaining romance full of delicious food, I hope readers will catch the deeper theme that’s going on in Brynn Haywood’s life. She’s had a successful life, yet she feels a longing for something more. Something, she says, that glimpses possibilities far beyond fact. Some might say that it’s a yearning for God.

Love on a Whim is the final book in the Cape Cod Creamery series. What ties the book in this series together?

Ice cream, of course! Lots of it.

Are there any threads that run through the whole series that will be wrapped up in this book?

Love and romance. It would spoil the story if I said more, but I’m pretty sure the ending will leave readers with a sense of “Ah. Just what I’d hoped for.”

How can readers connect with you?

My website is the place to go: SuzanneWoodsFisher.com. There’s a sign-up for my newsletter on it, and that’s my favorite way to connect with readers. Lots of good things come to newsletter subscribers. Instagram is also one of my favorite hang-out-online spots.

Where can readers purchase a copy of Love on a Whim?

You can find Love on a Whim at your favorite retailer. And if it’s not on the shelves, please ask for it!

Thank you so much for joining us today! Readers, here’s a quick look at LOVE ON A WHIM and it releases today!

Brynn Haywood’s impulsive marriage to a man she’d known less than 24 hours leaves her with deep regret. She flees to Cape Cod, finding refuge with her loyal friend, Dawn Dixon. As Brynn grapples with her emotions, Dawn acts swiftly, eager to help secure a lawyer for her through her mother Marnie’s good friend, Lincoln Hayes. However, Lincoln’s preoccupation with his daughter’s lavish wedding brings unexpected challenges.

The arrival of Lincoln’s estranged son, Bear Hayes, stirs the waters further. Alarmed by his father’s extravagant generosity toward the Dixon family, Bear ignites friction between Marnie and Lincoln. As the wedding day arrives, Lincoln vanishes–and an unwelcome guest makes a surprise appearance.

The Traitor’s Son, a never-before-published science fiction novel by the late Dave Duncan

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The Traitor’s Son, a new, never-before-published science fiction novel by the late Dave Duncan, one of Canada’s most celebrated authors of science fiction and fantasy, will be released by Regina, Saskatchewan-based publisher Shadowpaw Press on May 7, 2024.

A second posthumous novel, the fantasy Corridor to Nightmare, is due out in August.

“I’m thrilled to be able to bring this terrific science fiction adventure and the upcoming fantasy novel to the many readers who have sorely missed Dave since his untimely death in 2018,” says Edward Willett, publisher of Shadowpaw Press. “I met Dave many times over the years and was a huge fan of both the man and his writing.”

At the time of his death in 2018, Duncan was awaiting final edits on The Traitor’s Son from his long-time editor, Dr. Robert Runte, who polished the novel and Corridor to Nightmare and brought both to Shadowpaw Press.

“Working with Shadowpaw Press to bring out the last novels of the late great Dave Duncan has been extremely satisfying, not just because his many fans have been waiting for these books but because it’s one of Duncan’s rare science fiction novels,” Dr. Runte says. “The Traitor’s Son is Duncan at his best: ingenious world-building, political intrigue, wry allegory, high-stakes action . . . and monster spiders. What more could one ask for?

About the book

Doig Gray is fifteen when his father is killed in a mining accident, which Doig comes to realize was no accident. Torn from his mother and sister, Doig is sent off to college, his every movement monitored in case he has inherited his dissident father’s unacceptable attitudes . . . or passwords. Doig has nothing but his own sense that there’s something desperately wrong with the world—and a last name that evokes the assumption that he’s destined to be the next traitor-hero.

The Traitor’s Son is a science fiction novel about a colony world where everything that could go wrong already has. Stuck on the wrong world at the wrong site, with the wrong leaders, the colony is doomed to extinction unless immediate steps are taken to correct—everything. But 500 years of hiding from the reality of their situation has created an unchallengeable status quo—and the Accident Squad, determined to ensure it remains that way.

A fast-paced science fiction adventure, The Traitor’s Son is in the best tradition of Duncan’s Hero, West of January, and Eocene Station.

About the author

Born and raised in Scotland, Dave Duncan moved to Calgary, Alberta, after graduating from university to take up his thirty-year career as a geologist. As the oil boom faltered in the 1980s, he sold his first novel and switched careers to become one of the most prolific and popular Canadian authors of science fiction and fantasy, with more than sixty-five traditionally published novels. Early in his career, he was producing books so fast his publisher could not keep up, so he wrote a fantasy trilogy under the name Ken Hood for a different house and a historical novel about the fall of Troy as Sarah B. Franklin.

Duncan won the Aurora Award for Best Novel in 1990 and again in 2007 and was inducted into the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement in 2015. He died on October 29, 2018.