Kiss of the Assassin

I am always delighted to share new books I learn about with you, and especially so when the book is by an author I know and admire. That's why it's a pleasure today to introduce you to an intriguing new release, KISS OF THE ASSASSIN, by author Joylene Nowell Butler.

KISS OF THE ASSASSIN
by Joylene Nowell Butler

◊ Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc (March 23, 2022)
◊ Paperback: 424 pages
◊ ASIN: B09P7T1ZRS
◊Language‏: English
* File size: ‎ 1138 KB
* Text-to-Speech: ‎ Enabled
* Screen Reader: ‎ Supported

Marina Antonovna, a Soviet spy, and Mateo Arcusa, an American homicide lieutenant first meet in Cambodia during the Vietnam War as enemies. Fearful that the most powerful man in the Soviet Union, KGB Chairman Vladimir Kurenkov, has ordered her death, Marina risks everything to defect to the United States.

 

She promises Mateo that her days as an assassin are over. Vladimir is determined to do whatever it takes to bring her back and, by threatening Mateo’s life, forces Marina to break her promise.

 

Now here's an excerpt for your reading pleasure.

“Malyshka …child…there’s no easy way of saying this apart from being honest and direct. I hope you can forgive me, but your father died.”

Marina’s eyes instantly watered, which seemed to surprise Kurenkov. He looked sympathetic.

“When?” The thought that he lived beyond that night and she hadn’t seen him made her ability to keep calm unbearable.

Kurenkov shrugged and admired his cuticles. “You were so young. I was afraid if I told you the truth, you would blame yourself.”

“Why would I—”

“Your father died the night your mother stabbed him. He has been dead for fifteen years.”

“I…I don’t understand, why would I—”

“You were so despondent. Your father asked for your help before he died. What could you do? You were a mere child. I kept the truth from you because I couldn’t bear you taking on all the blame. I knew you would. That night you had already blamed yourself. You told me your papa asked for help and you hadn’t helped him. I’m sure he didn’t mean to abandon you, not as my father abandoned me. Please, Malyshka, please forgive me for shielding you from the truth. I did it to protect[…]

Excerpt From: Joylene Nowell Butler. “Kiss of the Assassin.” iBooks.  

Meet the Author: Joylene Nowell Butler

Joylene Butler lives with her husband in the tiny village of Cluculz Lake in central B.C... She is the author of three suspense novels and a contributor to one anthology. 

For more on Joylene and her writing, visit her website and blog, as well as connect with her on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon.

Thanks so much for stopping by today during Joylene's visit. You can find out more about Joylene and her new book by following her blog tour here.

Doesn't this sound like an intriguing book, especially for the times we are in? Do you enjoy books where the enemies evolve into more?

Lark and the Loon (+ Giveaway)

Today it’s my pleasure to be a part of author Rhiannon Gelston’s virtual book tour for her latest release, LARK AND THE LOON.

This is an intriguing story that is a mixture of the author’s memories and transcendental fiction.

◊ Genre: Memoir with a Twist
◊ Publisher: WiDo Publishing (July 17, 2020)
◊ Print & eBooks
◊ Paperback: 284 pages
◊ ISBN-10: 1947966251
◊ ISBN-13: 978-1947966253

Lark and the Loon follows the adventures of a tentative boy named Lark, as he is catapulted out of all that he knows, into a courageous journey beyond his wildest imagination. 

Upon receiving a special gift from his Gramps, Lark embarks on a reflective journey of self-discovery as the innovative story weaves the true-life memoir of his mother (the author) in with a fantastical journey. With some special new-found friends, Lark travels back and forth from a symbolic tree to his mother’s true memories of life and death moments, and simple moments, found everywhere from wild Africa to their very own living room. Lark and his friends must ascend this tree and gain the important life lessons offered along the way if they ever hope to find their way out. Within this journey, Lark finds these lessons, and ultimately himself, in the space between imagination and truth in this wild tale.  

The story explores friendships, philosophies, and everyday challenges and joys, both from a child's perspective and from a parent's perspective. This memoir with a twist results in a coming-of-age story that ultimately leads to a new understanding of self, others, and the world that surrounds us.

LARK AND THE LOON is available at AMAZON * Barnes & Noble * WiDo Publishing. Also, be sure to add it to your TBR List on Goodreads.

Here’s an excerpt from the book for your reading pleasure.

 

Gramps

“Life is a verb.”

—Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Gramps was very thin and very tall. He used to be taller, but he stood a little bit hunched over these days. He had white hair that stood straight up out of his head as if he had his finger in an electric socket at all times. He had a long mustache too, but this was always perfectly groomed, not a hair out of place.

Sometimes he would put some wax in it and turn the hairs up at the ends so the curls matched the permanent, mischievous smirk on his face. Sometimes he let Lark’s little sisters braid it or put glitter in it, and he’d unapologetically wear it like that all day. He had been known to dye it green on St. Patrick’s Day or pink for Valentine’s Day. Gramps always had some sort of sweets hidden in his pocket; he always had a kind word or bit of good advice for those who needed it; and he always had a twinkle in his eye.

People often said Lark looked like Gramps, but Lark couldn’t quite see it. Lark was anything but tall; in fact, he was one of the smallest kids in his class.

He did have unruly hair like Gramps. No matter what he did, it stood up in every direction, and it was white—but a blonde white.

He was a towhead, even more so in the summer months. Perhaps they did have the same eyes if he looked really hard at Gramps’ eyes.

Sometimes it was hard to find the eyes behind the memories.

Gramps had lines of memories all over that smiling face. He had lines like the waves rolling in, notable especially next to his eyes, where the remnants of endless smiles lingered. These wrinkles served an important purpose as permanent reminders of both good and hard times lived. There was the depth of a blue ocean next to those lines, overflowing with memories from somewhere so very far away and yet so close and near.

Yes, that was the comment Lark heard the most: that he had the same smiling, blue eyes with that same twinkle.

Meet the Author: Rhiannon Gelston

 

RHIANNON GELSTON loves to lose herself in all things creative. She enjoys writing, painting, live music, traveling, sports, being outdoors, exploring, playing, spirituality, and energy work. She has a BA in English and an MS in Occupational Therapy with a pediatric focus. Rhiannon just had her first novel published. It is a memoir with a twist called, LARK AND THE LOON, available wherever books are sold. 

Rhiannon grew up on Spa Creek in downtown Annapolis. Home for Rhiannon will always be the sound of the halyards hitting the masts on a breezy day, a pile of crabs saturated in Old Bay, raft-ups with friends as kids cannonball off of the stern, and time with family and friends, in, on, and around the Chesapeake Bay.

She lives in Annapolis with her husband, their five lovely and lively children, and their black lab, McNasby.

Connect with Rhiannon on Facebook and Instagram.

Be sure to enter the tour wide giveaway. It ends May 3. The grand prize is a $25 Amazon Gift Card and an eBook of LARK AND THE LOON. The second-place winner has to be a US resident as the gift is a signed copy of LARK THE LOON. The third-place prize is an eBook that two winners will receive. If the Rafflecopter widget doesn’t work, you can still enter by clicking HERE.

Thanks for stopping by today. Doesn’t this sound like a fascinating memoir, especially with the twist?

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I Didn’t Run Away

I didn’t run away, honest, but I sort of fell down Alice’s rabbit hole. Sorry I’ve been AWOL (in this case, away without leaving a message).

All is good, thankfully no sickness or trouble caused the absence just …. well let me explain why and how I came to be down that rabbit hole for over a month.

First, if you read yesterday’s post you know I’ve been and am working with two awesome authors organizing virtual tours for them through MC Book Tours. The tours have been my number one project, but they aren’t why I fell into that hole.

I actually began gazing into the rabbit hole around Christmas when Santa brought me a Cricut Maker. I began learning how to make labels, decals and such by watching YouTube (that was the first step that led to so many more down the rabbit hole). From there I saw a video on finger knitting and made what I’d call a knitted chain that I used to wrap around a wreath just to see how it would look. Then I decided to use the wrapped wreath to make a Valentine’s Day decoration.

The finger knitting lead to trying my hand or I should say arm at arm knitting. That was fun but I quickly learned that the two skeins of yarn I had were not enough for a throw. When I went back to get more, there wasn’t any of the same color (at several stores I tried). That project was undone and put away for later.

In the meantime, I had learned a bit more about finger knitting and gave that a try again. This time I decided to go big and made a blanket/throw that measures a little over 7 feet long and 3 feet wide. As I was finishing that I started working with a small loom I’d gotten. My next project was what I call a shawl/scarf using that loom. That turned out to be 13 inches wide and 8 feet long. I’ve since started another one that is only 9 inches wide and probably won’t be as long as the first.

During all this I started helping a couple of people at work design and decorate one of our front store windows for spring. I saw a pattern online for a cute little birdhouse and decided to make some out of various colored scrapbook paper. I made 6 that we hung from the ceiling and 4 that I put on dowel rods and placed in containers of flowers I’d put together. We got the window done a few days after Valentine’s Day and I have to say I think it looks very “spring like.”

I’m now working on a wreath for the other window that we’ll do in a patriotic theme after St. Patrick’s Day. The wreath is to look like a flag and is made from wooden clothes pins that I’ve painted red, white, and blue and put on a wire wreath form. The blue pins will have some white stars on them. It’s amazing the things you can find when you google a project.

So, are you seeing how and why I fell down the rabbit hole and am just now starting to find my way out?

I have read several great books (two by one author, yeah Bloo Moose) during my time away. I hope to have reviews this week for two of the amazing authors. I’m also listening to Lisa Gardner’s latest release.

I forgot to mention the chalkboard I made from a mirror and a cute pillow cover I made using material featuring vintage cameras (another thing I’ve started collecting again). There is also the puzzle I put together and framed. The real treat is the 1955 Underwood manual typewriter I found at a thrift store. I beat the urge for three weeks before I went back and bought it. I can’t set the margins and the ribbon only tightens one way, but what fun it is to type on it. I had forgotten how much I enjoy the sound of the keys typing (and how hard they are to press).

I’ve been busy down in the rabbit hole. But, I think I’ve gotten the “crafting bug” under control and am slowly climbing out to get back into the blogging world.

Do you ever get carried away crafting or such and go from one project to another without stopping? We are thinking about giving hand poured soy candles as Christmas gifts this year so I might need to give that a try just to see how hard they are to make. And did I mention I’ve purchased all the material to do hanging macrame baskets like I did years ago? Oh, I got another fun idea from watching a YouTube Channel called White Cottage Company (you should check it out, it’s a great channel). I forgot to tell you about the water fountain I’m working on to put in my “secret” flower garden this spring.

Ah, I think I’m sliding back in the hole again…… Any suggestions on how to do all and not go AWOL again?