Sunday Post #89: Fluid Art 5

Hello All. It has been a while. This is my latest fluid art piece. What do you think?

Post Rewind

📌 Aug 4th = Book Blast: An Imaginary Affair

📌 10th = WWBC #25: Fanfiction 

📌 (belated) 11th = Cover Reveal: Grimm Consequences

📌 12th = Cover Reveal: Ship Happens

📌 30th = VBT: Cutter Kauai Sea Adventures

📌 Sept 15th = Book Blast: Improbable MD

📌 19th = Cover Reveal: Veils and Vampires

Currently Reading

📖 Shadow Kissed (by: Rebecca Garcia) = page 56

*** If you don't have anything to say about this week's topic, you can comment on any other part of the post or just say "hi".

*** I am always having to edit many of my posts. If I made any grammar mistakes, I will eventually fix them.

*** The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Cover Reveal: Veils and Vampires

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding an art nouveau journal to a randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

I’m checking out the Bold Tsarina nightclub, even if it is owned by Konstantin, the Bratva crime lord who hates my guts. After all, the trip could snag me a high-paying gig for another mafia king, the infamous Caelin Vass.

Yes, that Caelin Vass.

I’m talking about the hot-as-sin social media sensation who’s rumored to be both a horrible boss and a blood-sucking vampire. And did I mention that Caelin’s also the star of my hottest NSFW fantasies? He is. Plus, that isn’t even the strangest part of my life right now… or the best.

Read my story and have some fun. You know you want to.

Read an Excerpt

Far up the street, a police car switches on its flashers.

This is getting good.

The driver's side door whips open and out steps Celin MacGregor, my would-be boss. The man does not look happy. He glares right at me.

“What're ye doin', lass?”

Huh. Vass' accent gets heavier when he's angry. Nice to know.

“Talking with some girls from high school.” I gesture to Devon and Shay as evidence.

Only the two of them are gone.

I frown. “Or, I was chatting them up.”

Caelin stalks closer. On reflex, I step backward. Soon my spine hits the glass facade of the building. It's not like sidewalks in Manhattan are super huge.

Caelin sets his hands on either side of my head, caging me against the wall. My blood heats. If I thought there was some kind of energy between us back in his office, it's nothing compared to what zings between us now. The connection becomes a charge of desire that prickles across my body. I might even be panting a little.

“I'll ask ye again,” says Vass, his voice low. “Ye know the likes of them?”

NOTE: CEE BEE also writes young adult fare under the name Christina Bauer. Check out Christina’s books at www.christinabauerauthor.com. There’s a literal sh*t ton of them.

https://christinabauerauthor.com/


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blast: Improbable MD

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotoins. The Literary Lobbyist will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

In Improbable MD, Dr. Derek J. Robinson traces his unlikely journey from fishing on the bayous of Louisiana, to an ER and helicopter flight physician in Chicago, to leadership in some of the US’ largest health care organizations.

The grandson of a sharecropper and son of a single mother, Derek grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Shreveport, LA. A graduate of the city’s public schools, he saw first-hand the difference that access to quality education and health care made within his own family. He shares how his dream of being a doctor became a reality, despite the odds, and why he believes mentoring and investing in young people is vital to the health of our nation.

Robinson takes the reader inside the ER, where he has treated victims of gun violence and shares how spilt-second clinical decisions and the trust of his patients, shaped his appreciation for being a doctor, But, even with many years of training, he exposes how it feels to reach the limits of what he can offer patients and even shares the pain and lessons he has learned from the illness and loss of family members. Beyond the walls of the ER, Dr. Robinson explains how we became a business leader in health care and influential voice in boardrooms.

Through sharing his inspirations and tribulations, Dr. Robinson inspires readers to push beyond both self-doubt and external obstacles to pursue their dreams. In telling his story, he shares the roles that faith, friendship, love, and fatherhood have played in his life, and he hopes to motivate readers to chart their own journeys to successful and fulfilling lives.

About the Author:

Derek J. Robinson is a board-certified physician in Emergency Medicine. He is vice president and chief medical officer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, a division of Health Care Service Corporation – the nation’s largest non-investor owned health insurance company. In this role, he leads the care management operations division and serves as the company’s primary health care expert.

Dr. Robinson continues to provide clinical care to patients in the ER at the University of Illinois Chicago where he is a clinical associate professor of emergency medicine. His unique perspective on the complexities of healthcare, including his past service as a health care federal regulator, have enabled him to influence the transformation of health care for Americans. He has been featured on WTTW, WMAQ, WLS-TV, BNC, and other news outlets discussing important health care issues and social A native of Shreveport, LA. Dr. Robinson resides in Chicago, IL with his wife and two sons. When he is not working, he enjoys swimming, cycling, fishing, and spending time outdoors. For more on Derek Robinson and his memoir Improbable MD visit: http://www.DrDerekRobinson.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway topics.

Release Tour: Ship Happens

 

When there is Love at Sea, will they be able to let go of the rules between them? In desperate

need of an escape, Macy Charmichael heads out on a weeklong cruise but when her longtime

friend with benefits, Tate Thron shows up unexpectedly, a cruise geared at finding love takes on

a whole new meaning. Fans of forced proximity will adore SHIP HAPPENS by Kate Stacy, a

sexy, friends with benefits romance.

Tate

Macy Carmichael has been my friend with mind-blowing benefits for a long time now. But, I’ve

been craving more from her. More than she’s ready to give.

When my siblings book me on an all-inclusive cruise, I jump at the idea of a free vacation and a

chance to get away for a while. Unfortunately, my meddling older sister left out a few important

details—like the name of the cruise. Love at Sea. Is she for real?

If that’s not bad enough, she signed me up for a variety of activities and makes me promise that

I’ll take part in every single one. She also failed to mention that she convinced Macy to book the

same cruise.

Imagine my surprise when she sits down across the table from me during the speed dating

event I didn’t even want to attend. All bets are off. I’ll be damned if some other man is getting

close to what’s mine.

Macy

Desperate for a vacation and break from everyday life, I take the suggestion of one aclose

friends and book myself a week-long cruise. I even go along with her recommendation.

The Love at Sea cruise aboard the Heart of the Deep. It doesn’t sound like a bad idea, even if

the whole cruise is based around the finding and celebrating love.

But when my best friend with toe-curling benefits, Tate Thorne, shows up during the speed

dating event, I know I’m in trouble. No matter what I do, it always comes back to him.

Maybe away from the hustle and bustle of our small town, we can finally explore something

more. That is, if I can finally let go of all the “rules” of our previous arrangement.

Ship Happens is a friends to lovers romance, part of the Love at Sea multi-author series. Get

ready to set sail through the Caribbean on Festival Cruises’ most alluring voyage with eight of

your favorite authors - happily ever after guaranteed!

Experience everything the Love at Sea series has to offer. From speed dating to masquerades,

guests are sure to enjoy the hot days and steamy nights. Explore hidden waterfalls, swim with

dolphins, and watch as eight couples find their forever on the open ocean.

Add to Goodreads!

Goodreads

Excerpt

Copyright 2021 @Kate Stacy

“I’m not going to apologize.”

Of course, she isn’t, but she could have at least said “hello” when she answered the phone. I

guess she lost her manners as well as her fucking mind.

“What the hell were you thinking, Taryn? A singles cruise?” I ask, putting the phone on speaker

and tossing it onto the bed. Might as well unpack while I talk to her. There’s more space in my

cabin than I thought there would be, and I’m happy I don’t have to live out of suitcases for the

next week.

When I got to my cabin and looked at the itinerary for the week, I realized we’ll be spending the

next two days at sea. This is my last chance to confront my sister before we set sail, and this

conversation needs to happen. It can’t wait until I get home. I’m irritated and I don’t want the bad

vibes ruining my vacation if I don’t talk to her about it.

My dear older sister apparently took it upon herself to not only book me on a singles cruise, but

to plan most of my week for me as well. My shore excursions are already booked at all three

ports. She even made dinner reservations on my behalf for a couple of nights.

The one thing on this ship she should have known I would be interested in is the tattoo studio.

She could have at least got me on the books while she was at it, but no, I took care of that

myself as soon as I realized it was an option.

“You’re a single guy and you need a vacation,” she replies after a minute of silence. That’s all

she says, as if it explains everything.

“Taryn,” I growl.

“The why doesn’t matter, Tate,” she says with a sigh. “You’re on an oversized party boat and

you’re getting ready to sail to the freakin’ Caribbean. I don’t see a down-side.”

“You wouldn’t,” I mutter, shoving an empty suitcase under the bed.

“What are you doing?” my sister asks.

“Unpacking.”

I can almost hear her eyes roll at my one-word answer. It’s a sure sign that I’m not happy with

her and she can’t stand it.

“Don’t be mad at me, little brother.”

Despite my frustration at the situation, I snort. She may be the oldest, but she and my baby

sister are pint-sized compared to me and my brothers. There’s nothing “little” about me.

“I don’t like that you all went behind my back,” I tell her.

“But if we told you, would you have gone?”

I don’t know the answer to that.

“I want to say yes, but I’d probably be lying,” I admit.

Taryn sighs, and I know she hates that she’s upset me. I’m not exactly mad, but I’m not happy

about the fact that every single one of my siblings plotted and planned to get me on this singles

cruise knowing it’s not something I would have chosen for myself.

“If I promise I had good reasons, would you trust me and try to have a good time anyway?”

Plopping my ass onto the bed next to my other suitcase, I sigh and rub the back of my neck.

“Of course I’m gonna try to have a good time, sis. I just… you’re really not gonna tell me?”

“You’ll figure it out soon enough, and when you do, you’ll forget that you were ever mad.”

The smile I hear in her voice makes my remaining irritation fade. She sounds so sure of herself.

I’m dying to know what she’s refusing to tell me, but she’s the most stubborn of all my siblings. I

won’t get her to cave and reveal the truth. Not now.

“I’m gonna hold you to that,” I tell her.

“Good,” she says happily. “What are your plans for the rest of the day?”

“You booked everything, so you shouldn’t have to ask.”

“Which is why I know you have nothing going on until tomorrow evening. How are you gonna fill

your time? I’ve never been on a cruise. I have to live vicariously through you.”

Chuckling, I get up to finish unpacking while I resist the urge to be a smartass. She could have

easily booked the cruise for her and Wade instead of me. I would have even volunteered to

babysit. I don’t say it, though.

“As soon as I finish unpacking, I’m gonna plant my ass in the hammock on my balcony and

watch the scenery as we set sail.” I hear her sigh. “At least until I get hungry. I mean, I’ll

eventually have to go on the hunt for some food.”

“And tomorrow?”

“I’ll worry about that tomorrow.”

About Kate Stacy

Author of emotionally-gripping, contemporary romance, Kate Stacy’s novels feature sassy

heroines, swoony heroes, life, love, friendship, and all the angst. When she’s not writing or

spending time with her family and friends in small-town North Carolina, Kate can most likely be

found nose deep in her Kindle. She stays up too late, swears too much, and loves too hard.

Website

Review

It was a very easy and quick read. 

I only wish my siblings would do for me what Tate's did for him. Macy and Tate made a cruise sound fun. I am looking forward to reading That Ship has Sailed.

Rating: 😊 😊 😊 😊 😊

About The Love at Sea Series

Get ready to set sail through the Caribbean on Festival Cruises’ most alluring voyage with eight

of your favorite authors - happily ever after guaranteed!

Experience everything the Love at Sea series has to offer. From speed dating to masquerades,

guests are sure to enjoy the hot days and steamy nights. Explore hidden waterfalls, swim with

dolphins, and watch as eight couples find their forever on the open ocean.

Each story features a brand new couple and a fun trope from our amazing line up of authors

including: Kate Stacy, HM Thomas, Mari Sol, S.A. Clayton, T.L. Anderson, Karigan Hale, Susan

Renee, and A.M. Williams.

This promotional event is brought to you by The Indie Pen PR

VBT: Cutter Kauai Sea Adventures (Series)

 

Cutter Kauai Sea Adventures (Series)

by Edward Hochsmann 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

GENRE: Action/Adventure, Contemporary

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dagger Quest

An aging Coast Guard patrol boat is all that stands between the world and nuclear annihilation!

The world is on the brink of war, with NATO mobilizing to counter a Russian threat to Poland 

and Lithuania and leaders openly discussing war options. In the midst of the crisis, a Russian 

bomber collides with a U.S. fighter off Florida causing the accidental launch of a nuclear-tipped 

hypersonic missile.

A Coast Guard cutter on a routine patrol finds a drug-laden sailboat smashed and adrift north of 

the Florida Keys. The boat’s damage is from a near miss by the Russian missile which has not 

harmlessly flown deep into the Gulf of Mexico as initially thought, but crashed somewhere in the 

Keys.

The Coast Guard crew is in a race against a vicious and powerful international crime syndicate 

to find and recover the Russian nuke before its discovery can trigger a nuclear war.

Exploring the friendship and teamwork of a typical ship's crew, in the face of unexpected and 

hazardous challenges, Dagger Quest provides a fast-paced, taut story - excellent fare for both 

sea adventure and military thriller fans.

Excerpt: 

Ben’s first encounter with the 252 Syndicate ends in a high-speed chase through Key West, 

Florida:

Ben slowed and veered right onto Flagler with a screaming of tires and modest fishtailing as he 

straightened on the new path. Their pursuers also swung in behind them from Roosevelt a few 

seconds later. 

“Floor it! We’ll be hanging a right on Tenth in ten blocks, same tactic. Keep hitting that horn!”

Ben stayed on the horn, dodging through traffic at speeds approaching fifty miles per hour. 

“Counting down,” Simmons said, “Fourteenth, Thirteenth, twelfth, Eleventh, slow down and 

prepare to hang a right, NOW!” 

Ben executed another tire-squealing turn and straightened out, heading north on Tenth, gunning 

the engine and leaning on the horn. 

“Stand by to hit the brakes!” Simmons shouted. “Steady, steady, NOW, hit the brakes!”

Ben stood on the brake pedal, tires shrieked, and the anti-lock braking chattered. After skidding 

to a stop in the middle of the street next to a large lagoon, Simmons shouted, “Get down!” He 

opened both doors on his side of the car, using the rear door for cover. 

Ben dropped behind the seat as their pursuer began screeching to a stop. Suddenly, there was 

a tremendous crash with the sound of tearing metal and followed by a large splash. Simmons 

shut the doors and said in a normal tone, “OK, let’s roll. Back to the base, nice and easy.”

Ben shot up and saw several figures in combat gear with guns drawn running forward from an 

SUV stopped in the middle of Tenth Street. The car chasing them was coming to rest upside 

down in the lagoon. “WHAT—THE—HELL!” he shouted at Simmons.

“Come on, friend, we need to move it. It’s handled. We’re clear now, so stay law-abiding all the 

way, please.” 

Ben stared at him for a few seconds, then pressed the accelerator. The engine raced briefly, 

and then, with shaking hands, Ben shifted into Drive. 

“See, you’re a natural,” Simmons said with a smile. “You didn’t even realize you shifted into 

Park.”

Caribbean Counterstrike

Mission: Five days to destroy the enemy in the Caribbean before a catastrophic weapon is

unleashed—but all he can think about is the woman he left behind…

The deadliest nerve gas ever made has fallen into the hands of a murderous Caribbean drug

cult. The criminal 252 Syndicate has the gas in a secret lab on an oil rig servicing ship, but the

ship has been taken for ransom by the Salinas Cartel in a violent drug war. The U.S. can’t use

airstrikes and calls on Coast Guard Officer Ben Wyporek to lead his crew through a risky covert

raid on the Salinas cult’s fortified island base. He accepts the assignment, but remembers a

previous lethal encounter with the 252s and struggles to say goodbye to the love of his life,

Victoria Carpenter.

Ben and his crew aboard the stealth-equipped Cutter Kauai must sneak into the harbor and tow

the ship away. But if Kauai is detected and defeated, death by gas or at the hands of vicious

adversaries will follow. Now, every decision Ben makes will determine the fate of his entire

crew—and the chances of reuniting with Victoria.

Excerpt:

An amusing incident occurs during a test and evaluation session at the Atlantic Undersea Test

and Evaluation Center:

They had repeated the cycle enough times to get a reasonably rich dataset when something

went awry. A defect in one canister’s fins created a “wobble” in flight that caused it to fall behind

its companions. When the dispersing charge fired, it was just forward of the speeding RHIB and

doused it and its occupants with two-and-a-half gallons of bright blue paint. Lee closed the

throttle slowly to bring the boat to a smooth stop, took off her paint-coated sunglasses, and said,

“Everybody OK? Give me a thumbs up!”

After getting a thumbs-up from both passengers, Lee shook off her hands, put them on her hips,

and glared at DeChamps.

“I think some of our projectiles might need adjustment,” the engineer said, squinting up at Lee

while holding his paint-fouled glasses.

“Ya think?” Lee replied.

“Kauai-One, Kauai, report!” her radio barked.

“Kauai, Kauai-One, direct hit by blue paint, no damage or casualties,” Lee replied.

“Kauai-One, Kauai, roger, cancel operation and return to ship.”

“Kauai, Kauai-One, WILCO, out.” Lee took a deep breath and turned to Connally. “Sean,

carefully help Mr. DeChamps with his glasses.” She swished her sunglasses clean in the water

beside the RHIB, then sat back down at the helm. Once Connally had helped DeChamps with

his glasses and both were seated again, Lee opened the throttle and headed back to the patrol

boat. I’ll bet the cameras got an awesome shot of this. I’m SO looking forward to seeing it again,

and again, and AGAIN!

While operating the boat crane, Jenkins left the RHIB at the deck rail after the crew climbed out

so the paint could be hosed off before returning to its cradle. The XO met them there with an

armful of sodas—he knew they would be dried out after a couple of hours in the sun. He was

always doing thoughtful things like this, unlike any other officer Lee had ever served with, and it

was the thing she liked most about him.

“So, Petty Officer Lee,” he said with a perfectly straight face as he handed her a can of Coke. “I

think we need to get you some vacation time. You’re looking mighty blue.”

Ha, ha, ha! So, it starts already! Lee paused after taking the Coke and replied, “Thanks, sir. You

know, XO, you’re wasting your talents here on the bounding main. You should run a comedy

podcast!”

A New Captain’s First Patrol Turns into a Fight for Their Lives

Young Coast Guard Lieutenant Haley Reardon has not even gotten her feet on the ground on

her new patrol boat command when she finds herself and her crew supporting a dangerous

covert mission. They must insert and retrieve a Defense Intelligence Agency operations team

trying to seize a transnational criminal syndicate boss from a small Caribbean island controlled

by a front company of the Chinese government and protected by a superior military force.

A honeymoon period would be lovely, but, as always, the world gets a vote.

Can Haley avoid leaving the DIA team to their fate, when attempting to rescue them could

destroy her crew and boat and lead to war?

This third installment of the series conveys the humor, friendships, and teamwork of Kauai's

crew from the previous books, with a new series of exciting actions from search and rescue to

combat. The crew and their new skipper must come together for the toughest mission they have ever faced.

Excerpt:

Phillip Murray, his wife and two daughters have been retrieved from their stricken sailboat in the

middle of Hurricane Jacob and are now en route to Kauai aboard the cutter’s small rigid hull

inflatable boat (RHIB):

The big crewman placed his hand on a grab handle and shouted, “Hold this, stay down, and

keep your arms inside the boat!” Once Murray had a firm grip, the crewman pulled a strap

across his lap, fastened it to a ring fitting on the deck, and cinched it. The small orange boat

pitched up as it climbed another high wave, and the strap across Murray’s lap bit into him as

they seemed to come near to vertical. Then the bow suddenly pitched down for yet another

sickening drop to a tremendous splash.

That’s it! We’re done for! Murray thought as wind and water tugged at his body. But the boat

came up again, the deck cleared, and from what he could see with his spray-fogged eyes,

everyone was still there. He looked toward Gemma, sitting beside him with her free arm

stretched across Jamie’s and Lydia’s chests, and placed his free hand over hers on the grab

handle. They rode out two more monstrous wave events before reaching the cutter, which

provided little shelter from the gale for the tossing boat.

Murray had turned to look at the nearby cutter when a gunshot rang out, followed by the thump

of a line on the bow. Murray surmised the winds were too high for a standard heaving line, so

the coastguardsman used a rifle to pass a line to the boat. The big boat crewman was hauling in

a thin line that Murray knew was attached to the hook they would connect to the boat to crane it

aboard. This was the time of maximum risk—with the cutter and boat writhing in the wind and

seas, attaching the hook would be a nightmare. He leaned over to cover Gemma’s head with his

body and closed his eyes.

And then he prayed.

Author Bio:

Edward Hochsmann is the pen name of a retired U. S. Coast Guard search and rescue and law

enforcement professional. The veteran mariner, aviator, college professor, and defense analyst

has added “author” to his list of experiences. Ed likes reading, police procedurals, contemporary

music on the road, and classical music in the office. After a career traveling from Australia in the

west to Italy and Germany in the east, Ed has settled into a quiet life in the Florida Panhandle to

focus on writing (and not shoveling snow!)

Ed has two novels published right now (plus one launching in August 2022) in the Cutter Kauai

Sea Adventures series about a Coast Guard patrol boat assigned to "special" missions. Dagger

Quest takes place in the Florida Keys and involves an aging Coast Guard patrol boat dragooned

into a search for a lost Russian nuclear weapon in a time of international crisis. The second,

Caribbean Counterstrike, features the same patrol boat and crew, now with equipment and

training upgrades, sent to recover a deadly nerve gas from a murderous Caribbean drug cartel.

Bravely and Faithfully has Kauai, under a new captain supporting a covert raid on a Caribbean

island held by the Chinese.

Ed's second series, C6S: Patrol Force deals with a combined defense establishment and

constabulary for a galactic economic empire called the Confederation of the Six Systems (C6S).

Ed has published two novellas and a novel-length collection late last year.

Website

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. 

Rafflecopter