Spotlight: Watching for Dragonflies: A Caregiver's Transformative Journey by Suzanne Marriott

There are 53 million family caregivers in the United Sates, and many feel isolated and overwhelmed. In Watching for Dragonflies, Suzanne reaches out to other caregivers, inviting them to explore the many avenues of growth available to those walking the path of caregiving.

Suzanne's story begins with a phone call from her husband, Michael, telling her he has collapsed on the job. They soon learn he has multiple sclerosis. Despite the negative patterns threatening their marriage, she is determined to handle the caregiving tasks suddenly thrust upon her. Through love, psychological insights, and spiritual inquiry, she cultivates her abilities--and gains the courage to confront a medical system that often saves her husband but at other times threatens his life. As time progresses, Michael undergoes many hospitalizations; he also makes miraculous recoveries that allow adventure back into their lives, including a numinous experience with dragonflies. When Suzanne faces her own medical crisis, their world is shaken once again--but throughout it all, love is their bond, one even death cannot sever.

Often poignant, at times funny, and always riveting, Watching for Dragonflies will serve as comfort--and inspiration--for other caregivers struggling to care for a loved one.

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About the Author

SUZANNE MARRIOTT is a memoirist and deep-travel writer who shares her transformative experiences with her readers. She was her husband’s caregiver for the ten years he suffered from multiple sclerosis, and her writings on compassionate caregiving have been published in The Union newspaper’s Healthy You magazine. Writer Advice awarded her the “Scintillating Start Prize” for the first chapter of her memoir, Watching for Dragonflies: A Caregiver’s Transformative Journey. Her personal essay, Indian Summer, won the Fall 2012 Memoir Writing Contest from Women’s Memoirs.com and was included in the eBook anthology Seasons of Our Lives: Autumn. Suzanne’s stories of deep travel have appeared in the award-winning online magazine Your Life is a Trip and in Soul of Travel Magazine. 

A native Californian, Suzanne has traveled up and down the coast of her state, exploring as far north as British Columbia and south into Mexico, where she fell in love with the colonial town of San Miguel de Allende and the Maya culture of the lower Yucatan Peninsula. She has been to Europe three times and hopes to continue exploring Europe’s many cultures and natural wonders. Her interests include transcendent experiences, afterlife communication, Jungian psychology, and Tibetan Buddhism.

Suzanne holds a BA in English from UC Berkeley, an MS in education from Cal State University, Hayward (now Cal State University, East Bay), and an MA in transpersonal psychology from The Institute of Transpersonal Psychology (now Sophia University). She is a member of The Institute of Noetic Sciences, Sierra Writers, and the National Association of Memoir Writers. She lives in an ecologically conscious cohousing community in the Sierra Nevada foothills. For more information on compassionate caregiving, visit Suzanne at www.suzannemarriottauthor.com

Spotlight: The Siberia Job by Josh Haven

A Texas businessman travels to the furthest reaches of post-Soviet Russia in search of the country’s new wealth ― and finds new dangers as well. Based on true events.

After the demise of the Soviet Union, the newly-established Russian government privatized its industry by issuing vouchers to all of its citizens, allowing them the chance to be shareholders in the country’s burgeoning businesses. The slips are distributed among the population and auctions are arranged where they can be exchanged for actual shares. For the country’s rural populations living in abject poverty, the vouchers appear to be little more than pieces of paper, totally separated from the far-off concept of potential future fortunes. 

But for Texas businessman John Mills and his Czech companion, Petr Kovac, the seemingly-valueless chits suggest a lucrative potential, worth much more than what the current owners are willing to sell them for. They travel to the furthest, coldest reaches of the country to acquire vouchers for the country’s national oil company, Gazneft, roving from town to town with suitcases full of cash. But  they quickly learn that the plan has complications ― for example, the fact that the auctions at which these vouchers are traded for actual shares have been planned at the most remote, inaccessible locations possible to deter outsiders from buying in. And when the Russian mafia and the oligarchs in charge of Gazneft catch wind of their successes, the stakes become suddenly more deadly.

A thrilling adventure inspired by true events, The Siberia Job charts a course through one of the most impactful periods in recent Russian history, whose reverberations continue to be felt in the present day.

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About the Author

Before publishing his first novel, Josh Haven was an art critic for magazines & newspapers in the US & Europe and an astrogeophysicist who solved the Saturn-Hyperion density/porosity problem. His seafaring adventure novels are published under the name J.H. Gelernter, and Fake Money, Blue Smoke was his first crime novel. His second novel, The Siberia Job , is forthcoming from The Mysterious Press in June 2023.  He lives in Florida.

Cover Reveal: Wonder Land by Alexis Rey

Publication date: July 1st 2023

Genres: Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

ALICE FALLS DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

She was told she’ll be called Alice. She was told he will meet her there. She wasn’t told much else, but she knows it will be a singular experience she won’t soon forget.

Wonderland. Where she will discover things about herself she both always knew and didn’t believe existed.

Except it doesn’t turn out to be a singular experience, as the call of Wonderland lures Alice back again and again, and her mysterious stranger shows her more and more hidden recesses of her fantasy self. Every time she sees him, he ups the ante and wants more of her, while keeping himself shrouded in mystery.

But soon, lines between fantasy and reality, home and Wonderland, begin to get blurred as two very real vulnerable people find themselves entrenched in each other more than they think they should be.

How far will Alice and her Dom go to prove themselves to each other?”

**Wonder Land is a box set of chronological novellas**

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About the Author

As a spice reader and a spice lover, Alexis long ago decided the real world wasn't worth the stress. She would prefer to live in a more exciting, spicier place. Hence, she became a writer and travels to various spicy worlds every day.

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Spotlight: Casanova Cowboy by Jamie Schulz

(The Montana Men Series, #2)

Publication date: June 6th 2023

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

She’s used to the glitzy, big-city life. He hides behind country-boy charm.

Will these total opposites spark unquenchable flames of attraction?

Izabel Silva is wary of men. After escaping an awful relationship and a workplace betrayal, the talented marketer seeks refuge with an old friend in small-town Montana. And though worried she’s falling in with another control-obsessed hunk, she accepts the kindly neighbors’ invitation to stay with them and their flirtatious son.

Zack MacEntier longs to live down his reputation. With his ranch’s bank accounts at rock bottom, the one-time lady’s man isn’t ready to take on a gorgeous and strong-willed Latina. But when his mother volunteers him to show the lovely newcomer around, the loyal cowboy is secretly glad of an excuse to spend more days in the fierce woman’s company.

Taken aback by local prejudice, Izabel’s concerns over Zack’s stubborn protective streak start to fade when he comes rushing to her rescue. And even as the brave rancher fears that he has nothing to offer the beautiful outsider, their growing passion has placed them firmly in danger’s crosshairs…

Can they survive the unexpected threat and claim a scorching love?

Casanova Cowboy is the steamy second book in the Montana Men romantic suspense series. If you like determined women, heroes with hidden depths, and slow-burn chemistry, then you’ll adore Jamie Schulz’s fiery path to happily ever after.

Buy Casanova Cowboy to flirt with trouble today!

* No cliffhangers. Though the stories intertwine in places, each book is a standalone suspenseful, western romance with adult content. The perfect read for fans of strong heroines, broken heroes, cowboys, horses, slow-burning love, and small-town romance!

Excerpt

Her mind filled with thoughts, and scents, and images of this man, of Zack. She welcomed the hungry nature of his kiss and the hard strength of his body, and she wanted more.

Without breaking the kiss, she slid her hands down his chisel chest and tugged at the navy material of his T-shirt until it came free from the waistband of his jeans. Greedily, she slipped one hand inside and she groaned at the hard heat that flexed beneath her fingers. Needing to touch him, to see him, Izabel sat back and jerk the rest of his shirt from his jeans. Frantically, she pulled and pushed it upward until Zack lifted his arms and allowed her to haul the shirt over his head.

She couldn’t seem to catch her breath. The masculine beauty she’d unveiled sucked it all from her chest as her eyes took in every work-hardened crest and valley of his well-built body. The breadth of his shoulders, the thick layers of muscle that made them and his brawny arms bulge and flex when he moved. The perfect plane of his pecs and the ridges of his belly. Her nails rasped over the dusting of dark, curling hair on his chest, her fingers following its path as it narrowed into a line that disappeared under his jeans.

“Izabel?”

She looked up, startled by the strangled sound of his voice. His cheeks were flushed as his breath heaved in through parted lips, and his soulful whiskey eyes were hooded and full of passion as he stared back at her.

“You are gorgeous, Zack.”

He smiled, but when she swiveled and got to her feet, apprehension filled his face. “What are you doing?”

Reaching for the closure of her jeans, her mouth curled suggestively as she popped the button and slowly lowered the zipper.

Zack’s lips tipped up at the corners and appreciation washed over his expression.

Once she’d shed the jeans, Izabel crawled back onto his lap, but straddled his legs this time.

“Did you think I was going to leave?” she asked, flicking her nails over his nipples. Her grin grew when he sucked in a breath and his eyelids closed briefly. When they opened, he cupped her butt cheeks in each of his huge hands and drew her against the large bulge in his jeans.

“I thought so, yes.” He ducked his head and his lips found her neck. “I thought you might leave me with this,” he said as he lifted his hips and pressed himself against her core.

She moaned as he nibbled the tender column of her throat, drawing gasps of pleasure from her. When he found a sensitive spot at the base of her neck, a sharp pang of desire shot through her belly. Lust electrified her, zapping along nerve endings and driving her need for him...for Zack.

“What do you want, Izabel?” His voice sounded rough against her skin. “Tell me what you need.”

“You, Zack. I need you,” she gasped. “I want to see you. I want to feel your skin on mine. I want you to make love to me. Right now!” She reached for her blouse and quickly unbuttoned the first two buttons, but frustrated with how long it took, she reached down and yanked it over her head.

Zack’s passion-filled eyes had followed her movement, but now she sat back and watched as his gaze devoured her. From the disarray of her curly hair to her small breasts and down to the plain white bikini underwear she wore, he soaked it all in as his chest rose with each rapid breath. Slowly, almost reverently, he traced the gentle swell of her breasts above the lace edge of her bra with his fingertips. The touch sent a shiver through her body as need pulsed hot and wet between her thighs.

“Oh, God, Zack,” she cried, the ache from his simple touch so acute, she had to grip his shoulders to keep from tumbling to the ground. Her head dropped back onto her neck and she sighed. “What you do to me...”

“Tell me, goddess,” he said with a throaty growl as his hands bracketed her face and pulled her in for another soul-melting kiss.

“You’ve lit a fire inside me,” she said when he let her up for air. “You give me strength when I feel week. You make me feel strong and beautiful and wanted. You make me want...more.”

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About the Author

Jamie Schulz lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her family, her husband, and their fur babies. Writing has always been a big a part of her life, and she hopes to one day reach the best sellers lists.

Cowboys, ice cream, and reading almost any kind of romance are among her (not so) secret loves. To her, every one of her stories, no matter how dark, must have a happy ending, and she strives to make them impossible to put down until you get there.

She balances her free time between reading her favorite romance authors--in genres ranging from erotica and dark romance to sweet historicals and contemporary romance--and spending time with her family.

Connect:

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https://twitter.com/TheJamieSchulz

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jamie-schulz

https://www.amazon.com/Jamie-Schulz/e/B07K7X6JV5/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18580547.Jamie_Schulz

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Spotlight: Retribution: A Koa Kāne Hawaiian Mystery by Robert McCaw

As people around him come under attack, Chief Detective Koa Kāne wonders if he might be the real target.

In the back alley of a bar on Hawaii Island, a young man is found stabbed to death. When Hilo Chief Detective Koa Kāne begins investigating the crime, the murder weapon is recovered only a few feet away from the body. Crime scene technicians find fingerprints on the knife­­­­­­­­—they are a perfect match for Koa’s younger brother, Ikaika.

As the brothers scramble to prove Ikaika’s innocence, another crime sends shockwaves through the Hilo police force. A sniper tries to take out Makanui, Koa’s closest colleague. As Koa tries to figure out whether these crimes are linked, the sinister force continues their killing spree, threatening Koa and his loved ones at every turn.

Could Koa be the real target? If so, who is behind this trail of retribution? With his own secret criminal past, Koa confronts an all-out offensive against those closest to him and his police force to which he has devoted his life. As the bodies pile up, Koa finds himself the ultimate target of a ruthless adversary and must risk it all to survive.

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About the Author

Robert McCaw grew up in a military family, traveling the world. He graduated from Georgetown University, served as a U.S. Army lieutenant, and earned a law degree from the University of Virginia. Having lived on the Big Island of Hawaii, McCaw’s s writing is imbued by his more than a 20-year love affair with this Pacific paradise. He lives with his wife, Calli, and they split their time between New York City and San Diego. https://robertbmccaw.com

Cover Reveal: Rebels & Romantics by Jeanmarie Anaya

Release Date: July 1

Netflix's Outerbanks meets Southern California’s skateboarding scene in a YA contemporary romance about love, hope, and carving your path.

Vista Buscato has palm trees, but that doesn’t mean it’s paradise.

Skateboards and the punks who ride them aren’t welcome. Gutsy eighteen-year-old Effie Fox dreams of packing up her skateboard and busting out of uptight Vista Buscato after high school with her breakout partner and lifelong crush, Matty. But suddenly Matty’s flooded with thoughts of Celeste, a sweet and mysterious beauty who’s everything Effie is not.

It turns out Celeste is far from perfect, with a load of secrets and an ever-changing identity. Soon, Effie pulls off a simple, well-timed trick to get rid of the girl forever. But Matty’s heart crumbles way worse than she expected. As their friends ignite a revolution fighting for space in a town where they don’t fit in, new possibilities spin Effie in a different direction, away from Matty. She’s torn to pieces wondering what it means to really care about someone or something, and if it’s braver to stay and fight or just split.

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Jeanmarie Anaya writes contemporary romance novels about teens and twenty-somethings. She loves food, wine, the beach, and preferably all three of those things at the same time. She grew up in a small beach town, which means she owns more flip flops than actual shoes. After many years drafting contracts as a lawyer, she finally followed her heart and her keyboard down the path of novel-writing.

Jeanmarie’s stories are full of romance, falling in love, longing, love triangles,

heartbreak, tons of (mostly unnecessary) drama, and the beautiful ache of first

love.

She lives in New York with her husband and three daughters.

Check out more book news from Jeanmarie and subscribe to her newsletter at her

website: www.jeanmariewrites.com. You can also hang with Jeanmarie on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok:

@jeanmariewrites

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Website: http://www.jeanmariewrites.com