Book Blast - Tantalizing Tidbits by various authors

 

 

 

Tantalizing Tidbits

Ceci Giltenan, Tarah Scott, Sue-Ellen Welfonder, Victoria Barbour, Natasha Blackthorne, Ria Cantrell, Stephanie Joyce Cole, Kimberly K. Comeau, Kathryn Lynn Davis, Ted Grosch, Brenda Margriet, Mary McCall, Kate Robbins, John Robin, HD Smith, KyAnn Waters, and Victoria Zak

Genres: Romance, Paranormal, Contemporary, Literary, Fantasy, Time Travel, Historical, Women’s Fiction, Highland Romance, Humor, Erotica

Publisher: Cridhe Works LLC

Date of Publication: July 17, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-9909513-2-2

ASIN: B011YLKTWM

Number of pages: 411

Word Count: 163,205

Cover Artist: Zak James Design

Book Description:

A collection of short stories written by bestselling authors, representing an eclectic mix of styles and genres. In a word, this book is a smorgasbord; an opportunity to try a bit of everything.

In the spirit of the smorgasbord, the collection is presented as a menu and authors have shared recipes which accompany each story—some fitting, some funny, some simply old favorites.

Ranging from ultra-short but spine tingling, to meatier tales that are nearly novellas there is a little something for every appetite including comedy, tragedy, fantasy, werewolves, at least one ghost, life, death, and of course love.

Dig in. We hope you find at least one tidbit you enjoy.

Available at Amazon

Appetizers

Savory fare for smaller appetites - short stories from a wide range of styles and genres.

The Motorcycle

by Tarah Scott

Paranormal fiction

3074 words

No man can ever fully master memory. But maybe, just maybe, he can learn to live with it. Even be glad for it. Even if that means reaching across space, time...and the grave.

Ida and the Nor’easter

by Victoria Barbour

Contemporary fiction

8014 words

Is there such a thing as a curse? With a storm looming on the horizon, 98-year-old Ida Walsh fears a repeat of the terrible events of her childhood. Will her indomitable wit and resilience be enough to save the day?

Gardens

by Stephanie Joyce Cole

Literary fiction

4225 words

Anne begins to question the rigid limitations of her new marriage as she spies on a mysterious neighbor.

One Who Waits

by John Robin

Epic Fantasy

6538 words

Contains moderate violence

Al'a will die at his father's hands, unless he can master a forbidden magic.

Al'a Solaris, born into the Sun Priesthood, only wanted to prove his worth to his father when he delved into forbidden magic. Now, he must die at his father's hands, to restore honor to his bloodline. But the blade his father wields is also his final hope -- if only Al’a can discover its secret and master the fire within.

The Hole

by Ted Grosch

Literary fiction

Just exactly why is Bernie digging that hole?

The Spirit Bottle

by Ted Grosch

Literary fiction

A bushman's duty is his legacy for the tribe.

The Summons

by Ria Cantrell

Paranormal romance

5477 words

Contains mildly explicit sexual scenes

A magical journey where love knows no boundaries, the Summons combines romantic and ethereal love in a mystical setting.

Main Courses

Hearty fare to satisfy larger literary appetites.

The Seventh Sister

by Sue-Ellen Welfonder

Paranormal romance

12,439 words

A story of love, legend, and magic

Down-on-her-luck American artist Maggie Gleason returns to Ireland, hoping to put old hurts behind her. Instead, revisiting the fishing village that enchanted her twelve years before only reopens wounds – until the unexpected appearance of roguish pub owner Conall Flanagan proves that the Ancient Isle is a magical place where anything can happen and true love always stands the test of time.

Falling in Time

by Sue-Ellen Welfonder

Time travel romance/11,090 words

When love calls across the ages…

Aspiring writer Lindy Lovejoy knows all about happy endings. But when she travels to Scotland to research Celtic myth and lore, she never expected a chance to live her own storybook romance, until a stop at mystical Smoo Cave whisks her back in time and into the arms of Rogan MacGraith, a Highland hero who’d burn up the pages of the steamiest Scottish romance novel.

Clouds Across the Moon

by Kathryn Lynn Davis

Historical Women’s Fiction

17,151 words

In the 19th century Scottish Highlands, young Morna struggles with new motherhood, her child’s illness, and her inability to compete with her husband's idealized vision of her. Will she have faith in the magic of her dreams, and thus find the strength to save her child’s life--and her own--as she begins to recognize the truth and depth of the woman she really is?”

The Lady’s Portrait

by Kate Robbins

Contemporary Romance

17,332 words

Contains mild to moderate sexually explicit scenes

When Gillian Beaton meets the captivating Ciaran MacLeod, she’s immediately attracted, but is she ready to trust again? Have her demons followed her to Scotland and can new love grow out of old heartbreak?

His Harlot

by Natasha Blackthorne

Historical Erotic Romance

23,018 words

*Contains extremely explicit sexual scenes that some readers may find offensive*

Late one night, in the midst of a summer’s hot spell, Thomas spies Rosalind in the woods, clad only in her shift, dancing in the moonlight. It’s really more than a man celibate for three years can bear. Thomas is in danger of falling into a sin so powerful it threatens to challenge everything he thinks he knows about himself and life…

Sneak Peek at Highland Legacy: King Arthur Strikes Back

by Mary McCall

Medieval Highland Romance

12,494 word

Michael wed Christina when he was nine and she was three, then promptly went about his life and tried to forget about her. Now the pair must unite to thwart the Beast, return the Power of God that was stolen by their ancestors, and save the world in an epic battle between the forces of good and evil.

*Please note, this is NOT a short story, it is an extended preview of Mary’s next novel, book III in her Sisters by Choice series due for release soon. It is a taste of things to come and while it does not end on a cliff-hanger, it is not a complete story.*

Desserts

Looking for something lighter or perhaps a happy ending? The stories in this section won’t disappoint you. They are shorter and mostly romantic, or funny, or both.

Onyx

by H.D. Smith

Paranormal fiction

7099 words

Contains mild violence and a frustrating lack of S’mores

For those that like it short and sweet

Madison Monroe thinks she has everything in life figured out, until one ill-fated camping trip has her running for her life through the woods being chased by two wolves—both eager to claim her.

The Life She Had Before

by Brenda Margriet

Contemporary Romance

5429 words

A woman is torn between bitter revenge and the sweetness of a second chance.

Hi. My Name is Harold

by Kimberly K. Comeau

Humor

3778 words

Is there light at the bottom of an empty peanut butter jar?

For Harold, giving up peanuts for medical reasons means the end of life's greatest pleasure…until his wife introduces him to all-natural peanut butter. But his addictive personality isn't satisfied with an occasional indulgence.

The Jewel of Grim Fortress

by Victoria Zac

Paranormal historical romance

7105 words

Eradicating wayward supernaturals has its consequences.

The hereafter may be closer than Carson Kincaid thinks when he is charged to discover what ails Laird Maclean’s mind. Can Kincaid conquer his inner demons while battling the armies of evil?

Paisley Shaw, a powerful druid, has endured her share of hardened times starting the moment Laird Maclean stormed into her life. Now, she must find a way to stop him from taking her powers before it’s too late.

Beautiful Storm,

by KyAnn Waters

Erotic romance

7073 words

*Contains extremely explicit sexual scenes that some readers may find offensive*

Adrian Beck lost everything, including his passion for designing beautiful buildings, after 9/11.

Isabelle Clemet, of Clemet Hotels, is ready to rebuild after Katrina. She wants the Adrian.

Can an erotic late-night encounter on a secluded beach help a lonely architect rediscover his lost passion?

When a Rose Blooms,

by Tarah Scott

Historical romance

4353 words

On the anniversary eve of his wife's death, Nathaniel kneels at her grave asking questions he fears were answered the night she died. Despite cold solitude, desire flares when he learns the woman who now haunts his dreams awaits him in the great hall. By morning’s light, she will meet him on the battlefield he has built around himself, and force him to choose between the living and the dead

Sorry for Your Trouble

by Ceci Giltenan

Vignette

1913 words

Ceci shares poignant but sometimes funny memories of the first funeral she attended in Ireland.

The Personal Ad

by Ceci Giltenan

Contemporary sweet romance

4211 words

Always the best friend and never the leading lady, will Nina find love when she answers a quirky, sweet personal ad?

 

Excerpt from: Tantalizing Tidbits … Short Story: The Summons - Paranormal Romance - By Ria Cantrell

By the time he could return to the comfortable flat he was renting, it would be late in the night, or rather; early in the morning and he would fall blissfully into bed with no energy left for dreams that left him aching and troubled. At least, that was his hope. He had to concentrate and stop his foolish reverie of something that was not real; that would never be reality--only--somehow, despite his rationalization of it, deep down he knew she was as real as he was. He shook his head again as if the movement of it would actually clear it and he thought to himself that he hadn’t even been drinking or for that matter, smoking anything to make the fantasy take on such a life of its own. He had to stop it. He was a grown man. He felt rather silly for putting so much onto a woman that was not even real.

~*~

She had seen him again. She did not know what it meant, but she knew that somehow, he was seeking her, too. He was not of her time; that she was certain, although the way he wore his hair was similar to the men she knew in her village. He was tall and handsome, but his eyes held a deep emptiness that she, herself understood all too well. The time for her to have been mated to a man had long passed as she had been called to care for her dying father. There was no room for courting in her world where her responsibilities pressed upon her like the weight of the standing stones.

 

Author Name:   Stephanie Joyce Cole

Jeanine, thanks so much for inviting me for an interview!  I’m pleased to be here as part of the Tantalizing Tidbits blog tour.  It’s been great fun to be a part of the creation of this collection of short stories.  Usually, short story collections are connected by theme or genre, but this is a grab bag of stories.  Under “normal” circumstances these stories would never have been published together.  After all, what does paranormal romance have to do with literary fiction or humor?  But the joy in the collection, I think, is that it gives the reader a little bit of everything, and there’s the opportunity to sample a type of fiction that you might never have read before.  And of course, as an added bonus, you get recipes…

Did you always wanted to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?

I don’t think it was a matter of “want.”  It’s just something that happened. I have always loved books.  When I was a child, I hid under the bed covers at night with a flashlight and read, until my parents got wise to me.  Any kind of book would do.  My favorite place to hang out was the public library.  And so, as a natural progression, I started writing at a very early age—stories, poems, diaries and journals.  I didn’t have a specific ambition to be a writer.  My earliest ambition was to be an archaeologist.  I come from a working class family, and my parents always stressed the importance of my being able to take care of myself, so I studied law and was a lawyer for many years.  Now, I’m happy to have left that life behind and moved to the wonderful (and challenging) world of writing fiction.

When did you first consider yourself a “writer”?

Always and…not yet?  I’ve always written, but it’s still hard for me to tell new acquaintances that I’m a writer.  I’m embarrassed to say that it feels like I’m saying I’m a movie star.  (Not that writing is a glamorous profession.  It’s a lot of work!)

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?

My first novel (and the only one completed to date) was COMPASS NORTH.  I finished it in about two years, though I kept tinkering with it until I found a publisher and had to hand it over.   One of the advantages of writing short stories is that you can complete them within a much shorter period of time.  One of my short stories was entirely written during a long plane ride, that magical time when you’re strapped into your seat and there’s no where to go.  Perfect writing time!

What genre would you place your books into?

My writing lands squarely into women’s fiction.  It’s what I love most to read too.  I like digging into the challenges women face in the world, and the lovely and quirky way they address them.

Tell us about the main character of your story in Tantalizing Tidbits?

Anne has just married Martin, a banker who is pressuring Anne to be the perfect wife and to fit into his very structured life.  Anne is rather meek and compliant by nature, but in the course of the story, she starts to spy on her next-door neighbor, and what she sees starts to change her perspective.

Do your have a certain routine for writing?

I need a peaceful place.  I know some writers listen to music, but I need as quiet an environment as I can find, so I can hear clearly what my characters are telling me.

Do you read all the reviews of your work?

You bet I do!  If someone has taken the time to write a review, I want to know what that person had to say.  Sometimes it’s a bit difficult because I’ve had reviewers who’ve summarized the plot incorrectly, and there is no way to correct that, but in the end, candid reviews are valuable, whether you like them or not.

How do you come with character names and place names in your books?

It’s a random process.  Sometimes during the course of writing, the names change.  When I finished the first draft of COMPASS NORTH, I realized that, for some unknown reason, almost all the character names started with the letter “M.”  I had to go back and change many of the names so my readers wouldn’t be confused.  Names can suggest particular characteristics that reinforce the nature of the character, too.  In “Gardens” my main character’s name is Anne, a name I associate with a peaceful and quiet person.  (Of course, I am sure there are many Annes who don’t fit that pattern.)

Do you decide on character traits before writing the whole work?

No, my characters emerge as I go along.  My writing process is a bit chaotic:  I don’t write scenes in chronological order, and sometimes characters pop up out of nowhere.  And then they do what they want, and I just follow along and write it down.

Are there any hidden messages or morals contained in your work?

Oh I hope not!  I think fiction with an intentional “author’s message” tends to be heavy-handed.  But having said that, an author’s thoughts and values always worm their way into her work.  I value honesty and kindness, and my characters reflect my feelings about those traits.

Which format of book to you prefer?

Hardbacks are just too expensive, and they’re heavy to carry around.  I don’t buy hardbacks any more, and don’t aspire to publish in hardback.  Paperbacks are great because I do love a “real” book and the feel of a shiny cover and paper in my hand.  But honestly, eBooks are so appealing because they’re affordable and you can take them anywhere on your tablet or phone, so you’ve never without reading material, which is pretty important to me. 

What is your favorite book and why?  Have you read it more than once?

The answer to that question changes over time.  The book I’ve probably read the most often over a period of years is Amy Hempel’s short story collection Reasons to Live.   It’s not an easy book, but it’s so evocative.  Some of her stories touch my heart every time I read them.

What’s your favorite food?

As a former Alaskan, I can state unequivocally it’s wild Alaskan salmon.  Yum!

Your favorite color?

Pale lemon yellow:  a calm, sunny, happy color!

What’s  your favorite author?

I’m pretty fond of the brilliant Canadian ladies:  Alice Munro and Margaret Atwood for thought-provoking fiction, and Louise Penny for escaping into mysteries.

Thanks again for inviting me to interview.  I hope you enjoy TANTALIZING TIDBITS!