Sidhe in the Catskills

There are two more days to enter the Pot o' Gold Bookish Event at https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/pot-o-gold-bookish-event. You could win a $15 Amazon giftcard. 

You could also buy PRINCE OF THE MIST for only #99cents.  I saved a bunch of reviews Prince of the Mist received when it was released the first time. For the second edition, it is the same great book. The only difference is the cover. 😁

Now is the time for you to download Prince of the Mist because it's almost St. Patrick's Day and this is a story about one of the large, human-sized Irish fairies known as the Sidhe--except the hero of this book lives in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Sidhe in the Catskills you might ask? Of course! While the legends about the Sidhe come from Ireland, there are fairies in other countries. You can find a wealth of information about mythical creatures at http://www.kelleyheckart.com/FaeryLore.html

This book was fun to write and many reviewers enjoyed it as well. Read below to see what some reviewers said about the first edition.

Candy, reviewing for Coffee Time Romance, gave PRINCE OF THE MIST 5 Coffee Cups and said, “The conflicts between Tia and Wildon are full of humor and pathos. Their lovemaking is explosive. There is action and suspense as Tia fights her mother’s enemies. I enjoyed this book and I hope this is the beginning of a new series by Penelope Marzec. I look forward to reading more of her books.”

Julie Bonello at ECataRomance Reviews gave PRINCE OF THE MIST 4 Stars and said, “Penelope Marzec’s novella Prince of the Mist is an enchanting paranormal romance which will keep you enthralled from the first page to the last sentence!.....Prince of the Mist is a page-turning story which you will find very hard to put down. Penelope Marzec is a very talented author who keeps her readers hooked with this fabulous story which is full of fun, passion and intrigue.”

For PRINCE OF THE MIST, Valerie at Love Romances said, “Penelope Marzec has written a good book with a good plot. This reviewer was drawn in with the first page. There is lots of action and the opening is quite exciting. When Tia is running away from the car jacker, the reader feels her panic and fear. Tia is a heroine who the reader can relate to.”

The book received Four Angels from Brandy at Fallen Angel Reviews who said, “Ms. Marzec has created a sweet story that covers the full range of emotions. The plot is simple, but effective; the characters are likable and easy to relate to….. All in all, this is an excellent story and well worth reading.”

Brenda Thatcher, Reviewer at Mystique Books gave it Four and One Half Moons. She said, “PRINCE OF THE MIST is a wonderful book, a tender tale of love set against a politically hot topic….PRINCE OF THE MIST is highly recommended. It is a beautiful story of love that shows how two people from vastly different cultures can find unity.”

Wendi at Road to Romance said, “PRINCE OF THE MIST is so well written and spellbinding, my attention was grabbed from the beginning. I read the story all at once.”

Romance Junkies Reviewer Billie Jo awarded PRINCE OF THE MIST a Blue Ribbon Rating of 4.5 and said, “PRINCE OF THE MIST is a charming, sexy, and fun read. Penelope Marzec outdoes herself again with another magical love story that kept me enthralled from the beginning to the end. …I chuckled throughout this delightful tale. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Marzec’s books."

Susan from Enchanted In Romance gave PRINCE OF THE MIST 4 Unicorns and said, “Prince of The Mist is a 64-page story that will transport the reader to a magical realm. The author has written a fast paced and highly sensual story that will capture the readers’ imagination. The lead couple’s story and their struggles will draw you in and not let go until the very end.”

So there you have it. Lots of happy reviewers enjoyed Prince of the Mist. Give it a try. You don't have much to lose. It's less than the price of a cup of coffee. :^)

You can download it at https://www.amazon.com/Prince-Mist-Penelope-Marzec/dp/1467901288

Pot 'O Gold Bookish Event!

 Are you feeling lucky? You could win a $15 Amazon gift card @NNP_W_Light’s Pot ‘O Gold Bookish Event. Check out all the featured books and enter the giveaway to win a $15 Amazon gift card: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/pot-o-gold-bookish-event 

Open Internationally. You must have a valid Amazon US or Amazon Canada account to win.

Runs March 9 – March 19, 2023.

Winner will be drawn on March 20, 2023.

Two of my books will be featured for this event, Prince of the Mist and Kiss of Blarney. Both are only $0.99! A real bargain! 

You can find the link with all the information about PRINCE OF THE MIST at https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/post/prince-of-the-mist-pog

One fan of the book said, "Ms Marzec does a wonderful job giving us a very grown up fairy tale. The descriptive writing and modern day issues make this story real. I highly recommended it."

I Am A Winner!

 I revised and added words to my current WIP. I actually finished the book and wrote The End. It really helped to have cheerleaders urging me on to victory.  😊  I LOVE this February challenge. 

Of course, I'm not really done with the book because I have to go through the manuscript again to double check everything as well as do a thorough spelling and grammar check. I also have to write a blurb AND a synopsis. I am not fond of those tasks, but I will muddle through them. 

Then I have to hope someone will thinks it's good enough. Writing is a gamble. But I do enjoy the drama with my characters. They always entertain me. 💖 

Guest Post: THE VISITOR MEETS OLD HAIRY by Fay Lamb

     My guest today is Fay Lamb. She is the only daughter of a rebel genius father and a hard-working, tow-the-line mom. She is not only a fifth-generation Floridian, she has lived her life in Titusville, where her grandmother was born in 1899.
     Since an early age, storytelling has been Fay’s greatest desire. She seeks to create memorable characters that touch her readers’ hearts. She says of her writing, “If I can’t laugh or cry at the words written on the pages of my manuscript, the story is not ready for the reader.” Fay writes in various genres, including romance, romantic suspense, and contemporary fiction.
     If you’d like to catch up with Fay, visit her at her website, on Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter. Also, Fay has become a “novel” gardener, and she shares her adventure in her newsletter, Tales from the Azalea Garden. You can sign up for her newsletter, Tales from the Azalea Garden, here.

Fay's newest release is THE VISITOR MEETS OLD HAIRY. 

Here's the blurb:

     The Visitor goes camping? Pollyanna Reagan can't wait to take her always-put-together, ultra-professional sister out into the boonies. But when they encounter what they thought was a mythical creature, they might both become sticks in the mud.
     Of course, when they find a body, a stiff in the mud, Connie shifts into deduction mode. Was the deceased somehow scared to death or possibly attacked by what should be imaginary, or are there other, more human and certainly more vicious, intentions at play?
     Match wits with The Visitor as she unravels this twisted puzzle and the family drama that surrounds it.

The Visitor Meets Old Hairy

Preview by Fay Lamb

 

Polly turned to her sister, her finger to her lips.

“I’m not talking.” Connie’s attempt to whisper had the decibels of a seven-forty-seven. Wind whipped hair into her face. “And who can hear anything with this wind. Give us a little rain, and we’ll have a hurricane.”

“Try not to step on the twigs.” Polly ignored her sister’s complaints. 

“We’re not on a path, Polly. The ground is littered with them.”

Ethan’s snicker took the air of frustration from Polly’s wings. She leaned against a tree and covered her face with her hands, trying to keep from bursting into laughter.

Connie leaned against her, her body shaking. “If Old Hairy was out here, we most definitely would see him.”

“No.” Ethan came near. “Aunt Connie, they’re stealthy and hard to spot even in the daytime. They hide themselves against trees and don’t make a sound unless they want to be heard or seen—all eight feet—no grunting from exertion, no stomping when they walk.” He glanced at his mom with a sly smile. “Some people believe they have a cloaking ability like a chameleon.”

Marc drew near. “And they read minds.” He wiggled his brows and glanced at his wife. “When they’re near you, their sub-sonic hum can make you deathly ill.”

They were making fun of her, but Polly didn’t care. Standing alone with her family in the middle of expedition and gabbing with the people she loved, that was all she wanted. “They hide in caves. That’s why they aren’t seen,” she countered with her own knowledge of Bigfoot lore. “And they’ve had years to adapt to the land; they know the layout.”

They remained silent for a moment as the limbs above them rustled.

“Did you hear that?” Connie spun around.

“With the wind?” Polly threw her sister’s words back at her. 

Connie waved her hands back and forth in front of her face. “And smell that?”

Polly took a deep breath and coughed. “That’s not a Bigfoot.” 

“It’s a skunk.” Ethan took off running through the dark in the direction of the camp.

Connie put her hands out to stop Marc and Polly. “Let’s see if he runs into it first.”

Marc laughed aloud. “Good idea.”

Polly spied something illuminated by the rays of the moon filtering through the trees: the white of a skunk’s coat.

Perhaps Ethan had been the clever one.

Polly held to her sister’s and her husband’s arms. “There.” She nodded.

The skunk stood up on two feet and looked around.

Polly held her breath, and not from the stench. Did skunks attack?

The skunk stayed still for a moment, looked behind it, and then turned to look in their direction.

Polly planted her feet so as to run if it moved toward her.

Despite the wind, tromping could be heard and then a heavy grunt.

The skunk took off.

Connie—and Marc—jumped behind Polly’s back.

More stomping sounded, coming closer.

An overly large figure silhouetted in the moon’s shine moved into the center of the trees. His attention was in the direction the skunk had fled.

Connie gasped.

The creature stilled completely. Then it turned.

“Stay still.” Marc whispered. “Polly, is it a man?”

“I-I don’t think so.” She trembled. “He’s huge.”

The huge apelike man stared. When it blinked, the action was slow.

It swayed back and forth like an ape.

Polly took a step back, forcing Marc and Connie with her.

The creature raised its shoulders, bent low at the knees, and inhaled. As it straightened, a tremendous howl built from its innards and reverberated against Polly. She’d never heard anything the likes of it.

The howl ended, and the creature stood stock-still, his attention never leaving them.

“Shoo. Shoo.” Connie moved her free hand.

The lumbering beast stared at Connie, blinked again, and turned. Then it thundered off into the woods.

Polly released her breath. “Was it really…?”

👀

You can find Fay Lamb and her Social Media Links:

 

The Visitor Meets Old Hairy: https://amzn.to/3iLN5Uk

Join the Expedition: Enter the contest by guessing at the clues given to you as to the location of each book in The Visitor series: https://www.writeintegrity.com/thevisitor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FayFayLamb

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FayFaylamb

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1482814.Fay_Lamb

Amazon Central: https://amazon.com/author/faylamb

Newsletter, Tales from the Azalea Garden: https://www.faylamb.net/contact

 

 

 

Did I Write Myself into a Corner?

I joined the #JeRoWriMo challenge again this year. Every year the New Jersey Romance Writers challenges their member to write 30,000 words during the month of February. So far, this year I've accumulated 20,000 words! 

This year I did not write myself into a corner as I have done in the past. However, I left out a very important fact about a secondary character's motivation, which explains everything about her behavior. 

Is there an easy way out?

There's plenty of advice online, but I found Ken Levine's suggestions useful for me--and perhaps it would be helpful for anyone.

The most important thing to remember is that the story can be fixed. It will be much better, too.

Have fun writing!

JeRoWriMo--The New Jersey Romance Writers' 30,000 Word Challenge

 I signed up for JeRoWriMo again. This time I'm doing revisions on a book I started in the 2021 JeRoWriMo Challenge. Last year was difficult for me, so not much writing was accomplished, but I am going to finish the book this time. It's a historical romance set in 1903, which is considerably more contemporary than some of my other historicals, but still an interesting time in the history of the world. 

I haven't decided on a name yet though I have a few ideas for the title. But right now, I want to get everything nice and tidy. 

The JeRoWriMo cheerleaders are in high spirits and encouraging everyone to keep typing! Good times!

No Snow—Yet

The Promenade in Keyport, New Jersey

      So far this winter there has been no significant snow in this part of New Jersey. We had a few flurries, but we’ve had a lot of rain. It hasn’t been very cold either, which is nice for those of us who like to get some fresh air and go for a walk. I realize at some point snow will fall and everyone will complain about it, but there has always been something magical—at least to me—when the first snow covers the ground and everything is clean and white—and quiet, since there are fewer cars driving in the icy conditions. 

     On the other hand, the drenching rains we’ve endured lately make for dreary days. I wear an all-weather coat with a hood. I hate rain running down on my head. Taking care of errands in the rain seems more exhausting than taking care of errands on a sunny day. 

     However, we are fortunate to have Bell Works nearby. Sometimes on rainy days we go there to get our exercise. There’s a lovely grand piano near the main entrance. Sometimes, hubby plays a few songs on it. Sometimes, someone else is there tickling the keys. A few days ago, we stopped in and listened to a young man who was playing old classics that we are especially fond of—like “Sway.” We were singing along. 

     The young man said he comes there frequently, but he’s not seventeen yet so he can’t drive and must rely on someone else to give him a ride. He uses his phone to look up the chords for the songs and he figures out the melody. I asked him if he could play “There Is Love” but he didn’t know that one at all. Oh well.

     Still, it is always a treat to see young people involved in making music. So, maybe rainy days can be magical, too. It was a joy to sing along to old songs on a rainy day. 

 Entrance to Bell Works