Practical Magic, Hocus Pocus and other such things!

It's that time of year! All Hallows Eve! A time of magic and wonder and delightful things that go bump in the night!

Today we're celebrating our favorite Halloween movies!! And we'll have some treats to hand out when you come knockin' on the door!!! So lets get started!!!





AMANDA
I grew up reading Monster and Creepy magazines (my dad was a rep for a Publishers Distributing out of New York) and my "first" scary movie I ever watched was Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte. (A couple of years ago I actually visited the Louisiana mansion used in the filming and our tour guide sat down at the piano and belted out the theme song! Made the hairs on my arms stand on end!!)

Hocus Pocus, Charlie Brown, are on my Halloween watch lists and even Rocky Horror Picture Show (when I can find it) but the one I love best brings out the romantic in me and that that's PRACTICAL MAGIC!









I can't decide if its the little seaside location, that gorgeous house, or the eccentric aunts played by Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest. "We have chocolate cake for breakfast here."--Perhaps its the hope of finding true love, overcoming evil, the power of family and friends that I find
appealing--not to mention the soundtrack!! Whatever the many reasons, I love that its a story where second chances are possible and love finds a way!

JACQUI
I love animated movies, romance adventures, and bride stories too 🙂

So it might be no surprise that for me (a writer who once worked as on an animator) one of my favorite Halloween-themed movies is Tim Burton's Corpse Bride.

The moviemakers sum up the story with two lines: Victor Van Dort (voiced by Johnny Depp) and Victoria Everglot (Emily Watson) are preparing for their arranged marriage, which will simultaneously raise the social class of Victor's parents and restore the wealth of Victoria's penniless family. But when the shy groom practices his wedding vows in a forest AND inadvertently in the presence of a deceased young woman (Helena Bonham Carter), she rises from the grave assuming he has married her.

The Corpse Bride (having lived and died and lost the most) has some of the best lines like the one below...

Another one of my favorite animated Halloween movies is Nick Park's Wallace & Gromit: the Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Love its tag-line "Something wicked this way hops"!

C.H.

We’ve been blessed with two beautiful grandsons, Jack age 8 and Hank age 5. Their favorite Halloween movie is Tim Burton’s: The Nightmare Before Christmas (also a fave of their mom and uncles). When I was the same age as Jack, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown debuted on TV (back in the dark ages—before cable TV when there were only 7 channels...wait did I just say that out loud?!? LOL)

Amanda and I share the same favorite—Practical Magic! Love, love the aunts: Aunt Frances and Aunt Jet. Favorite quote from Aunt Frances: “My darling girl, when are you going to realize that being normal is not necessarily a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage!” So much to love in this movie, especially when Sally hears the blender and wakes up Gillian and they dance down the stairs for midnight margaritas! 

Favorite quote from Sally: “There are some things I know for certain: always throw spilt salt over your left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for luck, and fall in love whenever you can.”

And did you read the good news that HBO is planning a prequel focusing on the aunts? Check out this article on The Mary Sue  Color me happy 😉 You can read more here on Nerdist.

REGAN

I love Halloween, the spooky fun and ghosts and magic in the air. (Although I'm not a fan of thre horror side of the equation and you can keep your mean spiders to yourself. 😉) Hocus Pocus is a Halloween classic for a reason and an annual tradition at our house. The Sanderson sisters are hysterical and I'm always game for a fun adventure.  Practical Magic is an October tradition too. My daughter and I make time for this whenever possible and it's truly one of my favorite movies of all time - no matter the season. 

"I dream of a love that even time will lie down and be still for." — Sally

That quote is like the best chocolate for the romantic in me. As an only child, I've always treasured the sister bond between Sally and Gillian, along with the lovely reassurance that there's 'a little witch in all of us'. (And it's always Midnight Margarita time somewhere!)

**EDITORIAL INSERT: CLEARLY WE NEED TO HAVE MIDNIGHT
MARGARITAS IN THIS GROUP!**

LIZBETH

I am the crew wimp! I absolutely love Halloween and all the pumpkin carving, costume-wearing, and candy that go along with it. But I am not much for Halloween-y movies and definitely not scary or creepy flicks! One time I went through a list of the "Top 50" Halloween movies and I've seen eight of them.

The closest to a "real" Halloween movie is Beetlejuice, which I loved. Otherwise, my favorites are movies that are a bit of a stretch for Halloween, like  Young Frankenstein, Ghostbusters, and Scooby Doo. But I have to admit a weakness for Linus and his sincere pumpkin patch in It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. I really wish for the great pumpkin right along with Linus and every year, I'm just as disappointed that he doesn't show up!

"I've learned there are three things never to discuss with people: 

religion, politics and the Great Pumpkin."  --Linus Van Pelt

Happy Halloween, everyone!

ANGI

If you've read about my favorites films, you'll already know that my favorite movie depends on the season and day of the week. LOL So...while I love all the movies my co-hosts have claimed... Right now I have to go back to the scariest book and movie I've ever seen... THE SHINING (yeah, the one with Jack Nicholson). It's crazy appropriate to choose this year since DOCTOR SLEEP releases November 8th. (Plus it's staring Ewan McGregor as the little boy all grown up!!!!) 

I remember reading THE SHINING while alone in my apartment. I quickly moved from the coach to my bed and stayed up all night to finish the book. By the time I reached The End...I was covered in pillows and blankets (as if those would protect me from ghostly spirits). 

This is not the best quote of the movie or book. But as a writer one of the scariest scenes in the movie is when Jack has finished his book and his wife is reading to find page after page after hundreds of pages of the same line (yes, every writer's nightmare!).

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

HAPPY HALLOWEEN
(And let me know if you plan on seeing Doctor Sleep.)

Now its your turn!!

What is YOUR favorite Halloween movie and/or quote?? 

LEAVE YOUR COMMENT AND EMAIL!!

One winner will receive this entire bundle of digital treats from our authors!!

E.E. Burke's Best of the West featuring a new release from Cynthia Breeding

Meet the gunslinger...

Abigail Clayton arrives in post-Gold Rush San Francisco as a mail-order bride to Travis Sayer, a man she’s never met, but married by proxy.  Rather a desperate measure, but a fresh start is just what she needs…  except that her new husband is dead.

Luke Cameron has been hunting the scoundrel who swindled his grandmother out of her life savings.  He’s finally cornered him in San Francisco. Travis Sayer runs a general store—no doubt purchased with fraudulent funds.  Luke intends to force him to sell, resorting to blackmail if necessary, only the man gets himself killed first. Now he’ll have to resort to a more devious plan.

What he isn’t prepared for is the lovely widow who has a plan of her own which doesn’t include selling the store or believing the concocted story he weaves.  She suspects he’s conning her and she ought to know. She barely escaped arrest in New York for doing the same thing.

Excerpt:

   Luke Cameron observed Abigail Clayton-Sayer’s reaction to his announcement. If he’d not had a gunslinger’s keen sense for an adversary’s slightest movement or shift in gaze, he might not have noticed the dilation that made her blue eyes suddenly look violet nor the quick, short intake of breath which made her breasts heave under the high-necked, proper cotton dress she wore.  Her facial expression was an impassive as a poker player and coupled with what he’d witnessed on the street two days before, he wondered again what her background was… and whether she was involved in Sayer’s scams. 

   Beautiful women often turned out to be Jezebels.  He should know.

   And then there was the fact that she’d married-by-proxy before she came West. Most mail-order brides waited until they’d at least seen their future husbands before tying the knot.  Had she known Sayer before?  Had she known about his schemes and decided she wanted to make sure she got half of what he’d swindled? 

   That she planned to stay and run the store meant she was ambitious.  Not that Luke would fault her for that, but how far did her ambition extend?  Would she be willing to collude with Sayer’s secret accomplice? 

   Time would tell. 

   But Hell’s blazes!  Did Abigail Clayton-Sayer have to be so damn alluring?  Her face was devoid of paint, nor did cloyingly sweet perfume cling to her. He caught only the fresh scent of soap and perhaps a bit of rosewater wafting from her hair. Even in the prim, high-collared calico she wore, he could detect delicate curves in all the right places. Her golden hair was pulled back in a proper chignon, although a few tendrils had escaped, no doubt from the wind on her way over.  His fingers itched to undo the pins and spread that golden halo with his hands as her sapphire eyes turned indigo with desire… 

   Luke gave himself an inward shake and refocused.  

   Right now, he had one foot in the door with his forged documents, thanks to a Pinkerton operative in San Francisco.  He doubted Sayer ever had plans to expand. The store was probably just a cover to launder money.  However, Luke’s original plan of exposing the man’s fraudulence to force him to sell the store and turn over the profits—if he didn’t want to get the authorities involved—was no longer doable. Now he had to find the accomplice, which meant he needed to have a connection to the store.

   “I’m sure you’ll find the papers in order.”  Pinkerton operatives were nothing if not efficient.

Meet the author

            Cynthia Breeding lives on the bay in Corpus Christi, Texas, with her not-at-all-spoiled Bichon.  She enjoys walks on the beach, horseback riding, sailing, and traveling across the big pond. 

            In an earlier life, she taught high school English and eventually went into educational administration, finishing that career by adjuncting at a local university.

            It’s much more fun doing historical research and writing romantic novels!

Contact Information:

www.cynthiabreeding.com

Twitter: @BreedingCynthia

Facebook: Cynthia Roepke and Cynthia Breeding

E.E.: What is your favorite fairy tale?

Cynthia: Not a fairy tale exactly, but the Arthurian legends.  I fell in love with Lancelot reading a children’s book when he rode in on a white horse to bring Gwenhwyfar to Camelot.

E.E.: What turns you off like nothing else?

Cynthia: The “F” bomb.  It is SO overused.  I think authors/screenwriters/directors who use this word for shock value are taking the lazy approach to writing.  The word is trite, uncreative, and misused as five of the eight parts of speech.  Use your imagination and come up with something better.

E.E.: What is the first story you remember writing?

Cynthia: When I was eleven years old, I penned a story about a girl and her horse (what else???) and titled it “An Award for Jo”.  Years later, I found the notebook while cleaning out my mother’s house.  Interestingly, it actually had a pretty decent plot.  I did some revising and published it (“Nostagia Road”) under the name of Cynthia Roepke.  I recently added two more books—“Down Nostalgia Road” and “End of Nostalgia Road” to make it a trilogy.

E.E.: If you could interviewing one person, who would it be?

Cynthia: Queen Elizabeth.  I’d love to hear what she would have planned as a career had she not become the heir to the throne.

E.E.: What dreams were realized as a result of writing?

Cynthia: My first book, “Camelot’s Destiny” (Kensington) won the “Heartbreaker of the Month” award with Rhapsody Book Club in 2006. Barnes and Noble also did a full window display for my book signing.  What a thrill!

E.E.: What do you do to relax?

Cynthia: There is nothing better than having a glass of wine while sitting in the cockpit of an anchored sailboat, watching dolphins play as the sun sets and listening to the water gently lapping against the hull.

Thanks for joining us today, Cynthia. Best of luck with your new release!

Through My Lens: Saguaro National Park

 One of the most surprising and delightful stops on our Southwest trip in September was the Saguaro National Park just outside Tuscon, Arizona.

As many times as we've driven west, we've never taken the time to drive through Tuscon. So I've never seen a lot of the Saguaro cactus in one place. We have been to Joshua Tree--great, but not the same.

We arrived around midnight in the pitch black and awoke surrounded by giant cacti. These pictures are from sunrise. O.M.G.   What a wondrous place.

Tell me about something wondrous in your life !!

WINNER'S CHOICE

Leave a comment to be entered in a drawing for a book. 

You'll have to check back and contact us if you win.

Taking Time to Smile - ThumbsUp Thursday!

My dad believed in the power of positive thinking and he raised me on the positive mindset philosophies of speakers and authors like Zig Ziglar, Norman Vincent Peale, and Og Mandino.

He believed in goal setting and giving your best effort and most of all, that where you put your focus is where you were most likely to wind up.

Dad didn't have an easy childhood, but he had a remarkably strong mother who refused to let him make excuses or wallow in a victim mindset. Between the lessons learned from both of them, I've done my best to shape my life by the examples they set.

Granted, as a teenager I probably wasn't nearly as enthused about the whole positive mindset stuff as I should've been. More than once when meeting him for breakfast, I remember telling him, "I'm positive I'm not a morning person." Yet, here I am, happily married for nearly 29 years and the mother of two grown kids. Those positive outlook lessons have kept me going through all of the ups and downs life has tossed at us.

For a little more than a year now, every Thursday on my Facebook page I do a live video... it's titled #ThumbsUpThursday.  The format is quick and simple. I hit the Go Live button and share the things that made me smile through the week. And I encourage everyone who tunes in live or catches the replay to do the same thing.

Where we put our focus really does makes a difference. It started with my dad teaching me to take the time to smile, to focus on the things - big or small - that are going right. In the moment, in the week, in the month, or in a lifetime.

As a new part of the Get Lost in a Story crew, I'll be doing a ThumbsUp Thursday post periodically here. And I can't wait to hear your responses.

Just this past week, in addition to the new gadets in our kitchen, I also had great converstaions with a few friends and a fabulous experience with customer service at Lush when my order arrived, but with the wrong stuff. (Having spent many years in customer service, I love it when companies get that critical connection right!)

Now it's your turn! What has put a smile on your face recently?

C.H. Hosts NJRW Golden Leaf Award Winning Author Leigh Raffaele

Please join me in welcoming today's guest Author Leigh Raffaele!

Meet Leigh Raffaele:

Author, Mother, Wife, Goat Farmer

If you're familiar with Goldilocks, you have an idea what my life was like. Growing up in the suburbs had been a little too soft. A short stint in the city was a little too hard. But a recent move to the country proved just right!

Married to my college sweetheart for over three decades, we now live on a farm in the mountains of north-western New Jersey. Surrounded by acres of pastures and woodlands, we have 20+ goats, a dozen chickens and are looking forward to adding a dog or two to the craziness. It's only natural that my two beautiful granddaughters call me Farm Mama. We'll have to see what name my two brand-new grandsons have in store for me!

To clear out my head in preparation for writing, I love jigsaw puzzles, coloring and am addicted to an odd combination of Hallmark movies, HGTV's Home Town, and Discovery's Alaskan Bush People.

The heroes in my stories were created by the examples of the men in my life--my husband's devotion to the family, and the protective, loving ways my three sons treat the women in their lives. I'm truly lucky to have that kind of inspiration!

So grab a cup of coffee and cozy up with a copy of my debut book, BREWED FOR LOVE, and see what small-town romance is all about!

Coffee, chaos & commitment, served up with small-town charm – where love is perfectly brewed!

Double Winner - 2018 Golden Leaf Award - Best First Book & Best Book by a New Jersey Romance Writer BREWED FOR LOVE

~ ~ ~

Where to find Leigh Raffaele:

Website:   http://www.leighraffaele.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/leigh.raffaele

~ ~ ~

Welcome to Cedar Ridge! A small town in north-western New Jersey where quirky residents are always under foot and loyalty is abundant.

The best way to meet some of the locals is at The Bean & Brew. Check in with owner Evan Cavanaugh, whose life is pretty good right now. It had been rough for a while, what with his father’s death and his wife skipping out on him and his daughter. But his decision to move back to Cedar Ridge to keep the family coffee shop going was a good one. Everything is brewing along nicely and then Nora Bainbridge strides into town, turning his world upside down. He knows he should stay away since the scars his ex had left him with have recently healed. But he can’t ignore the attraction, especially that his young daughter worships Nora, his friends are enamored with her, and his mother suddenly takes to matchmaking.

Not wanting emotional entanglements, Nora finds herself in a pickle. Her plan was simple—complete this final expansion project for mega-giant MoonBurst Coffee, get the promised promotion, and continue her life in the city. Problem is, the irresistible coffee shop owner, Evan, has her doing things she never imagines, causing her well, thought-out plan to come to a grinding halt. Falling in love with him and his adorable daughter has her following her heart and the emotional adventure she and Evan embark on is amazing!

Yep, things are going great for Evan, his daughter and Nora, too. That is until...Evan learns she is responsible for MoonBurst Coffee’s attempt to put him out of business.

~ ~ ~

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Brewed-Love-Leigh-Raffaele-ebook/dp/B075KQP2GY

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/brewed-for-love-leigh-raffaele/1127828427

Leigh is giving away an e-book copy of her book Brewed for Love! Leave a comment to enter.

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INTRODUCING...

Every now and then I get the privilege to introduce a close friend's book. I have been waiting a while. I knew the day I met Amanda that her debut wasn't that far away and I AM SO EXCITED!! You are going to seriously enjoy this series. I have an advance copy and LOVE IT !!

AMANDA REID !!

FINDERS KEEPERS

Adulting isn’t easy, but everything is finally falling into place for Sunny Flannigan. New apartment all of her own? Check. Dream job as a physical therapist? Check. Ex-boyfriend Cace Navarro back in the picture after her meddling older sister kept them apart for seven years? Check. Her crazy power to find things leading her to a stash of stolen goods in a library’s restroom? Womp, womp.

Just when everything seems to be going right, Sunny finds someone sabotaging her carefully planned world, sending Sunny and her boyfriend on the run from the police. Can she and Cace figure their way out of the web before Sunny loses her newfound semi-adult kind of life?
READ A LITTLE, BUY THE BOOK

A gust of chills stole through her, then a fine vibration buzzed in her fingers. The feeling, the one Granma taught her never to ignore said, Left. Turn left. Ugh. Not now. All she wanted was to shower and fall into bed. She could ignore the Gift's urge and continue straight. But it would only nip at her conscience, keep poking at her until she tossed and turned in bed, then went to find what needed to be returned to its rightful owner anyway. Without doubt, the person would come across her path in the future and Sunny would know. She bumped down her turn signal with a sigh. Left it was or she’d get no rest at all.

Flannigan DNA strikes again. She huffed a laugh.

A subtle pressure against her body directed her the way the Gift wanted her to go, to the interstate. Once southbound, she exited toward Killeen. Twenty minutes and numerous turns later, she pulled into the Killeen public library's mostly deserted parking lot. For a couple of moments, she let her ten-year old truck idle in the shade of a live oak while gloriously cool air slid over her body. She fisted her hands against the thousand needles pricking them. The closer she got, the worse it became if she resisted. Sunny reached for the door's handle and braced for the heat shimmering off the pavement from twelve hours of Central Texas' August sun.

The operating hours posted on the door said the library closed at seven. She flipped her wrist to read her fitness tracker—fifteen minutes to close. Better shake a leg. Sometimes it took a little longer to find the item. And if she had to wait all night, she'd never be able to sleep with it niggling at her. It’d only get worse during tomorrow, too. She couldn’t afford to lose focus during her shift. Those veterans deserved every minute she had with them. Worrying about finding something like a watch or a marble or a photo dishonored their bravery and sacrifice.

She scurried inside. Then shivered in delight. Ah, blessed cool. How Lacey loved the heat, Sunny would never know.

"We're closing in fifteen minutes." A fifty-ish librarian behind the counter pointed at her wrist which didn't even have a watch strapped to it. Thick copper-colored braids crossed over the top of her head. The only thing missing was the dirndl to go with the old-fashioned hair style.

"I'll be ready by seven." Sunny flashed the woman a smile. "Promise." A humph followed her, but Sunny wouldn't be put off. She slung her small bag across her body. If only she had a tote bag in case it exceeded the size of her tiny purse. She stopped with a hitch in her breathing. It sounded as if she would steal this thing. She immediately discounted the idea of turning into a thief, even for the Flannigan Gift. Besides, she’d never had to steal anything yet. Either it was out in the middle of public, like in a drain or buried in the dirt, or it was in a place where she could ask the person to hold onto it, like an antique store. She’d only had to pay for something twice. For heaven’s sake, she was in a library, right? It was probably a book that someone accidentally donated to the library. She’d check it out, then pay the fee when she ‘lost’ it. Easy as pie, as Mina would say.

She continued on, passing stacks to her left. Non-fiction. Fiction. Romantic suspense. Her favorite author grabbed her attention from the end of a row, and her fingers strayed to the plastic covered book. She pulled back, the pressure urging her forward like a hand to the small of her back.

Five more steps and the Gift’s force moved to her front, near her stomach. Her feet halted and the sensation eased.

She looked left and right. No. It didn’t want her moving either of those ways, the Gift held her right in place.

Dern. The sign on the door dead ahead made her stomach clench, despite the increased tingling in her fingers, a sure sign she was close. "The men’s bathroom?" she murmured, then glanced over her shoulder at the circulation desk. The librarian had her head turned away, perusing a computer screen. Sunny took a couple more steps towards the door sporting the women's room sign. Nope, the urge pushed her back to the men's door.

You have got to be kidding me. But if she didn’t find it, she’d get no rest. She whipped her head around looking for a witness. Coast is clear.

She slipped inside.

MEET AMANDA

I’m an author of light paranormal cozy mysteries, launching my first book in October 2019, with urban fantasy romance to be added to my list in 2020. Since I was little, I’ve been a reader and lover of mystery, sci-fi, romance, and paranormal books. Some of my early favorites were a Wrinkle in Time, Dune, and Lord of the Rings. Classics, right? I found my first romance book in my aunt’s closet around thirteen years of age and quickly decided it needed to be added to my repertoire. As do many readers, I had always dreamed of writing. I finally learned the secret, and I’ll let you in on it--do it. Sure, there’s a lot to learn about writing, but the first step is to put that story on the page. Then comes the rest.

As for me beyond writing, I was a career Army brat and lived in exotic locations like Tehran, Iran and DeRidder, Louisiana as a child. I obtained an International Politics degree from Penn State, and dreamed of a career in the State Department, but due to unforeseen circumstances I learned of much later, I ended up as a federal agent. I spent 24 years investigating murders, fraud, identity theft, drug dealers and many other crimes before retiring in mid-2019. As you can imagine, it’s given me a wealth of inspiration for my mystery and urban fantasy stories. I do like to help people get law enforcement right in their stories, so don’t hesitate to message me if you have a question and I’ll do my best to help.

Peace, love and murder, y’all!

STAY CONNECTED

| AmandaReidAuthor.com  | Facebook  | Amazon |  Twitter @AReidWrites

THE Q&A

ANGI: How often to you get lost in a story?

AMANDA: Of late, not as much as I’d like. Usually, I read two to three books a week. I thought once I’d retired, I’d have plenty of time even with my writing. However, as I’m racing downhill to get everything in place for my first book’s publication, I find I’m schlepping off to bed, exhausted and unable to focus on the words-and that leaves me quite unsatisfied. First thing I’m going to do is pick up the first one on my TBR pile on Wednesday. It’s all about the goals.

ANGI: What’s your favorite thing about your book’s hero?

AMANDA: I love how strong Cace is emotionally in two ways. Though this is told from Sunny’s point of view, you can see he’s gone through quite a lot as a veteran. I’ll be exploring more of his emotional scars in subsequent stories. I also love how he’s willing to understand not only how much he hurt Sunny years ago, but he also comes to understand how he needs to communicate with her if they are going to have any relationship at all. I think we all know how important talking to your partner is, and how relationships will fail without it. He’s a smart man!

ANGI: What’s your favorite movie of all time?

AMANDA: Tough one. I have so many “favorites.” If I had to have only one with me on a desert island, it would be Star Wars, Episode IV. I’m a paranormal/sci-fi geek along with my love for romance. Combine those two genres, and you’ve got galaxies far-far away plus Han and Leia fighting their attraction.  If you were a nice person, you’d allow me to bring two movies, and I’d add Episode V, The Empire Strikes Back. “I love you.” “I know.” Is there anything better than that? Besides, it’s a better structured story than A New Hope, but for sentimental reasons, IV comes first in my heart.

ANGI: Would you put yourself in a Fairy Tale or Action Adventure?

AMANDA: Action Adventure. As a retired federal agent, I enjoy the on-the-run, fast-paced adventures. I think my skill-set would be better suited to it, for sure.  Yet, the slower-paced Fairy Tale might be better suited to my blood-pressure.

ANGI: Favorite TV rerun you watch every time you channel surf? 

AMANDA: The First 48, an hour-long reality crime drama. The premise is that the odds of solving a murder are astronomically better if you can do it within the first forty-eight hours. After that, results tail off dramatically. It follows real police departments through those two days after the case is called in.  The evidence, the help they get or don’t get, the victims, the families, the witnesses, the suspect interviews—all of it is about as close to real police as you’re going to get in a murder drama. If they miss their two-day window, the show will follow up if the suspect is arrested before original air-time.  Can you tell I love it?

ANGI: Favorite date night…fancy or at home? 

AMANDA: Fancy-ish. My husband and I are creatures of habit and have a couple of favorite restaurants we like to go to from when we first started dating. A tapas bar with great sangria, a sushi restaurant with lychee martinis, and a steak house for special occasions like anniversaries. Otherwise, unless we’re traveling, we’re really rather homebodies.  We spend a lot of weekends on the road to the family’s cattle ranch in central Texas. There’s so much to do there, it’s hard not to make the road trip. But if we’re staying home and hitting a date night, those three are our go-tos!

ANGI: Geek or Jock?

AMANDA: Yes!  I like what are traditionally considered ‘geeky’ things like sci-fi, renaissance fairs, reading, science TV shows. I also like ‘jock’ stuff, like football, hockey, and shooting guns.  Can’t a girl just have a guy who is both???

ANGI: The most daring thing you’ve ever done… Care to share?

AMANDA: One might think it was signing up to be a federal agent with all it entails, but, no. It’s even contemplating hitting the ‘publish’ button to go live with my first book, Finders Keepers, tomorrow.  People may not know how personally creators take their works. To let my very first book, Finders Keepers, out of the nest to fly on its own is terrifying.  Will people like it? Will they hate it? I’m running for cover just writing this! And that’s coming from someone who investigated and arrested people for murders, drug trafficking, frauds, robberies and other crimes. That someone would be less scared of getting shot is what makes human nature so fascinating!

ANGI’s GOTTA ASK:  SHOW ME YOUR FAVORITE SHOES…

THESE ARE OMG SHOES !!

AMANDA’S GOTTA ANSWER:  Though we’re exiting summer, these little babies are holding a special place in my heart. I love the texture and the embroidery on top of the weave. So cute! And surprisingly comfortable. I wore them several days during a conference in New York, and had nary a twinge. Since I believe the taller you are, the skinnier you look, I adore heels, but my feet, not so much.

  

UP NEXT for AMANDA:

GHOSTS, PIES & ALIBIS

A Flannigan Sisters Mystery #2

The Flannigan Gift. Ha! Mina Flannigan Shaffer never believed in anything paranormal, let alone the claims her Grandmother and sisters had visions and other psychic abilities. This skeptic’s more focused on running Sweetie’s Tea Cup Cafe, rehabilitating her life, and spending time with her family after a recent split and reunification with her husband.

But her careful plans are upended when she learns she can see ghosts. Even worse? The spirit of a man who nearly caused her to lose her small-town diner blackmails her into figuring out who shot him. Now, this reluctant sleuth is hot on the trail of a murderer who is willing to kill again to keep their secrets. The suspects are piling up and Mina’s time is running out faster than icy sweet tea on a hot Texas day.

IN HONOR OF MY FRIEND’S DEBUT BOOK, I’m giving away a $25.00 Amazon Gift Card !!  You must leave a comment to open the Rafflecopter to enter. ENDS: Tues, Oct. 29^th !!

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Amanda, Angi, Fenley, & Susan

Your host, Angi Morgan

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AMANDA WANTS TO KNOW:  I’ve been a long-time believer in ghosts ever since we lived in a house the whole family believes to be haunted. Do you believe in the paranormal—ghosts, psychic abilities—or do you just enjoy reading about them?