History of Saint Patrick's Day

Almost everyone becomes Irish for one day of the year, so I thought I’d do a little checking on St. Patrick’s Day. Off I went to Wikipedia.

Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick (Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig, "the Day of the Festival of Patrick"), is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (c. AD 385–461), the foremost patron saint of Ireland.

Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th century and is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland), the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Lutheran Church. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, and celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general. Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals, ceilidhs, and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks. Christians who belong to liturgical denominations also attend church services and historically the Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol were lifted for the day, which has encouraged and propagated the holiday's tradition of alcohol consumption.

Saint Patrick's Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador (for provincial government employees), and the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora around the world, especially in the United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand. Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival. Modern celebrations have been greatly influenced by those of the Irish diaspora, particularly those that developed in North America.

                                  Happy St Patrick’s Day everyone!

Meet Linda Burson and Her New Book

Linda is an author from Connecticut. After years of writing and editing for others, raising a family, and over twenty years of running her own businesses, Linda decided to tackle her first fiction novel entitled Rage, which began as a single book. Eventually, the novel became a trilogy, and finally a much longer series. All the books are a part of The Marcy Series, a romantic suspense series.

There are currently six novels in the series.

Beverley: Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write? And why?

Linda: I enjoy writing murder mysteries and romantic thriller/suspense novels. The main reason I choose to write these types of stories is because these are the types of novels I prefer reading. I’ve always enjoyed trying to figure out the culprit. It’s the edge-of-your-seat feeling I get while reading that keeps me excited to turn page after page. The best part is the thrill when you find out you are right when guessing the murderer.
Beverley: Who influenced you the most in deciding to become a writer?
Linda: I always enjoyed English class and spelling in school. Considering I seemed to do the best in these types of classes probably has a lot to do with it. I was also a shy, quiet child. I enjoyed spending time alone. I was a huge daydreamer. I think that was the biggest part of my writing. What does one do with all those imaginative ideas floating around in one’s head? They write them down. I was also an avid reader. I used to curl up in the corner recliner next to the window in my living room and read book after book. The library was a few blocks from my house. I’d walk there, pick out as many books as was allowed to take home, then snuggle into the corner of my living room reading one after the other. I had so many ideas swarming around in my head; I suppose they had to go somewhere.
Beverley: What gets your creative juices flowing?
Linda: Dreams I have at night sometimes gets me revved to open my laptop. I find the biggest influence of creativity is getting out in a car and taking a drive. The drives on two lane roads out toward the more rural areas, drives toward the coast, or heading toward the mountains bring me perfect inspiration.
Beverley: Do you have a favorite cartoon character? Why?
Linda: Hum, interesting question. I have to admit not something I’ve thought about recently. Choosing one off the top of my head, I’d have to say Dory from Nemo. She was fun. She made me laugh. Her biggest attraction to me was that she always seemed happy and positive and that’s uplifting. Who doesn’t want to spend time with a cheerful person/character?! I also loved her innocence. It warmed my heart.
Beverley: Who would you love most to meet 'in person' and why?
Linda: I’m sure to some people this would be an easy question. For me, it’s not. Thinking without thinking long, I’d have to say I’d most love to meet an ancestor of mine. I would love to be able to sit down and talk to a matriarch on my maternal side. I’d love to hear her thoughts, know her wisdom, learn of her past, present, and what she thought of future years. I’d want her to know who I am and understand that I come from decades upon decades upon decades of the future. Hey, this sounds like another good idea for a new novel!
Beverley: If you had an unexpected free day what would you do with it?
inda: That depends on the weather. If it’s a snowy, cold day, I’d stay home. I may spend time writing because often for me, it’s not work, but fulfillment. Or, I may just turn on the television and binge watch TV shows that I enjoy that I haven’t seen. If it’s a beautiful, warm, sunny day, I’d get in my convertible and take a drive. I probably wouldn’t know which way I was going until I got there.
Beverley: What are you working on now?
Linda: I have two stories I’m working on—one is a regular novel, another romance suspense-type, and the other is a Novella. The Novella, which I’m hoping to have completed in a month, has a carry-over character from the book that is due to be published April 15, 2018 called MURDER BETWEEN FRIENDS. The protagonist in MURDER BETWEEN FRIENDS is named Cammy Thurston. She is a private investigator and I use her in my Novella as an add-on character in this suspense story.

Blurb for The Agreement, Book 4 in the Marcy series:

After the perfect honeymoon, Brad and Marcy return to reality to begin their new life together. Unfortunately, Brad and Marcy’s wedded bliss runs into complications. Brad seems distant and cold, and Marcy is confused by his unexpected behavior.
When Marcy goes into labor, Brad is by her side. Later, Marcy confronts Brad about their crumbling marriage and decides it may be better for them to separate. Brad begs Marcy to reconsider, pleading with her not to leave.
For now, Marcy agrees to stay put with their son. Brad and Marcy reconcile. Brad forms a surprising and unexpected friendship which changes the course of their lives.

Excerpt from The Agreement:
We go to find Brad. He’s talking to his brothers. I walk up behind him, wrap my arms around his waist, and kiss his back. He turns his head, sees it’s me, and puts his arms around mine.

Matt says, “I’m glad this brother of mine finally got smart and asked you to marry him. I was thinking I might have to step in and see if you’d like to switch brothers.”

“The best gifts in life are worth the wait,” Brad says squeezing my arms, then picking them up and bringing me around to the side of him so he can kiss my head.

“You always say the most wonderful things to me,” I convey.

“Well, if you two are going to get mushy, I’m leaving. Come on, Ryan. Brad’s making us look bad. Good thing Kelsey and Samantha are in the other room.”

Dave comments to Brad, “You know, Brad, you and your brothers aren’t that different from LM, JJ, Elb, and me. You have that good, bad, fun, and serious sides that we all have. I can see you understand the way it was and is between us. So, I owe you an apology. I suppose it’s difficult for us now, with Liam not being here, considering how we feel about Marcy. We want to be a part of her life. Her life now includes you. It’s unfortunate you and Liam were in love with the same woman. If it weren’t for that, you and he would’ve probably been good friends; but then again, if it wasn’t for the two of you loving the same woman, none of us would’ve ever met.”
“If it wasn’t for Liam, Dave, I would’ve never met Marcy,” Brad answers. “She probably wouldn’t be here now, which means none of us would have her in our lives. I’m aware she’s here now because of his heroic actions all those years ago. To be honest, he may have been competition to me for her heart, but I can’t fault the guy for that. I understand him being in love with her. I may be slightly sensitive when it comes to him, but that’s only because I know she’s in love with him as well. I still blame myself for letting her go in the first place. If I hadn’t, their relationship wouldn’t have started. I don’t dislike Liam. He loved Marcy, I love Marcy, I like all of you guys, Marcy loves all of you and you’re all friends with Liam. I’m aware he was a great guy, which means I don’t mind hearing stories about him. What makes me annoyed and uncomfortable is when everyone else acts like they’re uncomfortable talking about him in front of me. He was a part of all your lives, and whether I like it or not, he was a part of Marcy’s life. I won’t deny it and pretend it didn’t happen. Besides, I can’t deny her relationship with him. The baby she’s carrying might be his. What kind of a person would I be if I try to deny his existence in her life, and this baby is his and not mine?”
“I said it before and I’ll say it again; you’re a hell of a man, Brad. And if Liam were here right now, I’d tell him so. I’d be happy to tell him you’re an honorable man and
Marcy’s in good hands.” Dave puts his hand out for Brad to shake. “Brad, if you’ll accept, I’d be proud and honored to call you friend.”

“I do accept and thank you. That means a lot to me.”

They start talking about sports, and that’s when I excuse myself.

Buy Links for The Agreement:
The Agreement: https://www.amazon.com/Agreement-Marcy-Book-4-ebook/dp/B01IG982NS/
Paperback also available at the publisher’s website: www.classactbooks.com

Find out more about Linda at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lbursonbooks/?fref=ts
Instagram: www.instagram.com/lindajeanburson
Website is lindaburson.com 
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2258525.Linda_Burson
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Linda-Burson/e/B016SOB3S4
Twitter: @lindaburson23 

How to Write a Synopsis of your Self-published Book – and Why Indie Authors Need Synopses Too

 How to Write a Synopsis of your Self-published Book – and Why Indie Authors Need a Synopsis Too

By Richard Bradburn on February 21, 2018 in Writing A Book

Do you write a synopsis of yur book? I admit I don’t know. When I was submitting to agents and editors I did, but as a self-published author I don’t. It’s one of those horrible steps I eliminated. However, I found this article so I’m reconsidering and thought I’d share the article with you. It covers some good points if you haven’t written one for awhile

A synopsis is an outline of your entire novel, from beginning to end, summarizing the narrative arc of the book and one or two of the major characters in it. It does include the end (any twists or climactic revelations) but doesn’t include details of every sub-plot and minor character – it doesn’t need to be comprehensive.

Writing a synopsis is a great exercise to undertake after you’ve finished the first draft of your book. It encourages you to look more analytically at your book’s structure, it can suggest to you at an early stage of the rewriting process that there are perhaps flaws in your plot or character arcs that otherwise might remain until a developmental editor pointed them out.

It can be used as a great tool, therefore, for kicking off a round of self-editing.

It’s a good idea to start with a strong paragraph that outlines the entire story in essence. For plot-driven books, that’s a thumbnail of the whole plot. For character driven novels, it should be a summary of the main character arc.

Don’t forget what you’re trying achieve. There are four key elements. You’re trying to demonstrate:

-       an original and entertaining premise
-       a compelling main character
-     interesting and perhaps topical subject matter
-     a good plot that doesn’t rely on insane coincidence or acts of god for its    resolution (and he woke up and it was all a dream!)
You need to include the main character(s), what their opening situation/problem is, what inciting incident happens to start the ball rolling, what they need to achieve as a result of this event, what the forces or characters opposing their aims and ambitions are, how the crisis is resolved and how the characters have changed by the end of the book.

To read the whole article go to

https://selfpublishingadvice.org/writing-how-to-write-a-synopsis-of-your-self-published-book-and-why-indie-authors-need-synposes-too/

Mary Martinez's Tour and Latest Book

Mary lives in Magna, a little town west of Salt Lake City, Utah. Together with her husband, she has six grown children, and six wonderful grandsons and five beautiful granddaughters. She loves to spend time with family and friends--she includes good books as friends!

Mary and her husband love to travel, especially to the Caribbean for relaxing, and Italy for the wine. And most recently she discovered she was Irish and Scottish, of course they had to visit Ireland and Scotland. Mary fell in love with both, but the green hills of Ireland felt like home. With the experience from the exotic places she has visited, she is able to fill her books with colorful descriptions of cities, painting a colorful backdrop for her characters. One of her favorite US destinations is New York/Brooklyn, where her beloved Beckett's live. When she visits, she can wander their neighborhoods, favorite parks, and visit their favorite pub, Putnum's.
They are avid concert ‘Ho’s’! Yes, they pretty much want to do them all. They love outdoor amphitheaters the best and attend as many during the warmer months as possible.
Mary writes mostly romantic suspense, romance, women's fiction, and she has just begun to dabble in young adult mystery. She is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA). During her writing career she has been a conference coordinator, workshop presenter, and chapter president for the Utah Chapter of RWA. In 2007 she was presented with the Utah RWA service award in acknowledgment and appreciation for outstanding service. Mary has also participatedin numerous library panels on writing and co-presented a workshop on writing a series at the League of Utah Writers conference.
Mary and her husband are also enthusiastic college football fans. They have season tickets to the UTES, University of Utah Football and they tailgate every game. They love tailgating so much, that they were married at a tailgating in 1999.
GO UTES!

Blurb From Abandoned:

Glenna Beckett loves her family dearly,  but being the youngest of six can be overwhelming. Moving across country helped her learn who she was outside the family. She’s built a successful business in the form of a quaint shop on Main Street of Calistoga, that sells a bit of everything vintage, the new age term for antique. What more does she need?

Then he walked into her shop. International playboy, Lance Gordon. After a whirlwind courtship he asks her to marry him. Burying a niggle of doubt in the pit of her tummy, she says yes. He’s even agreed to have the wedding in Brooklyn so her family can attend. But he never arrives.

Glenna refused to believe she’d been abandoned at the altar and asks her brother, Tyler, to contact an agent friend on the West Coast to search for Lance.

Patrick McGinnis can’t believe he’s walking into a prissy shop in the high end of the Napa Valley searching for a missing groom. The bride, Glenna Beckett, is everything he feared, drop dead gorgeous, and a spoiled brat. Not that he’d ever tell her brother that. He hates wild goose chases, and this mission is exactly that. Patrick’s certain the playboy fiancé is off wooing some other delectable creature.

Unfortunately, once Patrick started to dig, he finds there’s more to the tale and it will take all his skills as an agent to keep Glenna safe. Especially when the case takes a turn and threatens the safety of his son, Finn.

Excerpt from Abandoned:

Patrick McGinnis thumbed his phone off and dropped the thing on the table with a thud. What had he just agreed to? He held in a groan, barely.

“What’s up dad? You look like you just ate a sour grape.”
Finnegan, his sixteen-year old son, and the joy of his life, walked to the cupboard and pulled out a bowl. He filled it with cereal and added milk and then joined Patrick at the table. He dipped his spoon for a large scoop, and as he brought it to his mouth, Finn gave him the I’m waiting look.
“I just received a call from an old friend,” he said in way of explanation, he really didn’t like talking work with his son.
“It must not have been a good conversation.”
“It was good to catch up. He was with me at Quantico.” Best to focus on the old acquaintance part.
“Dad, I’m in high school. You can stop sheltering me now. He must have called for a reason. One you’re not too thrilled about. What’s up?” He repeated his earlier question.
Damn, Finn was growing up to fast. And the kid was right. He had a tendency to shield him from his work. Something he’d always tried to do, but more since Finn was three and the worst thing that could ever happened to a child had happened.
“Tyler is an agent in New York, however, he has a sister in Calistoga.”
His son let out a hoot of laughter. “Match-making from the east coast.”
“Ha, ha. No, his sister seems to have lost her fiancé and her assistant.”
“What they elope and left her behind? Why’d he call you?”
“The fiancé never arrived at the wedding. And then when his sister went to open her shop she found the assistant had been shot.”
“Oh.” Finn ate for a few minutes in silence. “Does the lost fiancé and the dead assistant have something to do with each other?”
“That’s one of the things Ty wants me to find out.”
Finn suspended his spoon half way to his mouth. “What is the other?”
“He wants me to find the missing fiancé for his sister.” He pulled his fingers through his hair. “It’s a wild goose chase if you ask me. If the guy had wanted to get married he’d have been at the wedding.”
“You’d think unless he couldn’t.”,
Patrick contemplated his son. He would make a good detective. He’d already helped solve a few of his cases, by just listening and making comments that brought other solutions to mind.
Patrick wasn’t sure he wanted that for his son. He loved being a federal agent. For a while, after the incident with his son, he’d tried something else. However, his true passion was law enforcement and he’d been placed back on duty within the year.
You couldn’t help where your heart led you. No matter the consequences.
“That is what I need to find out.” He stood and poured more coffee into his cup to warm up the cooling liquid. He leaned a hip on the counter while he sipped. “What’s going on at school today?”
Finn finished his cereal and stood to wash his bowl out. He appeared to be thinking as he put his dishes in the dishwasher.
“I have an algebra test. Just a fair warning, Dad, it’s kicking my ass.”
“Language son.” But he smiled, he’d heard a lot worse. “I have a few minutes do you need my help?”
His son gave him a skeptical look, which was well warranted. Algebra had thoroughly kicked his ass in high school, too, to the point he’d needed Saturday morning classes to pass the damn class.
After a moment he answered. “No, Mrs. Stewart said she’d meet me before school.”
“Old Mrs. Stewart is still there? I had her for Algebra.” He smiled and resisted the urge to ruffle his son’s hair. Since the boy was almost as tall as he was, it’d be a little awkward anyway. “You’re in good hands then. Do you want me to drop you on my way to Calistoga?”

Buy Link for Abandoned:

www.amazon.com/Mary-Martinez/e/B006MWJ1T6

You can find Mary at:

Website: www.marymartinez.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorMaryMartinez
Twitter: twitter.com/marylmartinez
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mlmartinez3/
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/1646623.Mary_Martinez
YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCTww3B2ofa11UPFrSe0WGAg
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/marylmartinez3
Mary’s Garden Blog: marysbooksblogger.blogspot.com
The After Work Cook: theafterworkcook.blogspot.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Jasper Trey's Newest Book

About me: Jennifer (or Jasper) Is a thirty something mother of two. She has a BS in Mathematics education, a Master’s in Business, a couple of certificates in wine making, a 200 hour certification in YOGA, and a love for LOVE. I have a tendency to live in my head and finally felt I had enough life experience to put one of my imaginings down on paper. I hope you find my books to be a feel good and enjoyable ride from start to finish.

Character Interview
Q: What’s your name?
Dante: Dante Romero
Q: Where did you grow up?
Dante: In the small country of Madiera, located in the middle of the Mediterranean.
Q: During what time period does your story take place?
Dante: My story is set in the present day.
Q: What’s your story/back story? Why would someone come up with a story about you?
Dante: I’m a prince of my small country. Having just retired from the military to concentrate on taking care of my people, I’ve found that taking care of myself is just as important.
Q: What’s your goal in this story?
Dante: My goal is to convince Olivia to stay in Madiera with me. I’m so much better with her beside me.
Q: What conflicts are you facing?
Dante: What problems do I face in this story? That’s an interesting question. Being a Prince means that I don’t have many problems. What I do have is a father intent on me leaving the military and taking up a role in the governing of our country, and did I mention he wants to pick out my wife?
Q: Do you have a plan for resolving them?
Dante: Once I decide what I want the first thing I do is outline my plan to get what I’m after.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you?
Dante: That Love is an amazing thing, but so is laughter. I’ve found you need both in life to be happy.

Blurb for Olivia:

Romance meets duty in this modern-day love story. Can Dante convince Olivia to take a chance on a future with him or will Olivia’s past hold her back?.
What happens when you’re made to retire long before it’s your time? For Dante it means flying halfway around the world to a beach where no one knows who he is. He must come home to his family and country and serve in a capacity he left ten years before, when he joined the military. What that capacity will look like, nobody knows, and he is given mere weeks to figure it out.
Olivia has no intention of starting an affair. She wants a beach, some sun, and the space to heal her heart. It’s been more than a year since her husband died and she hasn’t done much more than take care of their children in that time. This vacation is for her, but taking a beer to a stranger at the insistence of the staff, and making a five-minute friend? That won’t cut into her time to much, right?
Neither is looking for anything more than a friend in a remote land, but after spending a week together, will they really be able to walk away and find there happy ever after with someone else?
 
BUY Link for Olivia:
https://www.amazon.com/Olivia-Harris-Legacy-Book-1-ebook/dp/B06Y2JRS5V

You can find Jennifer (or Jasper) at;

Website: https://basevinesandcattle.com/jasper-trey
Blog: https://bvc1point0.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jenofalltradz
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jen_base/
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Jasper-Trey/e/B072TQYXFD/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16832035.Jasper_Trey