Thursday, December 29, 2022

PUYB Author Talks: ⭐A Bookish Conversation with 'The Lightbound Saga' S.G. Basu⭐ #TheLightboundSaga #interview

 


S.G. Basu is an aspiring potentate of a galaxy or two. She plots and plans with wondrous machines, cybernetic robots, time travelers and telekinetic adventurers, some of whom escape into the pages of her books. Although she’s an engineer by training, writing has been her passion since childhood. Her other loves include extra-hot lattes, fast cars and binge watching sci-fi movies.

Find out more about the futuristic worlds she creates at sgbasu.com. She can also be reached at sg@sgbasu.com.

Books by S.G. Basu:

The Lightbound Saga series (YA Dystopian Science Fiction)

Maia and the Xifarian Conspiracy

Maia and the Secrets of Zagran

Maia and Regency Protocol

The Lightbound Saga 3 Book Bundle

The Firefly League-A Lightbound Saga novella

Elementals-The Serial Thriller (Paranormal Science Fiction)

Population Morpheus (Near Apocalyptic Science Fiction)

Jumpers (Paranormal Thriller)

You can visit the author’s website at www.sgbasu.com or connect with her on Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.

 



Before you started writing your book, what kind of research did you do to prepare yourself? 

 

As a first-time writer, I had to do a lot of craft-related research when I began with The Lightbound Saga. Punctuation is the bane of my existence (especially that pesky comma) so I had to work a lot to improve my skills there. I also read (I still do) a lot about story beats—the three-act structure, the hero’s journey, and similar subjects. Although my first book is soft science fiction, I had to research various scientific aspects (planetary motions, gravitational forces, etc.) also as I set up the rules of its universe.


Did you pursue publishers or did you opt to self-pub? 

 

While I’m a hybrid author (both traditionally and indie published), for The Lightbound Saga series, I went on my own and self-published. When I started the project, I was unsure whether to go traditional or indie. I got myself an agent and she queried a few publishing houses. But soon, the allure of indie publishing won me over. I like having control over everything I do and the more I studied the model of self-publishing, the more I liked it. However, that meant even more hard work learning the ropes but I have enjoyed it every step of the way.

If self-published, did you hire someone to format the ebook version for you or did you do it yourself?  Can you tell us what that was like?

I did not hire anyone to format the ebook. In the beginning, my budget was small and mostly taken up by cover design and editing services. I used Calibre to format my ebooks at the time. It was a good tool, although sometimes finicky. My training in computer engineering helped quite a bit during this phase since the files needed some tweaking once in a while. A year or two down the line, I purchased Vellum. It was a game-changing moment, and one of the best investments I have ever made as a professional writer. 

If self-published, how did you determine the price?

I do a lot of research to determine the price. This includes looking up comparable titles on Amazon (genre, length, etc.) and also reading up various author accounts of their experience with price points. 

Did you purposefully choose a distinct month to release your book?  Why?

I did not choose a specific month to release my book. However, I try to not release in December because readers are mostly too busy celebrating the holidays to pay attention to book releases. Also, I am busy with my family to promote my books full-time during those times.

How did you choose your cover?

The covers started with the research of comparable titles. But for the most part, they were products of trial and error. My first cover for the series was quite terrible (in my opinion, although it had some fans), and I quickly changed it, only to another terrible cover. Then I found some awesome artists on deviantart.com who designed the entire series of covers I have currently. 

Did you write your book, then revise or revise as you went?

I am a staunch believer in a not-so-perfect (insert your favorite advective here) first draft so my first draft is rough as they come. I start by writing broad outlines for my book and the first draft is derived directly from that. During this phase, I simply let words and ideas flow out and do not look for mistakes, logical, grammatical, or otherwise. Once I complete the first draft, I put the work away for a week or two and work on a different project. Then I go back and revise it, as many times as needed, before my alpha team gets a copy to tear into. 

Did you come up with special swag for your book and how are you using it to help get the word out about your book?

There are several items ready to be gifted. First is a t-shirt with a printed graphic that depicts Core 21, Maia’s team in The Lightbound Saga series. I plan to hold a contest (a trivia quiz on the series) on my website and the winner will receive this. Also, I plan to give away lapel pins with cute graphics of the various characters from the series.

What’s your opinion on giving your book away to sell other copies of your book?

I think giving a book away is a great way to introduce readers to new titles. With millions of books being published, it is hard for readers to find ones they might like. A free book enables readers to take a chance on new authors. However, there is a downside to it also. When a lot of authors offer free books, readers are often swamped with these free ones and again, they are faced with a difficult choice of which to spend their time on. 

Currently, Maia and the Xifarian Conspiracy, the first book in The Lightbound Saga series is free on Amazon as the first in series. It has worked well as an introductory book to the series. However, I am considering changing it to a paid book soon.

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do before their book is released?

  1. Before publishing a book, get the best, genre-appropriate book cover that your budget allows. Also, get the book edited by a professional proofreader and copyeditor. If a new author, consider getting a developmental editor.
  2. If the author has a newsletter and a subscriber list, update them on the launch. If the author has an ARC team, sending them the new book and requesting them to review the book is a great next step.
  3. Set up promotions/blog tours during the launch to drive traffic and make the book discoverable.

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do after their book is released?

  1. Take a small break! It’s hard to find time for oneself as an author, but this is a time to celebrate. It is not an easy job bringing a book from concept to print and you have done it. So pick up a glass of wine, sit back, and relax a bit.
  2. Continue the promotion of your book regularly after the launch period. Running promotions every few months is a good way to keep the book in front of readers. 
  3. “Write more books” is the best advice ever. I have seen the benefits of this first hand so I can vouch for it. If a reader likes a book, they will want to read more from the author. The bigger backlist that the author has and the more books they publish directly translates to more readers reading them.

What kind of pre-promotion did you do before the book came out?

I have a presence on Twitter (twitter.com/fromsgbasu) and FB (https://www.facebook.com/authorsgbasu). I also have a newsletter that I send out once every few months where I announce upcoming books and preorders (if available). Other than that, I run ads on Amazon to keep the earlier books in the series in the readers’ view.

Do you have a long term plan with your book?

Other than continuing to run promotions to keep the series in front of readers, I have been thinking of two ideas with this series going forward. I want to explore optioning the series for the film medium and releasing it as a graphic novel. These are just thoughts at this point but definitely something I plan to look into seriously soon.

What would you like to say to your readers and fans about your book?

The world out there is a tough place at the moment. We have barely come out of the biggest pandemic in recent history and now there’s war and inflation and everything else that makes you sigh and want to wish it away. Well, we can’t wish tough times away, but here’s a book series that will make you laugh and bring you joy. 

The Lightbound Saga is fun and full of hope, and as you cheer the protagonist, thirteen-year-old Maia on her tough and epic journey to unite and rescue her world, you’ll surely find your heart surging with happiness. Pick up the first book in the series, Maia and the Xifarian Conspiracy, now FREE on Amazon. 

And to all my fans out there, everyone who has patiently waited for me to complete this series—hope you enjoy the final installment as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

 

Inside the Series

13-year-old Maia is a land-dwelling Solianese living on the planet of Tansi. She has been raised by her doting grandfather. Her mother, Sophie, supposedly deceased, is accused to be a traitor who fought for the Xifarians who have subjugated Tansi. Loathing her family’s history, Maia has put herself into self-exile, vowing to steer clear of the temptations that led her mother astray. But when she is drafted into a peace summit by the Xifarians, she must walk into Xif, the planet she has always wanted to avoid. Here she meets loyal teammates Kusha, Dani, Nafi, and Ren, as well as Miir, their Xifarian team mentor who is as accomplished as he is temperamental. As Maia and her teammates thwart a plot to harm the underwater settlements on Tansi, she also discovers that her mother, Sophie, was not what she seemed. Sophie sacrificed herself to save Tansi before the Xifarians could destroy the Tansian system.

Maia visits the Jjord nation in their underwater colonies on Tansi. More of Sophie’s secrets come to light while she is in the colonies as well as more of the Xifarians’ plots to rebuild the dark heart of Xif. As Maia’s link with Sophie becomes apparent, Maia soon finds herself in the crosshairs of the Xifarians who kill her family and send her running for shelter across the dead lands of the Solianese. Chased by the Xifarians, Maia barely manages to stay alive with the help of her teammates.

While on the run across Tansi, Maia meets a mysterious man who unlocks a power within Maia. When her mighty Xifarian foes corner her, Maia unleashes the power on them, overpowering everyone, including her former mentor, Miir.

Maia struggles with her newfound power. The team is on the verge of fracturing when Maia reveals she might have killed Miir. Meanwhile, the R’armimon, an ancient and powerful enemy of the Xifarians, are on the way to the Tansian system, seeking vengeance from the Xifarians. On finding this, the Xifarians grow desperate to resurrect the dark heart that would enable them to leave the Tansian system. Maia narrowly escapes the Xifarians’ trap with a mysterious ally but her new alliance takes a toll on her friendships.

Maia is alone and hopeless but she forges on to regain the trust of her teammates and tries to convince the Tansian leaders of the impending threat of the R’armimon fleet. With help from her allies, Maia continues to uncover more of Sophie’s past. Together with her friends, Maia rushes to find the artifacts needed to thwart the R’armimon as the massive Execution Fleet of the R’armimon appears next to Tansi.

Purchase Information for Series

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Tb71xt



Wednesday, December 14, 2022

🎈Happy Book Birthday to 🧁Operation DFC by Ashley Fontainne & Janelle Taylor🎈 #bookbirthday @taylorjanelle #PUYB

 



We're thrilled to announce the release of Ashley Fontainne & Janelle Taylor's Operation DFC today! To help celebrate, we are asking our readers if you can please pretty please pick up a copy at Amazon and come back and tell us how you liked it or leave a review at Amazon? And don't forget to enter the giveaway at the bottom of this page. Good luck! 


Congratulations, Ashley & Janelle, on your espionage military thriller new release, Operation DFC!












Arriving in Thailand for my first black-op, Operation DFC, as part of an elite team ready to act on recent intel that over a thousand men and/or their remains are still behind enemy lines, Bangkok is our last stopping point before slipping into Vietnam and extracting as many American prisoners as possible.

For me, this is personal. From 1971 to 1973, I was a POW; and now, ten years later, I work for the CIA under the fake identity of John Sims, Field Expert for Crop World, an international firm run by the agency.

While in my hotel room, the unthinkable happens. Bangkok may end up being my greatest challenge as my courage, patriotism, and honor are on the line, and I find myself in the toughest physical and mental battle of my life, wondering if Operation DFC will be my first, and last, covert mission.

Release Date: December 10, 2022

Publisher: Georgia Girl Press

Paperback: ‎ 979-8366909396; 360 pages; $15.99; Kindle $5.99

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3BKSodF 

You can also purchase at these retailers: https://books2read.com/u/mg1pBq
 
Book Excerpt:

Rescuing American soldiers out of grimy pits in Vietnam is my life’s mission, yet I’m fully aware it is also a sensitive issue for both governments. Bartering for their return costs money, and the source of the rescue funds and the intent of the mission are both unknown to the American public. They will remain a secret until someone with a higher paygrade releases the information.

No one wants to endanger this crucial operation with loose talk or create an uprising against the VC that could lead to another invasion. If anyone outside the circle of trusted players learns what we are attempting, it will create a stink bigger than Watergate or the Pentagon Papers. Worse, leaked knowledge of our covert op could blast the whole deal to smithereens, and those brave, broken men might never taste freedom again. They would vanish permanently, just as I could have a decade ago if someone hadn’t risked his life to liberate me.

I will not let that happen.

The soldiers, and their loved ones, deserve better.

Pulling out the next piece of paper, irritation rushes over me as I read the typewritten words:

When WM meets with RL and supplies the code, RL will then give LAT/LONG coordinates to the exchange location near Paracel Islands to WM, who will return to BK and page team leader, RD, at 202-555-1717, and send LAT/LONG intel. Ocean transport of the rescued cargo will begin the journey, and the cargo ship, Triumph, which contains the physical funds, will head to location. Exchange of cargo and funds will take place on board.

“What the hell? Now we’re giving these monsters cash? Why did they tattoo the banking code on me? Why did the plan suddenly change this late in the game? I’m bypassing Carter and giving info straight to RedDog? I don’t like this. Not at all.”

On instinct, I re-read it twice, imprinting RedDog’s pager number before flicking the lighter. The ashes flutter to the floor. Rubbing the remains out with my foot, irritation morphs into anger at this last-minute shift of important details.

Reaching inside the bag again, my fingers touch a familiar object—the grip of a pistol. Before I can make sense of why a firearm was provided and how I can sneak it on the plane without getting arrested, burning pain shoots up from my palm and straight to my brain. Dropping the gun, I look at my hand, noticing several tiny needle pricks in the palm milliseconds before my vision blurs.

The room spins as my throat locks up.

Collapsing to my knees, I gasp for air, wondering what kind of poison courses through my veins as a vortex of dizziness overtakes my mind, followed by ebony darkness.


About the Authors


Award-winning and International bestselling author, Ashley Fontainne, has written over 25 books, including the short thriller, Number Seventy-Five, which took home the BRONZE medal in fiction/suspense at the 2013 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards. The paranormal thriller entitled The Lie won the GOLD medal in the 2013 Illumination Book Awards for fiction/suspense. An indie film based on this book, entitled Foreseen, is currently available on video-on-demand. Ruined Wings is about a young woman’s descent into drug addiction and is currently a short film. The movie is free to watch and share with others in hopes of starting a positive dialogue regarding addiction. https://ruinedwings.com/

Fatal Agreements won the 2019 Independent Audio Awards for best female narrator, Andrea Emmes.

Connect with Ashley to learn more about all her works:

Website: https://ashleyfontainne.net 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashley.fontainne/
 


Janelle Taylor has 9 NY Times Bestsellers and many awards along with over 65 million copies in print worldwide, plus ebooks. She is known as one of the “pioneers of the romance industry,” and one of the “legends of romance.” She is also listed on the Top 100 most famous Georgians. She has won many awards for her books.

Follow Janelle on Twitter @TaylorJanelle6 and Facebook.

Check her out on Amazon Author Pages: https://www.amazon.com/author/janelletaylor

Make sure to visit her official website https://www.janelletaylor.com/ to learn more about all her amazing titles!

 
 

Ashley Fontainne and Janelle Taylor are giving away two Kindle copies of Operation DFC!

Terms & Conditions:

  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • Two winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one copy of Operation DFC.
  • This giveaway ends midnight December 15.
  • Winner will be contacted via email on December 16.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 





Monday, December 12, 2022

⭐Pump Up Your Book Virtual Book Tour Kick Off⭐I Sang That by Sally Stevens #Memoir @sallytwitshere

 

A personal story of growing up in a "his, hers and theirs" family in the forties and fifties, and how a shy little girl became a second-generation singer in the ever-evolving music business of Hollywood…

By Sally Stevens



Book Blurb

This book is a personal journey behind the scenes into the world of music-makers who created the film scores, television music, sound recordings, commercials and concert evenings over the last sixty years.

 It’s about a long singing career that began in 1960 with concert tours – Ray Conniff, Nat King Cole, and later, solo work in concert with Burt Bacharach – to thirty years of vocals and main titles for The Simpsons, vocals for Family Guy…vocals on hundreds of film & television scores & sound recordings, plus twenty-two years as Choral Director for the Oscars. It’s also the personal story of growing up in a “his, hers and theirs” family in the forties and fifties, and how a shy little girl became a second-generation singer in the ever-evolving music business of Hollywood.

Release Date: October 25, 2022

Publisher: Atmosphere Press

Soft Cover: 978-1639885510; 390 pages

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3GmcBJD

Book Excerpt  


INTRODUCTION 


One day, during the period of the coronavirus pandemic that hit the world early in 2020 and brought activities to a screeching halt, I came across a box of sheet music I’d stored away—scribbled lead sheets of songs I had written back in the late sixties and seventies. Some of them were completed and I had actually recorded demos of them. Some were almost complete, but had a few missing bars of lyrics, or the pencil scribblings were so faded that I couldn’t quite make them out. 


I’ve spent hours during this last year sitting at the piano playing through those songs, trying to remember what person or what heartbreak inspired each one. I’ve gotten mad at myself for not working harder at them, for not believing more in myself and my ability to do that. 

There’s a little framed art piece hanging on the entryway hall of my house next to my front door. In black letters, painted artistically on a background that looks like it’s made of sackcloth, are the words of its thought-provoking message: “I am lost. I have gone to look for myself. If I should return before I get back, please ask me to wait. Thanks.” 


I see that little sign every time I leave my house, and I ponder upon its meaning. Why did I feel that message was so clearly for me? Was it a moment of clarity? Did I somehow lose myself along the way? Did I end up on the path I had not intended to travel? I spotted that little sign maybe ten years ago, when I was shopping in a neighborhood gift shop. It struck home immediately but I wasn’t sure exactly why. I just knew I had to buy it. Maybe writing these pages will help me figure it all out. 


The songwriting began for me decades ago when I was still in junior high school. It was partly self-expression and partly a conscious creative endeavor. That was when I began to think seriously about wanting to make a living in the music business. Though I’d sung with a little band of guys from my high school who performed for dances at the Elks Lodge, my first real professional audition happened one day in 1957 during my last year in high school. It was through the kindness of a lighting man who had been on the road with my father when he was road manager for Holiday on Ice that I got a chance to audition for one of the afternoon TV talk shows produced in Los Angeles. The lighting man had remembered my father talking about his daughter who wanted to be a singer, and he was now working at CBS TV on the afternoon show. The band was looking for a singer, and my dad had successfully convinced the lighting man that I was pretty good, so he somehow managed to get me involved in the auditions. 


I couldn’t believe this really was happening. At that point I was still pretty shy, so I lived somewhere between adequate self-confidence and total fear and paranoia. Part of me must have thought that I might somehow, at seventeen years of age, be good enough to get hired on a network TV show. The other part of me was scared to death I wouldn’t be able to pull it off. 


I wish I could tell you the name of the show, but it has long escaped my memory, along with the name of the song I sang. I was terribly nervous, and on top of just being nervous about the singing, I had never driven into “the city” from the little town of Tujunga where we lived. 


CBS Studio was, and still is, at the corner of Fairfax Boulevard and Beverly Boulevard, sort of on the west edge of Hollywood. Tujunga is in the low hills at the far north end of the San Fernando Valley. There was no Siri in those days to tell you where to turn, nor any Google Maps on the dashboard. So my mother wrote out careful instructions for me, and I tried to follow them. I don’t think she was terribly happy about this audition that my father had helped arrange. Cautionary lights were blinking on and off in my mother’s mind. 


I pulled up to the guard gate at the CBS lot and told the guard I was there for an audition. He had my name on his list, and eventually I found my way through the hallways to the right studio. The musical director of the show was standing down at the front of the auditorium. I made my way through the empty aisles and he waved me over to the bandstand. “What are you singing for us?” he asked. I handed him my music. He handed the music to the piano player as I walked up onto the little stage into position in front of the standing mic. The piano player started the intro, and I sang my song, nervous but still persevering. 


When I finished, the musical director walked over to me, handed me back my sheet music, and said, “Honey, why don’t you find a nice boy and get married?” 


The drive home was painful in a different way than the drive into town had been. I was no longer nervous, just disappointed, depressed, and pretty discouraged. 


But here’s the thing. I did eventually find three “nice boys,” and I married them all, sequentially of course. And somehow along the way I stumbled into working successfully in the music business as a singer, vocal contractor, and lyricist for film and TV scoring, sound recordings, concerts, and commercials—with and for some of the best people in the business—for the next sixty years. I’ve been blessed to sing on so many projects over these years, as either soloist or as part of a choir or small vocal group. You’ve heard many of them, I suspect, but they were for the most part uncredited, which is the custom for us “session singers” here in Hollywood. I’ll share some of those specifics with you as we travel together through these pages. 


The journey through all those years, between the tragic events of that day at CBS and today, has been a fascinating and blessed one. Perhaps I should dedicate this book to those three sequential husbands I mentioned earlier, and to that unknown music director at CBS who unwittingly provided the initial challenge to do it all.

More...
 




About the Author

Sally Stevens is a singer/lyricist/choral director who has worked in film, television, concert, commercials and sound recording in Hollywood since 1960. She sings the main titles for The Simpsons and Family Guy and her voice can be heard on hundreds of film and television scores.  She has put together choirs for John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, Elmer Bernstein, and many others for film scores, and was choral director for The Oscars for 22 years. In the earlier years she toured with Ray Conniff, Nat King Cole and Burt Bachrach, and she has also written lyrics for Burt Bacharach, Don Ellis, Dominic Frontiere, Dave Grusin, and others.

Her short fiction, poetry and essays have been included in Mockingheart Review, The OffBeat, Raven’s Perch, Hermeneutic Chaos Literary Journal, Los Angeles Press, The Voices Project, and Between the Lines Anthology: Fairy Tales & Folklore Re-imagined.

Along with singing and writing, her other passion is photography, and her black & white photographs of film composers have been included in exhibitions at the Association of Motion Picture & Television Producers headquarters in Los Angeles, and at Cite de la Musique in Paris, France.

Website:  https://www.sallystevenswriter.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sallytwitshere

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/sally.stevens.14


Sponsored By:

⭐Pump Up Your Book Virtual Book Blast Kick Off⭐Sapphires in Snow by Amy Schisler #SweetRomance #CozyMystery @amyschislerauth

 

Cindy never had a real home or a real Christmas, and Jackson plans to leave home as soon as Christmas is over; they never planned on meeting each other, but now secrets from Cindy’s past threaten both of their futures…

By Amy Schisler


Book Blurb

The little white house on Main Street in Buffalo Springs, Arkansas, is the only home Jackson Nelson has ever known. With college behind him and both his sisters back in town to look after their aging parents, Jackson knows now is the time to make his big move. All he’s ever wanted is to move to New York and lead the high-stakes life of a real estate investor. He’s determined to leave town right after Christmas and never look back.

Cindy Kline has never had a real home or a real Christmas. Abandoned by her father and raised by an unfit mother, Cindy thought she had finally found the family she always wanted when the man of her dreams asked her to marry him; but when his Navy SEAL helicopter went down in a fiery crash before their wedding, Cindy had nothing left to keep her in sunny California. Packing her meager belongings into her old, beat-up car, Cindy drives straight to Buffalo Springs and to the only real friend she’s ever had – Andi Nelson. With Christmas around the corner, Andi, Jackson, and the whole Nelson family convince Cindy to stay through the holidays even finding her a job that may turn out to be a real career.

Just when Cindy is beginning to get into the Christmas spirit, her life is once again up-ended – this time by a series of break-ins and the news that her dangerous father may be lurking nearby. Cindy has no idea that her father’s mysterious past will put her life in jeopardy, and Jackson has no idea that the bright lights of New York are but a flickering flame when it comes to the sparks of the heart.

Release Date: November 11, 2022

Publisher: Chesapeake Sunrise Publishing

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3VsSVst 

Target: https://bit.ly/3uEJVop 

Walmart: https://bit.ly/3UuxwOe 

Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/3B5L8IX 

Books2Read: https://books2read.com/u/mZEXgR

Book Excerpt  


And unto you a child is born!” The child actor belted out the play’s most robust line with all the enthusiasm he could muster. 

It was all Cindy could do not to jump to her feet and applaud. She laughed and clapped along with the rest of the audience. When the play was over, she went with the Nelson family to the town drug store that boasted an old-fashioned ice cream parlor and soda fountain in the back of the store. The proprietor had kept the doors open late to welcome the theatergoers.

“What would you like?” Jackson asked as Cindy eyed the many choices written on the blackboard.

“There are too many to choose just one.”

Jackson laughed. “Andi is partial to anything with peanut butter, and Helena always goes for something super sweet and fruity like cherry or raspberry. Mama likes plain old chocolate.”

She looked at Jackson. “And what do you like, Jackson?”

She saw his expression falter for just a moment, and a curtain of pink danced across his features, reminiscent of the curtains that closed at the end of the show. He blinked and just as quickly as the odd look appeared, it disappeared, and he broke into a wide grin. 

“I always go for a good, old-fashioned root beer float with vanilla ice cream.”

“Would you believe, I’ve never had a root beer float?”

The look he gave her was one of exaggerated shock. “What? That might be the most un-American thing I’ve ever heard.” He clutched at his chest. “A shot to the heart.”

Cindy laughed, and Andi inserted herself between them to grab some extra napkins from the top of the ice cream display case. 

“Is this guy bothering you?” she asked with a mock scowl.

Cindy shook her head. “Not at all. This has been one of the best nights of my life, and I’m going to top it off with my very first root beer float.”

Andi smiled. “I think that’s a great idea.”

On their turn, Jackson ordered for them both then reached for his wallet to pay, but Cindy put her hand on his arm.

“Jackson, no, I can’t let you do that.”

“Why not?”

“Because I can pay for my own ice cream. You all have been so generous already.”

“Sorry, Cindy, but my daddy would skin me alive if he heard that I allowed a female to pay for her own ice cream.”

She frowned and said in a firm voice, “Jackson, this isn’t a date. I can pay for my own ice cream.”

Again, she saw his face redden. “I never said it was a date, and you should accept an act of kindness when presented with one.”

The cashier cleared her throat, and Cindy realized they were holding up the line. Embarrassed for drawing attention, she said, “You’re right. Go ahead and pay, but I owe you.”

“That’s fair. On the next family outing, you can buy me ice cream.”

Cindy accepted her root beer float from the young girl behind the counter and took a sip. She didn’t know how to respond to Jackson. She wasn’t part of the ‘family’ and didn’t know if she’d be there for the next outing. Rather than agree, she concentrated on her float and sat quietly while listening to the rest of them banter about Christmas and New Year’s and the June wedding. She couldn’t help but wonder what she would be doing by then and where she would be.

As she ate, Cindy felt a peculiar tingling on the back of her neck. She looked around, peering up and down the streets. Other families hovered nearby, eating ice cream, and several couples walked along the sidewalk. It looked like everyone in town had come out to see the play. None of the other theater goers paid any attention to Cindy or the Nelsons, and Cindy had no reason to be paranoid, but she could not shake the eerie feeling that she was being watched. 

More...
 




About the Author

Amy Schisler is a novelist, poet, children’s book author, spiritual writer, blogger, reader, and avid traveler with years of professional experience in all manner of writing-related endeavors. Whether she’s writing novels filled with faith and inspiration, books that children will love, or her weekly blog devoted to family life and faith, she loves connecting and resonating with her readers. Amy’s first novel, A Place to Call Home, a romantic suspense, debuted in 2014, and her much-loved Chincoteague Island Trilogy has won numerous literary awards.

Amy lives on the Eastern Shore of Maryland with her husband, Ken, their daughters, Katie and Morgan (and sometimes their daughter and son-in-law, Rebecca and Anthony), and their dogs, Rosie and Luna. When she’s not writing, Amy can usually be found on a boat in the Chesapeake Bay or hiking in the Rocky Mountains, most often with a good book in her hand.

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