The Starfolk Trilogy by Martha Dunlop

 Please welcome Martha Dunlop author of The Starfolk Trilogy

The Starfolk Trilogy

byMartha Dunlop

 

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GENRE:   Urban Fantasy/Paranormal

 

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INTERVIEW:

What or who inspired you to start writing?

I started and stopped many times over the years, but during my twenties I went through a rough patch and that was what really pushed me to start writing seriously.  Writing is a fabuous way to process and reframe things from your life. 

With The Starfolk Arcana I took things that were happening around me, the rise of personality cults, extreme views starting to dominate the airwaves online, people being targetted, and I wrote those into a different context.  For me this was an exploration, both of what was happening, but also of the way things can be so unclear. Convincing narratives can be spun to make the same things look good or bad depending on your perspective. Capturing that ambiguousness was important to me. 

 

How did you come up with your idea for your novel?

Well, the global picture gave me the overall view.  I also went on a local ghost walk and picked up lots of history and stories of the strange things peope had seen and heard in and around the old buildings.  But I also wanted to write about someone with intuitive senses and about Tarot.  I think a lot more people live with heightened intuition that people realise, because the majority of people keep it quiet unless they feel they’re in safe company.  So I wanted to write about that.  And I wanted to experiment with bringing tarot into a story, because it’s such a rich, visual medium with so much story potential.  All of that came together in two characters who started forming in my mind, Beth and Jonan.  Everything else came from there. 

 

What expertise did you bring to your writing?

I have been writing for a long time now.  I studied English and Related Literature at York University and have been writing fiction seriously since my mid-twenties.  I love writing, and I love talking about writing with other book people too. I’ve also been lucky enough to have some amazing mentors, who have really helped me along the way.  

As well as that, I am a tarot reader and reiki master myself, so I loved bringing those elements into the story. And the book is set locally. Every time I go into town I feel as though I am walking through the Starfolk world.  

 

What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?

As well as writing books, I also blog about them!  I am a book blogger on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and I’m trying to get up the courage to be on TikTok too.  I love talking about books, and I love supporting other writers.  I love a wide range of genres, depending on my mood and I consider myself to be a genre-hopper.  Do come and find me on social media if you’d like to see what I’ve been reading and reviewing. 

 

I also have a Little Free Library, which I’m really excited about.  It’s brand new, and people from my road are just starting to use it.  It’s amazing seeing books disappear and new ones arrive in their place!  

 

As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?

I am currently about half way through book three of The Starfok Trilogy, and I’m really excited about the twists that are coming out through that! I can’t wait to share that with everyone next year.  I also have a brand new series brewing in my mind that will link to the Starfolk, as well as a standalone dystopia.  

If you could be one of the characters from this book, who would it be and why?

 

Ooh, this is a tough one.  I think as a writer you see yourself in so many of the characters.  But I think it woud have to be Beth. She has so much to discover, so much of herself to find and it’s all out there for her to explore.  At the beginning of The Starfolk Arcana things are pretty confusing for her, but she personifies the tarot card known as The Fool which is the first card in the deck, the moment where everything is to play for. In the deck in the book, that card is named Potential.  Beth is potential at this point in the story. Everything lies in front of her and it’s all to be risked and gained.  She has a major adversary, but also huge amounts of support if she is prepared to embrace and accept it.  For her, this is the beginning!

 

Can you give us a sneak peek into this book?

It starts in a TV studio, when the key players come together for the first time. Beth is in the live audience.  Amelia, the protagonist, is the celebrity on stage talking about paranormal attack, and Jonan, who has been in love with Beth for lifetimes, is working on set.  Beth is the only one who sees through Amelia’s ridiculous story, and she can’t believe how easily the other people in the audience give in to her lies.  When Amelia hears Beth’s muttering, she challenges her on live TV and the audience turn against her. Only Jonan seems to see through Amelia.  Only Jonan sees Beth’s strength in standing up to this strange performance.   This moment, where they first meet in this lifetime, sets them up for a journey of falling in love, jealousy, anger and revenge.   

What is the best and worst advice you ever received? (regarding writing or publishing)

 

Early on, I followed writing advice I’d seen on Twitter, things like replacing ‘said’ with stronger and more varied tags.  When I sent the manuscript off for a professional edit, many of these changes went out the window.  I learned a valuable lesson about advice during that edit: always know exactly who you’re taking advice from, and make sure they’re someone you aspire to be like.  

My best advice came from the same person.  She told me to put aside the novel I’d been working on for about ten or fifteen years, and write something new.  That was the beginning of me moving towards publication.  

Do you outline your books or just start writing?

Typically, I’m a pantser.  I like to know the ending and a few points along the way, but I do love to launch in and feel my way through.  Right now though, I’m working on book 3 of The Starfolk Trilogy, and so much has to be tied up that I’ve planned it in meticulous detail. That has made for a much smoother writing experience, but I am excited to be pantsing again on a new storyline that’s come up.  It’s such a magical process. 

How do you maintain your creativity?

 

That’s a tricky one. I would love to say I have a regime of filling the creative well, but honestly, I tend to take it for granted, until I crash.  This is definitely something I plan to do better.  I obviously love to write, but I also play Irish fiddle and bouzouki, meditate, read tarot, make candles and all kinds of other stuff. I find it important to do creative things that aren’t writing as well as my main focus on my books.  I also love working on my website, which I have built from scratch.  

 

Who is your favorite character in the book? Can you tell us why?

 

I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty in love with Jonan.  He has been in love with Beth for lifetimes and he remembers that.  In this lifetime he has been waiting for her, hoping to meet her in time to build a relationship before the destined conficts come to a head. Of course that doesn’t happen.  In the end he has to try to build the relationship he has dreamed of for so long, whilst following the path he fears will push her away.  He is scared that when he tells her the truth about their history, the past lives, the destiny, it will scare her off. But Amelia is starting to control people through fear using her scary stories, and people are getting hurt.  So he has no choice.  

 

Anything else you might want to add?

There are two books already out in The Starfolk Trilogy, The Starfolk Arcana and Starfolk Falling, and Starfolk Rising is on the way.  I have a prequel short story available exclusively as a free gift for people who sign up to my newsletter, so if you’d like to find out what really happened the night Amelia claims to have seen a Soul Snatcher, then do subscribe at www.marthadunlop.com.  

 

I also have a Standalone book out called Wild Shadow, which is a romance about a woman who astral projects as a tiger.  It has musicians, tigers and a deadly storm. 

 

I’m on social media a lot, and love to interact.  So do come and chat to me there at: 

Facebook: @MarthaDunlopStories 

Instagram: @marthadunlop 

Twitter: @MarthaDunlop 

 

Thank you so much for having me on your blog, it’s been lovely to chat with you! 

BLURB:

 

Destiny calls. Soulmates draw closer. One woman stands in the way.

Beth trusts her psychic senses. So when her birthday visit to a daytime TV talk show takes a weird turn, she knows something is wrong. Amelia, the celebrity on stage, is oddly fixated on Beth and the man with the microphone is hauntingly familiar. Things become even stranger when she buys a tarot deck, and they are all pictured in the cards.  

Jonan has waited an eternity to be with the woman who haunts his dreams. When he finally sees her at the TV studio, he hopes life with his soulmate is within reach. But as Amelia refuses to let go of their past together, his hopes fade.

Amelia stands between Beth and Jonan. Spinning tales of supernatural threats to her adoring fan base, she builds a personality cult through fear of the paranormal. As her power grows, she does her best to scare Beth away from Jonan and plans to reclaim him for herself.

United by a destiny that spans lifetimes, Beth and Jonan are determined to stop Amelia’s fear-mongering. But Amelia has more than one card to play. Even though they are fated to be together, Amelia’s destructive nature may once again tear them apart.

 

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EXCERPT:

 

Beth sighed and slouched down in her front row seat at the TV studio. If she’d known she was going to be subjected to this drivel, she wouldn’t have come. She’d been here for two hours already, and not one of the stories had been genuine. Her so-called friend and flatmate had a lot to answer for. She was pleased Laura loved her new job, and it had been obvious her friend’s enthusiasm about the chat show was overblown, but this was worse than she’d expected.

 

She caught a movement out of the corner of her eye and turned. Laura was standing off to the side of the set, waving her clipboard at Beth. She shifted on her mile-high spikes. Her feet must have been so uncomfortable, but Laura had been determined to make an impression today. Her eyes were bright as she scanned the set, drinking in her world. This job was her triumph. Beth couldn’t fault her enthusiasm, she just wished Laura had left her out of today’s charade.

 

Seated on the dais, Katherine Haversham waited for a moment, eyebrows raised, bright red lips pursed.

 

‘Thank you for staying with us over the break. I know this is the moment you’ve been waiting for. Model and It girl Amelia Faustus is here, live, on Deep and Dark to break her silence over the horrific out-of-body attack that took her from the media spotlight. After weeks of fear and soul-searching, she has decided to step back into the public eye. Amelia, welcome. Tell us what happened.’ Katherine leaned forward. ‘Start from the beginning.’

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Martha is a dreamer and lover of stories who likes nothing better than spending her days getting to know the characters in her head.

She is a tarot card reader and reiki master, and loves to chat reading, writing and all things mystical on social media, as well as posting pictures of her fellow pack-member, Bertie the Cavalier.

 

A fiddle player, Martha fell in love with traditional music, particularly Irish, and is also teaching herself to play the Irish Bouzouki. She played her way through her English degree at York and remembers that time as much for the music as the books.

 

Martha is the author of three books: The Starfolk Arcana, Starfolk Falling, and standalone Wild Shadow.  She is currently working on Book 3 of The Starfolk Trilogy, Starfolk Rising. 

 

You can keep up with Martha’s news, book releases and extra content at www.marthadunlop.com, or on her Amazon page, https://www.amazon.com/Martha-Dunlop/e/B08HN73S3D. 

 

You can also find her on social media at: 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarthaDunlop

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

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

 

Head shot by Gene Genie Photography, www.genegenie.photography

 

The book will be $0.99 during the tour.

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

 

Martha Dunlop will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4199

Stranded on Castaway Island by Amy Laundrie

 Please welcome Amy Laundrie author of Stranded on Castaway Island

Amy Laundrie will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Stranded on Castaway Island

by Amy Laundrie

 

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GENRE:   middle grade-young adult

 

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INTERVIEW:

1. What or who inspired you to start writing?

I wrote my first story at the age of 9 after a teacher inspired me by reading the class PIPPI LONGSTOCKING. My story, MISS P.J., was a lot like that story since Miss P.J. did crazy things like crack an egg on her scalp and exclaims, “Good for the scalp.” She also rode a giraffe. In STRANDED ON CASTAWAY, Annie tries to ride one of the wild horses. It doesn’t end well.

2. How did you come up with your idea for your novel?

I read a National Geographic article about explorers on Sable Island, off the coast of Nova Scotia, discovering a boy’s skeleton. Alongside him, they also uncovered a shoe buckle, musket balls, and British coins dated 1760. My writers’ brain went on overload. What had caused his death? In STRANDED ON CASTAWAY ISLAND, which is based on Sable Island, the castaways discover a boy’s skeleton. They wonder if they will suffer the same fate.

3. What expertise did you bring to your writing?

I researched Sable Island and survival skills. I’m also a horseback rider. While jumping my mare on a cross country course, she stopped abruptly in front of a high jump. I fell off and broke my arm. Annie falls off Sea Stallion and also breaks her arm. This is the kind of personal expertise I’d rather not have, but it did help bring certain scenes to life.

4. What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?

I get up at 5:00, so I’m guaranteed writing time every day. I’m a blackbelt, love playing tennis, and walking my dog in the woods.

5. As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?

I’m a goal-setter and I have several more books which I hope to see published. I’ve enjoyed writing picture books and middle-grade series. I’m also a weekly columnist for my local paper and hope to continue that.

6. Can you give us a sneak peek into this book?

Two ex-best friends are shipwrecked, survive three days on a raft, and land on an island they believe is only inhabited by wild horses. But then they spot footprints.

7. Do you belong to a critique group? If so, how does this help or hinder your writing?

I belong to several critique groups and find them valuable not only for helpful suggestions, but for support and encouragement. Many talented writers helped to make STRANDED ON CASTAWAY ISLAND the story it is today.

8. Do you outline your books or just start writing?

I like using “Save the Cat” which encourages writers to pay attention to the point in the story where they state the theme, introduce the catalyst, have the bad guys close in and the “all is lost” moment.

9. How do you maintain your creativity?

I’m much more creative in the early morning hours. Julia Cameron, in her book THE ARTIST’S WAY, talks about “morning pages.” She also introduced me to having “artist dates,” periods of time when you devote yourself to writing. I’ve found those to be successful.

10. Who is your favorite character in the book? Can you tell us why? This is tough, but I’d have to say Annie is my favorite. She’s gone through so much—losing her mother and being hurt by Mirra. And now, she needs to try to survive!

BLURB:

 

On a remote island with only a herd of wild horses for company, two ex-best friends struggle to survive but soon realize they’re not alone.

After a sudden storm turned what should have been a quick boat ride into a nightmare, Annie is shipwrecked on a remote island near Nova Scotia with her ex-best friend Mirra. Learning to survive together would have been easier if they could get along--not possible after the hurtful words neither can forget. Annie and Mirra's only company is a herd of wild horses--or that's what the 14-year-old girls think at first. But when they discover still warm embers from a campfire and man-sized footprints, they know they're not alone. 

 

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EXCERPT:

 

I clung onto the dash and hit 9 1 before a gigantic tower of greenish-gray water blasted over us. It soaked the phone. I caught my breath and tried punching the final 1. Please, oh, please. But nothing. A wall of water crashed onto the boat, soaking it more. Icy water sloshed around our ankles. The bow tilted to sea level again. “Hang on—” When I grabbed for the side-rail, the phone dropped to my feet. There was no chance of grabbing it—I was holding on for dear life as wave after wave washed onto the deck. The boat’s motor died. The storm was sweeping us out of the bay and into the open sea.

            

“Call the Coast Guard!” I screamed, remembering the radio.

 

Mirra pressed a button and shouted, “Coast Guard! Coast Guard!”

 

Nothing except static. 

 

“Mayday! Mayday!” Mirra shrieked.

 

The bow tilted up, and the cooler slid, hitting the stern and sounding like a gunshot. Clutching onto the handrail, I held my breath. A saltwater wall, taller than any before, swept over us. Coughing and sputtering, I looked for Mirra. She was gripping the wheel. A scream stuck in my throat as the boat plunged. 

 

When the wave sliced over us, it washed my legs out from under me. I closed my eyes as the freezing cold ocean ripped away my hat and gushed down on me. 

 

The boat pitched sideways. I lost my grip and tumbled into the raging water.

The shark’s jaws appeared, but I only looked at its eye.

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Amy writes about nature and animals and spends way too much time imagining what it would be like to survive on a remote island. STRANDED ON CASTAWAY ISLAND, for middle grade and young adults, is her 11th books. She also has picture books, middle-grade chapter books, and an adult memoir. She’s a columnist and her memoir, LAUGH, CRY, REFLECT:  STORIES FROM A JOYFUL HEART is a compilation of her favorite pieces. 

 

 

Website: https://laundrie.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AmyLaundrieAuthor

Amazon Author Page: https://tinyurl.com/LaundrieAuthorPage

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmyLaundrie

Blog: http://laundrie.com/articles

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amylaundrie/?hl=en

Goodreads: https://tinyurl.com/Goodreads-Laundrie

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/yd3ubwr7

LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/yxchfsu3

Book Marketing Global Network:  https://bit.ly/344SRW2

Buy links:

The book will be on sale for only $0.99.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3KBonz6

Banres &Knoble: https://bit.ly/3xLfVtw

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/399NLhP

Bookbub: https://bit.ly/3vp4Rko

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

 

Amy Laundrie will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Irresistible by Darcy Burke

 Please welcome Darcy Burke author of Irresistible

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

Irresistible

by Darcy Burke

 

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GENRE: Historical Romance (Regency)

 

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INTERVIEW:

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

It honestly depends because there are sooo many good flavors! At Baskin Robbins it’s always Chocolate Mousse Royale. We have a local place, Ruby Jewel, that makes amazing ice cream sandwiches and I love their lemon lavender, which are lemon cookies with a honey lavender ice cream. Delicious!!

Which mythological creature are you most like?

Okay, so I totally found a quiz at National Geographic to tell me what kind of mythological creature I am and the answer is…unicorn! Some of the things it asked me: sidekick animal (cat), type of story I like (historical fiction), sky, sea, earth, wind, or fire (earth), magical item (wand).

 

First book you remember making an indelible impression on you.

The first romance that made me desperate to read more was Ashes in the Wind by Kathleen Woodiwiss. That book features a secret identity, which is my favorite trope! It’s also a good enemies to lovers book.

 

How do you develop your plot and characters?

I generally get the kernel of an idea—usually characters first. Then I think about it and think about it, making notes along the way, until the idea is fully baked. Or mostly baked. 😉 It’s generally important for me to fully understand the backstory of my main characters before I start writing.

 

Describe your writing space.

I redesigned it last fall when I replaced the flooring—carpet for manufactured hardwood that the cats can abuse! I have a large desk with pretty bookshelves filled with my books, my friends’ books, my keeper books, and many favorite, cherished things. My walls are decorated with family pictures, art done by my kids (who are both artistically inclined), and posters from Dave Matthews Band concerts, which I collect. In determining how to resituate my office, the one thing that was certain was moving my comfy writing chair, which I bought a few years ago, to the corner next to the window where I can look out over the valley and the hills opposite. It’s a beautiful view and in the winter, I get the sunset, which is lovely. 

BLURB:

 

Jessamine Goodfellow has spent six Seasons avoiding the parson’s trap, and spinsterhood is finally within her grasp. A brilliant scholar, she longs for adventure and new experiences, things her family frowns upon. Presented with the opportunity to use her puzzle-solving talent on a secret mission for the Foreign Office, Jess eagerly accepts. Even when it means posing as the wife of a scorchingly attractive Scotsman who she must also covertly investigate as a possible double agent.

 

Lord Dougal MacNair, the new Viscount Fallin, has always completed his assignments for the Foreign Office alone. Now he’s saddled with an overly enthusiastic amateur partner. She possesses a remarkable intellect, but something about her isn’t quite right, and after two failed missions, Dougal is certain someone is working against him. Battling their secret suspicions, Dougal and Jess dive deep into their cover as a married couple, which arouses temptations they find irresistible. Danger is all around them, but it’s their hearts that may be the most imperiled.

 

 

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EXCERPT:

 

 

 

“Tell me why I’ve hurried back.”

 

“A mission to the Dorset coast. You leave in a week.”

 

Dougal frowned. “If I don’t leave for a week, why am I here now?”

 

Lucien hesitated the barest moment. “Because you need time to prepare with your partner.”

 

“My what?”

 

Voices in the hall interrupted further conversation because a moment later, Lucien’s butler announced the arrival of Lady Pickering and Miss Jessamine Goodfellow. Dougal was very familiar with Lady Pickering, but the other white woman was unknown to him. Taller than most ladies, Miss Goodfellow possessed vivid cobalt eyes that assessed him with a keen curiosity. Indeed, her unabashed attention could only mean one thing—that she was to be his partner.

 

Lady Pickering moved her vigilant gaze toward him. “I’m pleased you could arrive so quickly, Lord Fallin. I do apologize that you were called away at this time.”

 

Dougal inclined his head. “I am always eager to serve.”

 

“One of your best qualities.” Lady Pickering turned slightly toward the young lady. “Jessamine, this is Lord Fallin.” Lady Pickering then looked to Dougal. “Allow me to present Miss Jessamine Goodfellow. She will be your wife on this endeavor.”

 

“My what?” First, he had a partner, and now he had a wife?

 

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Darcy Burke is the USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy, emotional historical and contemporary romance. Darcy wrote her first book at age 11, a happily ever after about a swan addicted to magic and the female swan who loved him, with exceedingly poor illustrations. Click here to Join her Reader Club.

 

A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her guitar-strumming husband, artist daughter, and imaginative son who will almost certainly out-write her one day (that may be tomorrow).

 

They’re a crazy cat family with two Bengal cats, a small, fame-seeking cat named after a fruit, an older rescue Maine Coon with attitude to spare, and a collection of neighbor cats who hang out on the deck and occasionally venture inside. You can find Darcy at a winery, in her comfy writing chair, or binge-watching TV with the family.

 

Her happy places are Disneyland, Labor Day weekend at the Gorge, Denmark, and anywhere in the UK—so long as her family is there too.

 

Social Links

 

Website https://www.darcyburke.com/ 

Reader Group Newsletter https://smarturl.it/DBReaderGroup

Facebook https://smarturl.it/DarcyBurkeFB

Darcy’s Duchesses Facebook Group https://smarturl.it/Duchesses

Instagram https://smarturl.it/IGFollowFB

Twitter https://www.twitter.com/darcyburke 

BookBub https://smarturl.it/DBbookbubfb

Goodreads https://smarturl.it/grfollowfb

 

IMPOSSIBLE Buy Links

 

AMAZON https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Q2PVNM5/

APPLE https://apple.co/3nek4A9

NOOK https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/impossible-darcy-burke/1140862602?ean=2940160998404

KOBO https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/impossible-46

 

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

 

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4257

Wild Salvation by Alfred Stifsim

 Please welcome Alfred Stifsim author of  Wild Salvation

Alfred Stifsim will be awarding a $30 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Wild Salvation

by Alfred Stifsim

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GENRE:   Historical Fiction

 

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BLURB:

 

Johnson is accused of assaulting a white woman, a deadly charge for a black man in 1876. Knowing he’ll be lynched if he stays in St. Andrews, Indiana, Johnson flees to the grassy plains of Kansas looking for the freedom unavailable to him back East. What Johnson doesn’t know is that the woman’s father is a powerful businessman determined to track him down. For a man on the run, the West seems like the perfect place for someone withdrawn like Johnson to become a new person, until a top Pinkerton agent named Cole Charles comes into town hunting outlaws.

When Cole Charles discovers Johnson is a wanted man, Johnson has no choice but to flee again. This time he escapes to Fort Worth, Texas, where he meets a rowdy woman named Eddie who is quick with a joke and even quicker with her pistol. Despite his lack of experience, Eddie hires Johnson to be a wrangler on a cattle drive made up of other black cowboys headed to Wyoming. With Cole Charles on his trail, the cattle drive will take Johnson further than he ever imagined and force him to confront his greatest fear when he comes face to face with Cole Charles himself.

 

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EXCERPT:

 

The front of the jail building was covered with wanted posters, some of them so faded it was hard to discern who was wanted and why. As Johnson pulled up with Rex sitting beside him in the driver’s seat, the picture of Jester Wells glared at them. There was a deep scar on his cheek and his arrogant smirk dared them to chase after the $250 reward. The grey clouds still hung low in the sky, threatening the return of rain at any moment. The wind picked up, blowing cool air through the town. The front door of the jail opened as Cole Charles and the marshal exited the building, rifles in hand. 

 

“We better make this quick!” Burt yelled out the window of the coach, “I’m sure Bradley is in a hurry to get back to his cards.” To his surprise the marshal didn’t respond, opening the door to the coach and taking the furthest window seat at the back. He stared out as if he were riding off to his doom. 

 

“What’s got into him?” Burt asked, gesturing to the marshal as Cole Charles walked past. 

 

“I couldn’t tell you. Marshal Bradley has been real quiet ever since we got back,” he replied. He turned and walked to the driver’s seat to address Johnson, “The plan is simple. Drive east along the road, hopefully we pose an easy enough target, drawing Wells’ attention. Not too fast, the idea is to make them think you’re surrendering. We’ll be in the back lying in wait.” He turned to Rex. “Mr. Bowen you’re with us,” Cole Charles said, signaling for him to join the other men in the coach. “Remember Mr. Johnson, if things go badly, you’re on your own.” His cold eyes burned into Johnson as he said it, almost as if he wished it to happen. Then he turned and climbed into the coach.

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Alfred Stifsim is a member of Western Writers of America and has published several short stories about the American West. “The Bastard of the Black Hills,” won second prize in ropeandwire.com’s 2019 short story contest, and “Max and Sherri” was included in Cowboy Jamboree Magazine’s Fall 2020 issue. His short story about Eddie, “A Night Out with the Cowboys,” was published by Close to the Bone (UK) in August 2021. 

Alfred Stifsim graduated from IUPUI with a bachelor’s in American History (2014, Indianapolis). From there he worked as an interpretive naturalist for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources before transitioning to park maintenance. He is currently an electrician with IBEW 481 in Indianapolis. 

You can find more information at alfredstifsim.com, on Twitter @AStifsim, or Instagram and Facebook @alfredatifsim_author.

 

Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Salvation-Novel-Alfred-Stifsim/dp/149306424X/

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

 

Alfred Stifsim will be awarding a $30 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4317