Showing posts with label blog hops. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog hops. Show all posts

Friday, February 28, 2025

Friday Book Blogger Special: Navigating Grief Workbook

      



Genre:

Grief, Nonfiction, Psychology, Self-Help

Buy Link:

https://amzn.to/3DgTBNs

Publication Date:

April 11, 2023

Ebook Price:

$7.98

Paperback Price

$8.98

Book Blurb:

Move through grief while holding space for the feelings that accompany loss.  

Grief can feel destabilizing and overwhelming. This grief workbook gives you evidence-based exercises to help with processing grief and loss of any kind. Reflecting on and responding to the prompts and exercises will facilitate greater self-awareness, self-compassion, and self-confidence as you navigate healing after loss.  

Information on grief and grieving— Deepen your understanding of grief and prepare yourself to interact with it in healthy ways.  

Tools for moving through grief—Case studies help normalize your experience, affirmations raise your spirits, guided journal prompts get you started on sorting through your inner world, and activities promote healing.  

Expert guidance—Advice from a licensed clinical psychologist empowers you with knowledge and validation. If you are seeking additional books about grief and loss, this workbook can be used with its companion, Navigating Grief: A Guided Journal.  

Begin grief recovery with the Navigating Grief Workbook. 


The First Line/Book Beginnings


Despite the perception that grief should be a brief period of sadness after a loss, it rarely ever is.


The Friday 56

Sadness, like grief, fluctuates in intensity, with peaks and valleys throughout the day.

About the Author

ANNA DARBONNE, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist, mother, and entrepreneur. She focuses on complementary healing interventions that empower clients to transform challenging experiences into growth opportunities, and live with greater ease and purpose. She is also the founder and owner of Bamboo Center for Grief, Growth, and Well-Being, a brick-and-mortar and virtual mental health clinic. There, she and other high-caliber clinicians provide holistic and integrative wellness and performance enhancement services for adults seeking to navigate grief, deepen fulfillment, create or perform beyond their best, and elevate overall well-being. 

Book Blogger Hop


28th - 6th - How much time does blogging take out of your life weekly? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

It depends. Some weeks, I just do promo posts for book tours, which doesn't take much more than an hour. Other times I add blog hop posts. I try to update my Substack a couple of times a month. Creating a Substack post can take an hour on its own. Creating this post took about a half hour. 

I picked up the above workbook to help guide me through my own recent loss. 

My mother passed away on the morning of February 23 at 85 years old. She was in end-stage colon cancer and experiencing cognitive decline. It was time for her to go, but I am now a 60-year-old orphan. 

While I always loved my mother, our relationship was difficult at times. Thankfully, it was good during the last five years, and I have those memories. Still, I certainly have things to work through.

Follow our Start page to keep up with the latest from the Naughty Netherworld Press crew.

https://naughtynetherworldpress.start.page




Free use image from Pixabay

Saint Patrick's Day is nearly upon us! What better time to read about some folks who are saints and some who definitely ain't?

If you don’t already have an Audible subscription, click the link below to get started with your 30-day free trial. You’re welcome.

https://amzn.to/4bIRSgg











 




Saturday, February 22, 2025

Beltane Charity Anthology #8Sunday #CharitySunday #MFRWHooks #RainbowSnippets #SnipSun

 



I am sharing this post with multiple blog hops and hope the hosts will indulge me when they understand its purpose. 

The weird and wonderful souls who brought the Bog Hag anthology to life are collecting stories for another charity anthology to benefit Quill Cottage Wildlife. Authors, this is your chance to simultaneously share your words and contribute to a worthy cause. Submissions are open until March 28. Please contact Nicole and Sarah at AuthorTubeAnthology@gmail.com for more details.

If you can and would like to, please contribute to purchasing the stunning cover depicted above for the Beltane anthology. 

https://ko-fi.com/authortubeanthology

I intend to donate a dollar for every comment received on this post. Unless I receive, like, a thousand comments. I won't be able to donate that much.

Let's be real. I won't receive a thousand comments. I'm shocked if I receive more than five comments on any post. 

Here is Super Anna back in 2010 when I adopted her.

Here are a few sentences from my story, which is dedicated to a four-legged furry family member who lost her battle with kidney failure on January 27. We didn't know she was sick until she went into sudden decline. Cats often hide the fact that they are feeling poorly until they can't anymore.

The Beltane Laundress

by

C. L. Hart

The rain pounded down on a father and son walking through the tiny town of Honeycomb Grove, Colorado.

“It will be a good Mayday celebration this year, Pop,” said the lanky teenage boy. Tufts of gamboge-golden hair stuck out from his dark orchid baseball cap.

The boy’s similarly built father had graying oxide-red hair and wore a faded red baseball cap. The weary expression on his face and the look of hopelessness in sad eyes the color of a John Deere tractor matched glum words spoken with a thick German accent.

Ornery Owl's Note

I actually did not end up sharing this post with Charity Sunday, Rainbow Sunday, Snippet Sunday, or Weekend Writing Warriors, as my son and I were over at the hospital and then the hospice center since Friday. I had pre-scheduled this post earlier in the week. 

My mother didn't answer the phone after 3 tries on Thursday nights, so I had her neighbor check on her. When she got no response, she called 911. The firefighters found an open side window over the stairwell, and one of them dropped in with a flexible ladder and then let the others in. 

They found Mom conscious but unresponsive on the floor. She was transported to the hospital, where they found she'd had a massive stroke in the occipital lobe. We were also shocked to learn that she was in end-stage colon cancer. None of us knew. She may not have known for sure, but we think she suspected. We kept trying to convince her to go in for GI symptoms, but she wouldn't do it.

She died at 8:45 this morning. My son and I got the call from my brother, who had stayed at the hospice center while we went home to change and for me to restock on my medications. He said she waited until he went into the bathroom to make the shift to the other side. 

She was 85 years old.

I'm now a 60-year-old orphan. 

So, I didn't end up sharing with most of the blog hops. But please visit them anyway because they are cool.






For those interested, here's information on the Bog Hag anthology.




Friday, January 31, 2025

Friday Book Blogger Hop Special: Thunder Road

    

Genre:

MM Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Psychic romance, Historical/Steampunk

Buy Link:

Publication Date:

December 16, 2024

Ebook Price:

$4.99

Paperback Price

$14.99

Book Blurb:

Simon and Vic are home from their honeymoon, just in time for a brand new case!

Mysterious missing person reports, a cursed motorcycle club, and an ancient entity add up to trouble. A bad bargain to stop a long-ago gang war requires a yearly sacrifice from a tightly-knit group of riders, and even their coven of witches hasn’t been able to stop the deaths.

Then the granddaughter of a former lighthouse keeper comes to Simon for help. When the lighthouses were automated, they lost their live-in guardians, who worked protective spells to shield the coast from killer storms and a murderous creature. Those protections are fading, and an old evil has gained power, growing stronger with every life it claims.

Can Simon and Vic end the deaths and disappearances, or have they finally found a foe too powerful to stop?

Thunder Road is an action-packed MM paranormal romance chock full of old magic, protective guardians, found family, an ancient monster, brave motorcyclists, helpful ghosts, loyal friends, psychic visions, hurt/comfort, supernatural suspense, and an evolving, established romantic relationship with all the feels.


The First Line/Book Beginnings


"You look lost.” Simon glanced up as he unpacked from their honeymoon. Vic stood in the bedroom doorway of their blue bungalow.


The Friday 56

“What made the club bosses think someone had gone missing as opposed to just taking off on their own?” Ross leaned forward, intrigued.

About the Author

Morgan Brice is the romance pen name of bestselling author Gail Z. Martin. Morgan writes urban fantasy MM paranormal romance, with plenty of action, adventure and supernatural thrills to go with the happily ever after. Gail writes epic and urban fantasy, with less romance, more explosions.

All of the modern-day Morgan Brice and Gail Z. Martin series crossover, so characters from one series appear in cameos and on page in important secondary roles in books from other series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but the more you read the more the expanded universe of friendships and connections becomes clear. 

Morgan and Gail believe that paranormal elements make any story even better, and her worlds are full of ghosts, psychics, shifters, creatures, vampires, monster hunters, and magic. 

She's also a huge fan of the TV show Supernatural. (Chibi art by Kamidiox)

Book Blogger Hop


31st - 6th - Have you ever asked yourself, "Why did I buy this book?" (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

Yep. This was back in the early 2000s. It amazed me that anyone would publish the story in its current form. I went through it and started editing it. I wish I'd had the self-confidence to try and become an editor at that point. I might have spared myself the back problems I currently have thanks to decades spent working in physically punitive jobs.

Fortunately, I didn't buy either Twilight or 50 Shades of Nope. I quickly DNFed both of those and returned them to their owners of questionable taste.




Look for Ornery Owl's review of today's featured book soon, probably on Monday.

Follow our Start page to keep up with the latest from the Naughty Netherworld Press crew.

https://naughtynetherworldpress.start.page



Free use image from Open Clipart Vectors

The month of chocolate and romance is upon us. Why not celebrate with an audiobook or several?

If you don’t already have an Audible subscription, click the link below to get started with your 30-day free trial. You’re welcome.

https://amzn.to/4bIRSgg











 




Sunday, January 26, 2025

Sunday Sampler January 26, 2025

 


Enjoy some tasty nibbles from published works and WIPs by authors sharing with the Snippet Sunday and Weekend Writing Warriors blog hops this week.

10 Things I Hate About the Earl
Regency Romance


Marcus, Lord Haversham, is in a tight pinch. His estates are failing and, worse, he’s just lost three thousand pounds to his best friend, Lord Ainsley. Ainsley’s solution: have Marcus marry his shrewish sister, and he’ll cancel his gambling debt plus give him ten thousand pounds for her dowry. With nowhere else to turn, Marcus agrees, praying he can keep word of the wager from Miss Locke long enough to charm her into marrying him.

When Marcus discovers Kate’s list however, he can’t keep himself from trying to show her how wrong she is about him. But in the process, will he be able to avoid falling in love with the stubborn woman?

Captain's Mercy
Historical Romantic Suspense


When Mercy Brown accepts a position as companion to the sister of Jonah Barnes, a wealthy and rugged former sea captain, she has no idea that she’ll soon be entangled in their quirky family’s secrets.

The Cowboy's Prayer
Contemporary Romance, Cowboy Romance, Inspirational Romance


Oklahoma saddle bronc champion Lamont Fortune lives a lonely life. He has family he doesn’t see very often and although once a man of faith, his has faded. He’s late getting out on the circuit this year but before he can put his spurs on for the season, his life changes when he takes in a neighbor’s stepson after a fatal overdose. When the boy’s aunt arrives from New York City, it’s complicated. Matilda Mannheim and Lamont bristle but when they learn Shayne can’t leave the state, Lamont is the only option. Lamont nicknames her ‘Tilly’ and both realize they misjudged the other. With many challenges looming, Tilly has the faith he lacks. As he takes tentative steps toward God, he resists prayer until everything changes. His chance to build a life with Shayne and Tilly depends on whether he can make the right choices and most of all, if he can manage a prayer.

The Five-Barred Gate III: Almost Home
Christian Fiction, Dystopian


Derrick Andrews is talking with his wife, Rachel, and feels he needs to go with is dad, Jacob, to Austin to talk with the authorities. They’ve been demanding Jacob to release his sermons for scrutiny before they are delivered from the pulpit. He has refused. Facing arrest, he now wants to make his appeal.


Four Times a Virgin
Erotic Romance, Historical Mystery, Regency Romance


Tortured duke reunites with a mysterious lady to search for answers from their intertwined pasts and expose those who orchestrated the evil that scarred them both. She’ll do anything to protect her younger sisters and he’s desperate to make amends.

I'll Be Seeing You
Romantasy, Time Travel Romance


Gabriel, an apprentice angel must help three mortals get a second chance at love.

The Keeper's Secret
Inspirational Romantic Suspense


I've visited many lighthouses, both here in NJ and elsewhere. Symbolically, lighthouses are a beacon of hope but until the advent of GPS, they were important navigational aids. In 1789, our Congress approved the Lighthouse Act, which was the first public works program in our country. 

When I wrote THE KEEPER'S SECRET, I intended for the lighthouse to be that symbolic beacon of hope for the hero and heroine.

Tell It To My Heart
Contemporary Romance


Following the death of his grandmother, Noah Fielding returns to Alinta Bay and the first thing — or person — he finds is the next-door neighbour in his nan’s bathroom — naked no less. Still jetlagged, he doesn’t hit it off with Molly at first. Yet, over the next few weeks, as his past uncovers itself bit by bit, she becomes is anchor, his friend, and his lover.

Molly Reid had the world at her feet, happily married with a young son … until a tragic car accident took everything away from her. With her heart broken, she moves to Alinta Bay to escape the memories of the past. Her peaceful existence, however, is interrupted after a heavy storm floods her house and she temporarily moves into her recently deceased neighbour’s house next door.

When Noah’s friend and partner goes missing during a routine flight, Noah returns to Alaska to help, but will he come back for Molly?

Temptation's Trail
Western Romance


When Amanda Duncan headed West to find her missing brother, she knew she was out of her element. Her privileged upbringing in a fancy boarding school hadn’t prepared her for the perils of frontier Texas. So Amanda made a plan—all she had to do was hire a hero. But when the legendary Harmon Bass showed up, he wasn’t what she expected. What kind of hero didn’t carry a gun?

Those Absent On the Great Hungarian Plain
History


I’m in a Romanian bar soaking up mulled red wine. It’s a seedy place, everyone sitting mutely at his or her table. I’m not the only woman present; an even more elderly lady is ensconced in the stairwell’s shadow. High on the wall, a television is tuned to a station with traditional music, and Gypsy musicians hammer at cimbaloms or make fiddles weep. Up there, in a fantasy world of carved wooden houses and primeval forests, famous songsters warble traditional tunes, swaying mixed choruses trill, and dancers whirl.








New Substack Post + Story Offer Still Active #8Sunday #SnippetSunday

 



I fell flat on my face this past week. I didn't do a sampler post for my fellow participants in the Snippet Sunday and Weekend Writing Warriors blog hops, and I didn't even share last week's post with Snippet Sunday. 

I'm keeping my free story offer active until the end of the month. Here's another excerpt.

“Azathoth is a powerful energy that forms other powerful energies,” Nyarlathotep speculated. “The needs of Azathoth are creation and domination. Like Azathoth, my siblings are powerful beings wielding powerful energies. I possess attributes that they do not. I am adaptable, orderly, and reasonable. I am powerful yet peaceful. I love the worlds that I assist and the creatures that dwell therein. Yet despite my satisfaction with my accomplishments, I feel an emptiness within. I am lonely. I wish I might find someone who would understand me.”

You can read the previous snippet here.

Follow this link to read this week's Substack post and learn how to get your free copy of Nyarlathotep's Journey.

If you'd like to read the poem that appears at the beginning of this story, follow the link below.

https://poetryofthenetherworld.blogspot.com/2021/03/sympathy-for-nyarlathotep.html

With Love,

Ornery Owl










Sunday, January 19, 2025

Nyarlathotep's Journey #8Sunday #SnippetSunday

 

Genre

Fantasy Romance

Length: 3000 words

Rating: PG-13

Note: Birth scene, fantasy violence

Tagline

Unravel the cosmic tapestry. Discover the origins of Yadira Root, the daughter of the Organizer of the Outer Gods and the Weaver of Destinies, born during the death throes of a doomed world.

Blurb

This story reveals the origins of the ancient cosmic sorceress Yadira Root, daughter of the Outer God Nyarlathotep, and Queen Nathicana of the doomed world of Zaïs. It provides a unique interpretation of Nyarlathotep, the most nuanced and intelligent of H.P. Lovecraft's Outer Gods.

Excerpt

Azathoth, the embodiment of primordial chaos, tended to spawn chaos. Because it required a way to bring balance to the chaotic forces it spawned, it created Nyarlathotep.

Nyarlathotep sprang from the writhing mass of Azathoth fully mature. Unlike his siblings, he possessed the power of reason and quickly learned that an attitude of benevolent leadership was the most effective approach. Nyarlathotep could assume any form, and he used this ability to his advantage.

Once the worlds he had helped form and populate were autonomous, Nyarlathotep moved on. As he traveled, he contemplated his nature. That he was necessary delighted him without making him prideful. That he was different from his progenitor and siblings was evident, and he desired to understand this difference.

Follow the link below to pick up your copy of the story. Ignore the January 19 deadline. I am extending my offer of a free copy of this story until January 26th.

https://ornerybookemporium.blogspot.com/2025/01/mormo-and-more-project-60-week-2.html

I hope you enjoy it!

With Love,
Ornery Owl


Free use image from Open Clipart Vectors









Saturday, January 18, 2025

Saturday Sampler

Image by GU LA from Pixabay

I've selected some tasty samples from both published stories and WIPs for you to enjoy. Check them out!

Impeccable Credentials
M/M Regency Romance


Impeccable Credentials is about Julian Buchanan, an outwardly privileged young man who hides the secret of his sexuality and radical intellectual leanings from his autocratic father, Sir Roger.

Ornery Owl's Note:
Ellie's Town Bronze series is a true delight for fans of m/m romance and regency romance. 

Seven Tricks
Fairytale Retelling, Fantasy


The holidays may be over, but I’m still feeling the need of a little holiday cheer, so here’s a mischievous mouse prince, contemplating his object of affection in Seven Tricks…

Untitled WIP
Science Fiction


Rhisart looked as disturbed as Aneirin felt. “Isn’t Ekain part of the Toyless movement? You could talk to him.”


 

Awakening In the Storm #RainbowSnippets#WIP

 

Image by Rondell Melling from Pixabay

Every year, I write a story for the Passionate Ink charity anthology.

If you write spicy, you should join Passionate Ink. This is my third year as a member.

http://passionateink.org

This story is a f/f erotic romance utilizing the enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity tropes.  I've actually put it on the back burner for another time, but I wanted to share a few lines from a character development exercise I did, which you can find by following the link below.

https://experiencewriting.com/2024/10/05/sounds-of-words-euphony/

I'll share three lines from Shams and three from Lucia. Rolo is Lucia's twin brother. He and Shams became friends after he asked her if she'd be interested in creating some clothing designs for his band. They hit it off, and he invited Shams to come from London to Rancho Cucamonga to work with him and the band in person. Shams and Lucia are like oil and water.

Shams

I was having such an amazing morning here in Rancho Cucamonga, creating styles reflecting the band’s Latino heritage. The colours of the Southwest are so vivid, reflecting an arid yet beautiful environment with shades of warm brown, bright pink, bright blue, brilliant yellows, and oranges. There are so many colours to work with.

Lucia

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing when I walked out by the pool to find Shams with her easel drawing blindingly colorful clothes that looked like The Doctor accidentally or on purpose emptied out the 1970s closet on the TARDIS and left his unwanted clothes here. I don’t know what Rolo sees in this girl. Es una idiota with a head full of stereotypes.

I also wanted to share the opportunity to download a free story. I'm extending this offer until next Sunday. Follow the link below for more information. I hope you enjoy it!

https://ornerybookemporium.blogspot.com/2025/01/mormo-and-more-project-60-week-2.html


Free use image from Open Clipart Vectors



Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Wednesday Sampler January 15 2025

 


I have some splendid new stories for you to sample today. Come and get 'em!

Dark Hearts Aflame
Dark Romantic Suspense


A drug lord on the run. A cartel princess in hiding. All it takes is a spark to set their world ablaze.

Echoes of the Past
Contemporary Romantic Suspense


Her mistake had been to persist instead of leaving and closing the door on their short chapter.

Flawless
Historical Romantic Suspense (World War II)


France, 1942.  The world is at war. The Nazis have stolen the infamous blue diamond, Le Coeur Bleu, intending to barter it for weapons that will destroy the Allies. Jewel thief Hunter Smith is given a choice; help the French Resistance steal back the diamond and avenge the death of his best friend, or stay locked up in an English prison. He chooses revenge.

Rajasthani Moon
Steampunk Shifter BDSM Romance


A bandit prince cursed into beast form under the full moon.

A brilliant but sadistic Rajah whose robotic sex toys mingle torture and delight.

A voluptuous spy on a mission from Her Majesty, tasked with discovering Rajasthan’s secrets.

She has never faced such a challenge.

Refuge From the World
Dystopian


In the heart of Beartooth, life was simple—until the world began to change.

Surrender Love
M/M Sci-Fi Rock Star Romance


In this scene from Surrender Love, Izzorah is on the run. He's the drummer for a famous rock band, but he terrified of heights -- with a capital T. When the group entered into the Nizamrak Building, tallest on the planet, Izzorah took two big steps back and ran. Now he's trying to figure out where he is, which is difficult, because he can't focus on anything farther away than his own fingertips.

Waltz Before Midnight
Historical Romance (19th Century)


Cindaria and her sister have sneaked away to a ball, out from under their evil stepmother’s eye, and Cindaria has been engaged in a dance with her “prince”–or in his case, brother to an earl.


Warrior's Grace
Historical Romance (Victorian)


Max is in the bath. Grace has just dumped over his head a bowl of ice (now mostly melted) intended for his bruised ribs. As usual, his attitude had annoyed her.

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Mormo and More: Project 60 Week 2 #MFRWHooks

 



This book does not have a cover yet. It is an ongoing project. The following is my potential blurb.

**Sixty: A Journey of Healing and Self-Discovery**

At sixty, the world seems like a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors and shadowy memories, intertwining the beauty of lived experience with the weight of past trauma. In Sixty, a deeply personal memoir and guided workbook, a former nurse shares her profound journey through the valleys of mental illness, eating disorders, and the complexities of living with a disability.

With grace and candor…

Oh, hell, let’s get real.

With rage and snark tempered by compassion and empathy, Cara H, AKA Ornery Owl, unveils the raw truth about an often painful life. She offers essays that capture the pain of abuse, betrayal, and self-loathing with the healing power of self-expression. Each chapter includes heartfelt reflections and incorporates art therapy and other creative prompts to encourage readers to explore their own stories and emotions. This book invites you to embrace vulnerability, fostering a safe space for creativity and healing through journaling.

As you navigate Sixty, you'll find relatable struggles, insightful encouragement, and practical tools to help you face your own hurdles. This is not just a memoir—it's a companion for those seeking solace, empowerment, and inspiration amid life’s challenges. Whether you are facing challenges of your own or supporting someone else's fight, Sixty will resonate deeply with you, demonstrating that despite our scars, we can rediscover our strength and take back our narrative.

Join Ornery Owl on this transformative journey toward healing and self-acceptance and unlock the creative potential within you. Because every life, no matter how challenging, is a canvas waiting to be painted and a story waiting to be told.

Content Warning:

This post contains plentiful profanity. If you prefer not to partake in profanity, please pass on perusing the post.

Excerpt

January 2, 2025

Guess fucking who! That’s right, it’s me at one thirty in the fucking morning. Oh, and don’t forget my ass. I certainly can’t.

I’m on gabapentin, methocarbamol, methylprednisolone, and I even took an oxycodone. Guess what, my fucking ass still hurts.

I’ve been researching options. I think I’ll ask the pain clinic bunch to refer me to imaging, PT, and the spine clinic.

If this damn medication at least got me high or something, it might be tolerable. But nope, the pain is so bad it’s just me sitting here with my miserable ass cheek screaming at me.

****************

The remainder of the post contains writing exercises and prompts, character studies, and even a link to a free story. You can find the full post on Substack or Odysee. As a reminder, each post is free to the public for a week, after which time it is placed behind a paywall. It will be available to paid subscribers on my Substack and for 225 LBC on Odysee.

You can find the links to access the posts and get your free copy of Nyarlathotep's Journey here.

https://ornerybookemporium.blogspot.com/2025/01/mormo-and-more-project-60-week-2.html

With Love,

Ornery Owl



Free use image from Open Clipart Vectors
Here with free books for you!

https://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com/2025/01/book-hooks-jan-15-2025.html