Book Blitz! Behind the Mirror by Bridget Budd ~ Excerpt and #Giveaway! BehindTheMirror @XpressoTours

Behind the Mirror by Bridget Budd
Publication date: July 1st 2025
Genres: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction

Behind the Mirror is a powerful, character-driven novel about emotional healing, generational trauma, and the courage it takes to stop performing and start living your truth.

Sometimes, the hardest person to face is the one behind the mirror…

Julie Sloan was shaped by abandonment early in life—left behind by the people who were supposed to love her first. In the absence of emotional safety, she became what the world rewarded: high-achieving, self-sacrificing, and always performing. Through four marriages, she searched for stability while suppressing her deepest fears—that she was unworthy of lasting love, and too broken to be fully seen.

But when her fourth marriage nearly collapsed, something shifted. It wasn’t betrayal that broke her—it was the quiet realization that she had never truly lived for herself.

What followed was a reckoning: with her past, with the roles she had played to survive, and with the parts of herself she had long silenced.

Now, years later, a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist named Laura wants to profile Julie’s nonprofit work—an organization devoted to helping women heal from emotional wounds. But what begins as a success story takes a deeper turn as Julie reveals the story behind the story—the one she’s never shared publicly. The one about how she abandoned herself first.

For readers drawn to novels about inner child work, identity, and spiritual awakening, this deeply personal journey will leave you both broken open and quietly restored.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Audible | IngramSpark

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EXCERPT

Julie Sloan had everything she thought she wanted—success, love, stability—but beneath the perfection was an exhaustion she couldn’t name. In this scene from Behind the Mirror, she begins to see the quiet cost of performing her way through life.

I had and have everything I had dreamed of. This gorgeous house, an indoor pool, a home gym, a massage room, and a state-of-the-art kitchen. Plus, I drive a super-fun and sporty Porsche 718 Boxster in Carmine Red … Nothing beats the top down on the glorious sunny days we have here.

But I was perpetually unhappy and had no idea why.

Did you notice that all those things I listed as being everything I dreamed of were external? None of them reflected satisfaction from the inside out. I was living from the outside in. Even as recently as ten years ago, I was stuck in that familiar pattern of thinking that I wasn’t worthy whenever someone did something kind for me.

… I was perpetually chasing the next goal, the next fix, the next thing that might finally make me feel whole. What I couldn’t see then was that the exhaustion I felt wasn’t from doing too much—it was from being someone I wasn’t.

I had mastered the art of performing for love, of polishing every rough edge until there was no “me” left underneath. The burnout wasn’t from my schedule; it was from the story I kept trying to live up to.

It’s strange, really, how easy it is to confuse performing with being alive. But when the performance ends—when the lights go down and the applause fades—what’s left is silence. And in that silence, I finally started to hear something truer than all the noise: myself.

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About the author

Bridget Budd is the author of Behind the Mirror, a debut novel that blends literary storytelling with therapeutic insight.

After more than twenty-five years in corporate sales, she stepped away to explore the emotional patterns beneath her success—and the cost of always holding it together.

Her work lives at the intersection of fiction and healing, drawing from her background in trauma-informed coaching, somatics, and holistic health. Bridget writes and speaks about identity, self-worth, and the shift from performing to presence.

Often described as “fiction with emotional teeth,” her stories are crafted for deep feelers, recovering perfectionists, and anyone quietly exhausted from chasing “enough.”

She divides her time between Marco Island, Florida, and Marvin, North Carolina, with her husband and two opinionated dogs.

Connect with Bridget

Website | Instagram

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Behind the Mirror Blitz Giveaway

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Book Blitz! The Bridge by Shanna Hatfield ~ Excerpt and #Giveaway! #TheBridge @XpressoTours

The Bridge by Shanna Hatfield
Publication date: October 7th 2025
Genres: Adult, Holiday, Women’s Fiction

One Bridge. Five Strangers. A Christmas Eve That Changes Everything.

On a bridge suspended above the Willamette River, five lives collide for a journey through hope and hardship in a suspenseful, heartwarming tale of courage, connection, and the magic of second chances.

Sergeant Archer Raines has worked every holiday all year for one reason: to finally spend Christmas with his wife. But when a desperate man threatens to jump from Portland’s St. Johns Bridge, Archer’s expert negotiation skills are required to defuse the situation.

Rosalee, a high-powered accountant and mom-to-be, only meant to swing by home for a forgotten phone and client file. Then her car is caught in the chaos on the bridge, she unexpectedly goes into labor, and her carefully planned world begins to unravel amidst the unfolding drama.

Exhausted nurse Nova just wants to make it home for Christmas after too many night shifts. When the pileup halts traffic and Rosalee’s baby is on the way, Nova puts her own plans on hold to help a stranger in need.

Carter, the owner of a busy tow truck business, regrets taking the call to clear the multi-car collision off the bridge. He’d intended to spend the day tackling last-minute holiday errands. Instead, he’s praying the lunatic pointing a gun at him doesn’t pull the trigger.

Fresh out of college and anxious to kick-start his career, Ian’s running late when his car won’t start the morning of his big interview. His rideshare driver turns out to be a captivating girl with a penchant for aggressive driving that narrowly saves them from being part of the wreck on the bridge, sending Ian on an unexpected path of his own.

The Bridge is the perfect uplifting holiday read and a story of how one frozen moment can thaw even the loneliest of hearts.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Apple Books | Kobo

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EXCERPT

He’d just stepped outside when he saw a vehicle roaring up the street. The rideshare logo was clearly visible in the passenger-side corner of the windshield. He hoped the maniac driving the small SUV wouldn’t kill him in a fiery crash before they even made it out of the neighborhood.

He lifted a hand as he stepped out to the curb, and the SUV came to a precise stop beside him. All he had to do was open the door and slide into the back seat.

“You’re the dude heading to Magra? Ian Alexander?” the driver asked, giving him a glimpse over her shoulder.

Ian nodded, then cleared his throat. “Yes. I’m Ian. Do you have the address?”

“Got it right here,” she said, then blew a big pink bubble and popped her gum.

He was in the process of buckling his seat belt when she hit the gas and zipped into the street, barely slowed at the corner, and picked up speed as she headed toward the highway.

Ian prayed he’d survive the trip and wouldn’t be so rattled by the experience he’d mess up his interview. He drew in a long breath and inhaled a fragrance reminiscent of spiced cider and warm fires. He didn’t see an air freshener hanging up and wondered if it was just the driver. If so, she smelled amazing.

Head in the game.

Now was not the time to check out a girl. Besides, this one certainly wasn’t his type even if she appeared to be close to his age. From the quick glance she’d given him, he’d concluded she was into goth with her thick, black eyeliner and dark eye shadow, a nose ring, blood-red lipstick, and a dragon earring that encircled her entire ear. She had on fingerless gloves with leather cuffs and a black leather jacket sporting silver studs around the collar. He had no idea what color her hair might have been because it was all stuffed up under a slouchy black velvet hat.

He wondered what she’d look like if she washed her face and dressed in something less biker chic and more … feminine.

Ian almost face-palmed himself. Good grief! He was starting to sound like his parents. He didn’t care if the woman was dressed as one of Santa’s elves as long as she got him to his interview on time, preferably in one piece.

To distract himself from the fact that goth girl seemed to think she was training for the Indy 500 or perhaps to become a New York City cab driver, he rehearsed what he planned to say at the interview. When it felt as though the SUV went around a corner on two wheels, Ian latched onto the handle above the door and held on for dear life. What kind of crazy person was about to get him killed?

“Ever think about becoming a race car driver?” he asked as she barely slowed at a stop sign and took a right onto the highway.

She glanced back at him and smirked. “Only every other day. Unfortunately for you, today is an even day, and I’m practicing.”

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About the author

USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield writes sweet romances rich with relatable characters, small town settings that feel like home, humor, and hope.

Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”

When this farm girl isn’t writing or indulging in rich, decadent chocolate, Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller. She also experiments with recipes, snaps photos of her adorable nephew, and caters to the whims of a cranky cat named Drooley.

To learn more about Shanna or the books she writes, visit her website http://shannahatfield.com or find out more about her here: linktr.ee/ShannaHatfield

Connect with Shanna

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter 

Instagram | Pinterest | Bookbub | Newsletter

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The Bridge Blitz Giveaway

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New Release! Merry Everything by Joanne DeMaio ~ My Thoughts #MerryEverything

Congrats Joanne

on the recent release of

Merry Everything!

Merry Everything by Joanne DeMaio

Holiday Fiction, Christmas, 248 pages

Published October 1, 2025, by Joanne DeMaio

From New York Times bestselling author Joanne DeMaio comes a much-anticipated holiday novel and love story to warm your heart.

“Enchanting.” “Delightful.” “Enthralls.” “Feel-good.” “Rich with nostalgia, like a black-and-white Christmas movie you look forward to viewing again and again.” USA Today, as well as one of the nation’s bestselling magazines—along with readers everywhere—know you can count on Joanne DeMaio for a New England Christmastime classic.

“Merry Christmas, Eddie.”

“Should we never meet again, Nora, merry everything.”

For Nora Chadwick and Eddie Alden, those parting words close out each holiday season. Seasons that run the gamut from comfort and joy to hurt and heartbreak. But their fond farewell prevails through it all. 

Set against the backdrop of a beautiful New England landmark, Merry Everything is inspired by an iconic Connecticut treasure. Nora and Eddie’s endearing love story not only brings this special place back to life—but also brings back the way life could (and used to) be.

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My thoughts about Merry Everything ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First lines—"Snow fell overnight. Not much, but enough."

I love Christmas stories. I totally enjoy this time of year, with all the new holiday books coming out. And I'm a huge fan of Joanne DeMaio's stories. Merry Everything is the best of both worlds!

Merry Everything has a nostalgic feel to it with the beautifully decorated department store, all of the Christmas decorations, the joy of the season, the friendliness and familiarity of the staff and customers, and the traditions. I really wanted to become a part of this world. 

Then throw in the friendship of Nora and Eddie. They see each other for two weeks every year when Eddie comes back the store to operate the store's old, manual elevator. See, there's that tradition I was talking about. Their deep friendship grows over the years, with Eddie watching Nora go through her good times and her bad times. For those two weeks each year, he is there for her.   

Merry Everything is a heartwarming, beautiful love story that I enjoyed immensely. I highly recommend it and you should definitely add it to your holiday reading list.

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About the author

Joanne DeMaio is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary fiction. She enjoys writing about friendship, family, love and choices, while setting her stories in New England towns or by the sea.

Joanne’s books include the New York Times Bestseller Blue Jeans and Coffee Beans, the first in her ongoing and groundbreaking Seaside Saga. These eleven (and counting) novels journey with a group of beach friends, much the way a TV series does, continuing with the same cast of characters and their storylines from book-to-book.

Joanne’s winter novels have also received much acclaim. These heartwarming standalones are set in the same snowy New England town. Snowflakes and Coffee Cakes became a USA Today Bestseller, and has been featured in national magazines and Six Flags theme parks.

In addition, Joanne’s debut novel, Whole Latte Life, won first place in a competition at BookExpo America and was named a Kirkus Reviews Critics’ Pick. Her other novels have appeared in Redbook, First for Women magazine, Southern Living, USA Today and more. ~ Author's website

Connect with Joanne

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

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Cover Reveal! Alice Adrift by Susan Bacon #AliceAdrift @XpressoTours

Alice Adrift by Susan Bacon
Publication date: November 4th 2025
Genres: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction

Alice Adrift is an intimate human drama about loss and recovery, coupling and uncoupling, and a child caught in the turmoil.

It’s the 1990s. The Fishers—Alice, David and their two sons, Tobias and Jeremiah—live in the upper Northwest quadrant of Washington DC, home to an urbane mix of journalists, academics and professionals. Alice is a composer and music professor. Her husband is an architect of some note. The economy is booming. Life is good. But their seemingly perfect existence is shattered when Jeremiah, their youngest, dies suddenly of an unidentifiable illness.

In the years that follow, Alice and David seem to lose their bearings. When Toby appears to be struggling, they move him to an alternative school with a baffling curriculum (“They don’t even teach reading, Mom”) and a peculiar set of rules (“Absolutely no television!”). Alice doesn’t seem to fit in, but David is drawn to everything about the place including, Alice eventually realizes, one of Toby’s teachers, the striking woman with the long, tangled red hair.

Not long after David moves out of the house, a group of young men move in next door, ingratiating themselves to Alice. She finds herself attracted to one of them, which sets her further off-kilter. How will she find her way back? How will Toby emerge from all this disruption? And what on earth will happen to David?

Add to Goodreads | Pre-order

About the author

Susan is best-known for her award-winning mysteries — The History Teacher and its sequel The Art Collector. Her latest novel, Alice Adrift, is a bit of a departure. An intimate human drama about loss and recovery, coupling and uncoupling, and a child caught in the turmoil, it is slated for release on November 4, 2025.

A graduate of Barnard College with a degree in history, Susan is a former journalist, copywriter and ghostwriter whose credits include an international best seller. She grew up in Wilmington, Delaware and has lived in New York City, Washington, DC, and Memphis, Tennessee, all of which serve as settings for her novels.

Connect with Susan

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram

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Release Day! So Transparent by Mallory Pierce ~ My Thoughts & an Excerpt! #SoTransparent

Happy Release Day!

Congratulations Mallory

on the release today of

So Transparent!

So Transparent by Mallory Pierce

(GhostWriter Mystery #3)

Paranormal Cozy Mystery, 290 pages

Published October 27, 2025

Wedding bells are ringing in Woebrook, which is cause for celebration…until the Grim Reaper crashes the party.

The town’s resident celebrity, horror writer Nolan Drake, brings his ghostly housemate, Gwen, to the nuptials, and she’s excited to attend her first Frink family function in over a century. Too bad everything that can go wrong before the ceremony does, and all the snafus and drama culminate in wedding planner Natalie Doyle’s body being found face down in a pile of cake.

As Nolan (and in no small part Gwen) helped the police solve two recent murders, he’s recruited by the WPD’s cockiest cop to participate in a “bro-vestigation.” The men, and their tag-along spirit, soon learn that Natalie’s personal and professional lives were very complicated and messy. In the days leading to her demise, she was cheated on, stolen from, manhandled, sabotaged, and verbally accosted in public twice!

With a host of suspects lying through their teeth and pointing fingers at each other, this might be Nolan and Gwen’s toughest case yet. At least, it’s not ice-cold like Gwen’s own unsolved murder, which continues to haunt her. Will the discovery of a clue from the past finally set her on the path to putting that mystery to rest?

If you enjoy sassy sleuths and supernatural shenanigans, you won’t want to miss So Transparent! It’s similar in tone and content to the works of Paranormal Cozy Mystery authors Angie Fox, Danielle Garrett, and Amy Boyles. 

    

Buy So Transparent here

My thoughts about So Transparent ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First lines—"Lying in a supine position atop an exam table with an elastic strap wrapped around the base of his skull, Nolan looked as though he was being subjected to some form of medieval torture."

This series is so much fun and So Transparent is book three of the series, so there's a lot of paranormal fun to be had. 

Nolan and Gwen work together to solve murders with Nolan working directly with the police to solve the cases. Gwen feeds him a lot of useful information that she is able to discover using her ghostly powers. I love their relationship and how they feed off of each other to solve the case. I am constantly chuckling at their antics. 

Natalie, the wedding planner, isn't having a very good day. All of the plans for this beautiful wedding are falling apart, due to no fault of her own—someone is out to get her. And then when she is found face down in the wedding cake, things definitely aren't going her way. But then that's when the fun begins, with Nolan and Gwen on the case, discovering who dunnit.

Along with the murder cases that they always find themselves in the midst of, they are also trying to uncover the truth of Gwen's demise. That is an ongoing case and I am totally invested in learning the truth about that.

I highly recommend So Transparent and it's the perfect Halloween read for right now! I devoured it and I look forward to more antics and crime-solving from Gwen and Nolan. Check it out!

I received an ARC of So Transparent and this is my honest opinion.

Read my thoughts about That's the Spirit!

Read my thoughts about Ghost with the Most

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Excerpt

Marcus retreated inside the townhouse and was about to shut the big, black door in the other men’s faces when I shouted, “Wait! We don’t know his whereabouts at the time of Natalie’s death!”

Nolan’s hand jutted out to stop the door from shutting. “Where were you between four forty-five and five forty-five this afternoon?”

Marcus poked his tousled head through the crack between the door and its frame. “Is this book writer seriously asking me for an alibi?” he posed the question to Warmond, and yes, he put a disdainful emphasis on the word ‘book’, which conveyed his lack of appreciation for that art form.

“If you have one, we could cross you off the suspect list,” the police officer said with a hopeful lilt in his voice. 

Marcus glowered. “I went for a run to burn off some steam after getting that text about the baby from Nat.”

Smiling with relief, Warmond turned to Nolan and said, “Did you hear that? He went for a run, which makes perfect sense because athletes have to stay in shape.”

Warmond might have been satisfied by Marcus’s response, but I wasn’t. “As far as alibis go, that’s a very vague one. Try and extract more details from him.”

“Where did you go for this run?” Nolan inquired.

“There’s a sweet running path down by the river,” Warmond noted with a glance back at the darkened water.

“He’s feeding the man answers!” I exclaimed with dismay.

“Yeah, that’s where I like to run,” Marcus said.

“He’s still being vague. You need to pin him down!” I urged Nolan.

“How many miles did you run this afternoon?” he asked our suspect.

“Not sure,” was his noncommittal response.

“Your Garmin” —Nolan gestured at the large-faced black watch strapped to Marcus’s left wrist— “should have that information, and its GPS would have logged your location at the time of Natalie’s death.”

“Good thinking!” Warmond gave Nolan an Attaboy! slug to the arm before telling Marcus, “I can confirm your alibi by checking the data on your Garmin.” He reached out his hand, clearly expecting his friend to turn over the watch.

“I didn’t have it on earlier,” Marcus claimed, then crossed his arms over his chest in a defiant stance.

“So, you went for a run without your running watch, but you’re wearing it now just to lounge around the house?” Nolan’s disbelief, which I shared, was evident in his tone.

“I’m done answering questions. If the police” —he looked pointedly at Warmond “want to ask me anything else, they can contact my lawyer.” And with that proclamation, Marcus slammed the door shut, leaving Warmond and Nolan to stare at it in dumbfounded shock.

“You know what one of the best things about being a ghost is?” I asked Nolan, who turned to me with a raised eyebrow. 

“I can enter a home and look around without a search warrant,” I said with a smirk, then walked right through the closed door.

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About the author

Mallory Pierce is a third-generation graveyard enthusiast (tombstones tell such interesting stories!), reader of Nancy Drew, player of Clue, devout dissectologist (look it up!), and the owner of several fetching trench coats. So, it makes perfect sense that she spends her days writing stories about a plucky, crime-solving ghost.

Despite having visited haunted houses from San Jose to Savannah, Mallory has yet to have a close encounter with anyone from the Great Beyond and that’s probably for the best because she’s sort of a wimp. Shhhhh, don’t tell anyone. 

Ghost With the Most is the second book in the GhostWriter Mystery Series, which is penned by Mallory Pierce (a pseudonym of award-winning Romantic Comedy author Tracie Banister). 

Connect with Mallory

Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? October 27, 2025 #IMWAYR

    

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are! 

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Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a good week. 

Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading

The Perfect Hosts

by Heather Gudenkauf

eARC for review

Pub date ~ November 4

Dear Orchid: Letters and New Beginnings—True Stories and Fiction filled with Heart, Humor, and Hope

by Carol Van Den Hende

eARC for review

Pub date ~ November 11

Red Skies

(Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters #4)

by Kay Bratt

audio-book from my TBR collection

Published January 2014

What I recently finished

So Transparent: A Paranormal Cozy Mystery

(GhostWriter Mystery Series #3)

by Mallory Pierce

eARC for review

Pub date ~ October 27

I Thought You Said This Would Work

by Ann Wertz Garvin

audio-book from my collection

Published May 2021

What I am going to read next

Three Days in June

by Anne Tyler

print for review

Published February 2025

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Book Blitz! Pity Please by Whitney Dineen ~ Excerpt and #Giveaway! #PityPlease @XpressoTours

Pity Please by Whitney Dineen
(Pity Series, #7)
Publication date: October 25th 2025
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

She had a foolproof plan. He thought his future was sealed. Neither of them imagined life would take them down a different path …

Allie

I never planned to live in Elk Lake again, but here I am. I was going to get married, have a great family and career, and then I’d get my happily-ever-after stamped on the passport of my life.

But Brett cheated and got his mistress pregnant with quadruplets. Karma was my consolation and believe me when I tell you, I couldn’t have been more satisfied by the outcome.

Just as I was busy with my fresh start, Noah Riley walked back into my life. I’ve always worshipped my best friend’s older brother, but he never noticed me.

Until that one day …

Noah

What coach gets demoted after taking their high school basketball team all the way to third in the state? Me, that’s who.

I could have gotten any other job in Chicago, but my anger and hurt pride caused me to accept a position at my alma mater. That’s right, I’m the new basketball coach of the Elk Lake Crappies. Don’t think the irony is lost on me.

My goal is to make a splash with my new team, and then have my old school beg to hire me back. Of course, I won’t accept until there’s an appropriate amount of groveling, along with a substantial pay raise.

When I moved to Elk Lake, I never expected to run into my sister’s best friend from childhood.

Who knew Allie Rogers would make me reconsider my dream?

Goodreads | Amazon

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EXCERPT

Instead of agreeing that I should be the captain of my own ship, my mother laments, “I always thought your life would turn out like one of those delightful romcoms from the nineteen nineties. You know, single girl meets the love of her life in a quirky, yet totally believable way …”

I’m not sure which movie she’s thinking of as I’ve grown up watching them all with her. On repeat.

“Which Julia Roberts character did you envision me being? If it’s Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman, I’ll have to move to LA and become a sex worker first.” My mom pushes out of my arms and stares at me in horror.

Instead of letting the subject drop, I feel a burst of indignant steam start to build. “If you want me to be like Anna Scott in Knotting Hill, I’ll also have to move to LA, but this time I’ll have to figure out how to become a movie star. Then I’ll need to find an abusive boyfriend so I can cheat on him with a bookstore owner in London.” How does she find these to be believable scenarios?

Hurt tinges her voice as she responds, “What about Jules Potter in My Best Friend’s Wedding?”

“She didn’t even wind up with the guy!” I shout.

“How about the Runaway Bride?” This woman is relentless.

“I would have to get engaged three times so I could dump three men before my true love showed up to write an article about my chaotic life,” I remind her.

My mom’s face screws up in an agonizing expression like she’s painfully wracking her brain. “Maybe not a Julia Roberts movie then. What about Sandra Bullock? Her romcoms were more girl-next-door, which is exactly what you are.”

Raising my hand into the air, I start ticking off fingers. “While You Were Sleeping would involve nearly killing someone in a train accident so I could lie to the victim’s family and fall for his brother. In Miss Congeniality, I’d have to be an FBI agent masquerading as Miss New Jersey. Hope Floats would get me that husband and child you so badly want me to have but said husband would have to dump me on national television before running off with my best friend. Do you want me to go on?” I demand.

Confusion riddles my mom’s features resulting in my feeling an unexpected wave of compassion for her. “I don’t want any of that for you. I just want you to have a beautiful and happy ending to your story.”

“My story is a long way from being over, Mom.” I’m not going to tell her that my vision of the future is nothing like what she’s hoping for. As in, I’m pretty sure I’ll never let myself be vulnerable enough to give love a second chance. I know for certain I will never have my own children. Three lost pregnancies are enough for me to take the hint.

My mother inhales deeply before telling me, “I’m not good at leaving things in the hands of fate.”

“No, you’re not. You’re the worst control freak I know, but that doesn’t mean you’ve been appointed God and get to make all the decisions for my life.”

“I don’t want to make all the decisions. I just want you to start living again!”

“I’m enough on my own, Mom. I don’t have to be a wife to have value.” I can tell I’ve hurt her feelings again, but what else can I do? It’s like we’re two different species with zero understanding of how the other works.

With hands on hips, she demands, “What’s your five-year plan?”

“To still be breathing,” I tell her honestly.

“Do you ever want to get back into publishing?”

I offer a brief shrug. “Can’t say.”

“Do you plan on working at Rosemary’s for the rest of your life?”

“Would there be anything wrong with that? Would you not be able to love me anymore if I don’t get the Hollywood ending you’ve always imagined for me?”

My mom’s face turns bright red, which is a sure indicator she’s about to lose her cool. But instead of screaming at me, she merely turns around and strides out of the dining room like she’s on her way to execute a military coup. Napoleon had nothing on this woman.

I take her reaction to my question to mean that her love is dependent on my capitulation to her vision. Well, too freaking bad, Margaret. I’m not going to try to make you happy when I don’t even know what will make me happy.

My phone pings before I can stand up and clear the remnants of my uneaten breakfast. Picking it up, I click on the message notification and read a text from Lorelai.

Lorelai: Noah is driving me crazy! I’ve been asking him to put my navy-blue cashmere sweater in the mail for a week, and he hasn’t done it. Would you mind going over to my parents’ house and sending it? The key is under the mat.

My nervous system responds by causing me to break out into a cold sweat. I do not want to see Noah Riley. To be honest, I hate that he’s moved back to Elk Lake. There is no place in my life for my childhood crush. He’s part of my past and I will not go out of my way to run into him again.

Having said that, Lorelai is my best friend, and she never asks for anything. Shoot! I’m going to have to do it. I’ll just have to make sure to go when Noah isn’t there.

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About the author

Whitney loves to laugh, play with her kids, bake, and eat french fries -- not always in that order.

Whitney is a multi-award-winning author of romcoms, non-fiction humor, and middle reader fiction. Basically, she writes whatever the voices in her head tell her to.

She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jimmy, where they raise children, chickens, and organic vegetables.

Gold Medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards, 2017.

Silver medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards, 2015, 2016.

Finalist RONE Awards, 2016.

Finalist at the IRFA 2016, 2017.

Finalist at the Book Excellence Awards, 2017

Finalist Top Shelf Indie Book Awards, 2017

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Book Spotlight! The Essence of Bliss by Emily Astillberry ~ Interview and Excerpt! #TheEssenceOfBliss

A heartwarming, magical novel, which follows Isabel Bliss, a primary school teacher with an invisible power over emotional energy, as she discovers, explores and comes to terms with her ability and her potential.

The Essence of Bliss by Emily Astillberry
Publisher: Blossom Spring Publishing
Genre: Speculative Fiction/Romance
Format: Paperback, Kindle

Isabel Bliss is a reception class teacher. She experiences other people’s emotions and can influence how they feel but she doesn’t truly understand her gift and has been encouraged, by her mum, to hide it from others. She often feels lost and alone.

When a child in her class experiences chronic distress that only she can perceive, Isabel uses her ability to relieve his suffering, but his situation continues to worsen. Eventually she is forced to take matters into her own hands, escorting him home where she finds horrific signs of abuse. She saves his mum’s life and his father is arrested for the brutal torture he has inflicted upon his family.

A wealthy family moves to town and Isabel meets the two sons. She recoils from Daniel, who is hateful, rude and emotionally deficient but is inexorably drawn to Scott, who awakens something magical, deep inside her. They are like her. They are fluencers and have the ability to sense, read and willfully manipulate emotional energies. Isabel confronts her mum and uncovers hurtful lies and deceit within her own family.

She falls deeply in love and ultimately discovers the untold potential of her gift and the passion and power that dwells within.

Read a sample here.

The Essence of Bliss is available at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Book Excerpt

The next few moments occurred in painful slow motion. As I tugged my arm sharply out of Donna’s grasp, I was jostled by a stranger on the other side. I felt myself falling off balance and reached out to grab onto something, anything, to keep me upright. The something that I grabbed onto was a jacket slung over an arm and the owner of the jacket pulled back on it hard, tipping me further off balance and sending me sprawling to the floor on my knees. I let out a pained cry as my still bruised knee struck the hard floor.

I ended up on my knees in front of a strong, long set of masculine legs in blue denim. I didn’t know for certain to whom the legs belonged, but I could make an educated guess from the pitch of the gasp and giggle from Donna and the murmuring of the onlookers. I really didn’t want to look up, but I knew that it was inevitable. I couldn’t stay on the floor forever. My knee was painful, and I wasn’t even certain that I could get up by myself. Slowly, grudgingly, I raised my eyes to find Daniel Callahan looking down at me with distasteful recognition and an unpleasant, disdainful smile. I looked him in the eye with as much dignity as I could muster. He continued to stare rudely. He didn’t utter a word.

“Sorry,” I muttered, and my hand flew to my mouth in instant regret. Had I seriously just apologised to him, again, for falling over, again? I was a total idiot, and I was more embarrassed than ever. What was it about this man that made me fall at his feet and behave like a stuttering moron with an apology tic?

“It seems like you’re making a habit of falling on your knees in front of my brother. Here, let me help you.” 

In an instant, everything changed. My whole life turned upside down. Something inside me roared to life and I suddenly felt different, stronger, more alive. It came from the source of the humming, that place deep inside of me. Those simple words, that simple offer of a hand to my feet, the smooth, velvety voice. It was the sort of voice that could make a person weak at the knees with its deep resonance and gentle tone, but it was so much more than that. I didn’t just like the sound of his voice. Something about the owner of that voice had just changed something fundamental about me, and somehow I knew, in that fraction of a second, that nothing was ever going to be the same again.

I wasn’t sure if I could move or if I wanted to look into the face that belonged to those words, that voice. I was frightened about what I might find and what it might do to me, what I might become. However, I was still on the floor on my knees, so I put my hand out, took his and let him pull me to my feet. 

Our eyes met, and without warning, a multitude of sensations overwhelmed me. I saw him, I felt him, I sensed him. I experienced things that I couldn’t understand or explain, but it was like a fire had been lit in my soul, like fireworks exploding in the deepest recess of my mind. I couldn’t just feel his emotions in the way that I normally do. This experience went further, deeper. It felt like in that single second, he was actually inside my mind, or I was inside his. I wasn’t sure whether it was one or the other or if it were both. I couldn’t process what was happening to me. It was happening too fast and exercising too many of my senses. 

He looked at me with bewitching eyes that reached into my very core. Eyes a deep, rich brown, like swirling chocolate, shimmering with a layer of warmth. They glistened with a flame that matched the fire that had ignited inside me, as if his eyes understood and reflected the very essence of me. We saw each other in a way that I had never known before, a way that I had never even dreamed of, and as we looked into each other’s eyes, the flames in his eyes grew larger, hotter. I took everything in, every minute detail. The dark hair swept back from his face, the healthy tan to his skin, the perfect line of his nose leading to full, rich lips surrounded by laughter lines, indicating a happy man: a joyful, confident, beautiful, magical creature.

The intensity of the moment wasn’t limited to the visual. The way that he looked wasn’t what captivated and thrilled my senses. When I sensed a person through their emotions, I usually felt that they were happy or sad, angry or hurt, but this was something new. This was a cacophony of feelings so loud that I felt as if my head might burst with the joy of it. Emotions that lifted me into the sky, swirling around me and through me — through my mind, through my heart, through my body — until I felt dizzy with the power of it. All that I could see were those eyes, those lips. All that I could hear was that voice, and yet I could feel and see and hear everything all at once, like I was awake for the first time in my life, like I had found the answer to a question that I hadn’t known I’d been asking.

– Excerpted from The Essence of Bliss by Emily Astillberry, Blossom Spring Publishing, 2024. Reprinted with permission.

Interview

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I am a 42 year old mum of 5, keeper of a menagerie of rescued pets and I live with my family in a 250 year old cottage in rural Norfolk, England. My life is incredibly busy. When I’m not writing, trying to keep our house from falling down and looking after my brood, I love spending time with my chaotic family, being outside in the garden, hosting friends for dinner and playing board games. When we get away we usually head to the mountains. We walk up them in the summer, ski down them in the winter and pitch a tent and sleep under canvas wherever and whenever possible.

I have a degree in English Literature and had planned to spend my adulthood teaching and writing. However, my life took a different turn and I have now been an RSPCA Inspector for 20 years. I investigate complaints of animal cruelty and neglect. I am very passionate and proud of the work that I do and the difference that I can make in the lives of suffering animals. I see a lot of traumatic and appalling things and meet some of the worst examples of humanity but I also get to meet and work with incredible people and protect animals from future suffering. My career already has and most definitely will provide inspiration for my writing.

Can you tell us about your latest book, The Essence of Bliss?

The Essence of Bliss tells the story of Isabel Bliss, an ordinary woman with extraordinary power. Isabel is a reception class teacher who has a remarkable relationship with emotional energy. She can feel and experience other people’s emotions as if they were her own, sometimes to an unsettling or even debilitating degree. She also has the power to manipulate the emotions of others but has never understood or learned to harness her gift. Isabel’s abilities are put to the test when a little boy in her class experiences unspeakable suffering, and only she can sense his torment and help to end his agony.

During the book, Isabel encounters a kindred spirit and an adversary within the same family and she is propelled into a tangled web of love, passion and power, underpinned by secrets, deceit and betrayal. She is set on an emotional journey of self discovery, challenging the very concepts of chance, choice and destiny.

The Essence of Bliss is an emotional rollercoaster, with paranormal romantic escapism at its heart. I hope to have crafted a deeply empathetic heroine and a magical journey for readers, who may find themselves pondering the profound themes of emotions and the power of human connections.

Is The Essence of Bliss your only book?

The Essence of Bliss is my debut novel but I am well on the way to completing the sequel, The Essence of Insanity. I have many ideas and inspiration floating around in my head and hope that I get the opportunity to expand this series as well as working on some other new, exciting projects.

Can you tell us a little about the main characters in The Essence of Bliss?

Isabel Bliss is the protagonist, a reception class teacher in her late twenties. She begins the story in a long-term relationship with childhood sweetheart, Jack, parents, Beth and Max, and a younger sister, Stephanie. She also has a best friend called Donna. Isabel’s family are very close. Beth is eccentric and complicated but Isabel has always felt loved.

As the story progresses, a new family moves to town. The Callahans take up residency in the grand house at the top of the hill and the family consists of Nicholas, an extremely successful barrister with an incredible record, his beautiful wife Georgina and their two sons, Scott and Daniel. On first meeting, Isabel has a profound reaction to the sons, recoiling from one and being inexorably drawn to the other.

Do you see a little bit of yourself in your main character?

Isabel is not based on me but parts of her life and her relationships with her family are reminiscent of my own. Some of the interactions in the Bliss family, especially during the Christmas scenes and between Isabel and Stephanie are quite nostalgic for me and writing them gave me great pleasure for that reason.

Where is this book set and why did you choose that location?

Ramsey Bridge is a fictional town, which exists only in my imagination and within the pages of The Essence of Bliss. I was deliberately vague about its location so that readers are free to use their own imagination. However, I couldn’t help picturing my local area when I was writing and the beach scenes are based very closely on one of my favourite local beaches, Burnham Overy Staithe on the North Norfolk Coast, which I believe is one of the most beautiful places in the world.

What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?

I would encourage anyone who wants to write, to get on and do it and stop waiting for the perfect time. Everyone’s lives are busy and it’s so easy to think that you’ll get around to it when the kids are a bit older or when you have more time but you will find that the perfect time never arrives. I had to snatch writing moments between work and family, ferrying various children to various clubs and parties and looking after my family, my animals and my home. It took me a long time but I made the time and it is the best thing that I have ever done. I wish that I had begun years ago, but hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Thank you so much for this interview, Emily. What’s next for you?

I am currently working on The Essence of Insanity, sequel to The Essence of Bliss. It is another intense, emotional ride but with a darker edge. I can’t wait to get it out there. I have ideas for a prequel as well as other stories in the same series and other exciting and very different projects that I desperately want to try, if only there were more hours in the day, days in the week, weeks in the year…

About the Author

Emily Astillberry is an author and RSPCA Inspector from Norfolk, England. She has a degree in English Literature and Linguistics from York University and has been investigating animal cruelty and neglect and rescuing sick and injured animals for 20 years. In her day job, Emily deals with very difficult and often emotional situations and meets all sorts of people from all sorts of backgrounds. Her career provides some of the inspiration for themes and characters that can be found in her fictional work.

At home, in a very old cottage in the country, Emily has a husband, 5 children, a dog, a cat, an axolotl, 2 giant African land snails and a varying number of rescue hens, so finding time to write can be a challenge. She is happiest outdoors, growing fruit and vegetables in the garden, walking the dog and family holidays usually involve walking up mountains in summer, skiing down them in winter and sleeping in a tent whenever possible.

Emily loves spending time with her large, noisy, chaotic family, cooking meals for friends and playing board games. She always has at least one book on the go and has always dreamed of writing her own novel. She now dreams of writing more. 

Visit her website at https://emilyastillberry.com. 

You can also find her on Facebook and Instagram.

The Essence of Bliss is her latest book.

 

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