Book Blast: Winter's Embrace

 

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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. A print copy of 'Winter's Embrace,' autographed by author Jennifer Patricia O'Keeffe. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Embrace the joy of Christmas and some yuletide cheer in this collection of five sweet holiday romances from four of today’s most entertaining authors! Featuring brand new stories from Pamela Ackerson, Jennifer Patricia O’Keeffe, Cindy Lewis Smith, and Jae El Foster, this anthology will help you hold the spirit of Christmas and the magic of true love in your heart the whole year round. Meant to Be by Pamela Ackerson: Single and starting over in tiny Lorman, Mississippi, teacher Faith Anjos dives into home renovations with tools in hand and a boat from herlate dad's fishing Sundays. Realtor Gabriel White becomes her unexpected ally, sharing lunches, family barbecues, and stolen kisses under patriotic park lights. But when a sassy ex-roommate stirs trouble and life's curveballs hit hard, Faith learns that true love thrives not just in perfect houses, but in the messy magic of Christmas cheer and forever promises. Window Shopping by Jennifer Patricia O’Keeffe: Single and sentimental, Whitney dives into downtown's dazzling displays—animatronic toys, frosted windows, violin carols—chasing Christmas cheer alone after helping coworker Chad remotely. Fate intervenes with a literal bump into charming Chad, leading to diner laughs, Santa's lap shenanigans, and hand-holding revelations. As they embrace kid-at-heart traditions amid bustling streets and Santa's sly matchmaking, a parade invite blossoms into dinner-and-movie dreams. Proving the season's sparkle uncovers love when least expected. Mr. Hollister’s Christmas by Cindy Lewis Smith: Thirty-three and resigned to spinsterhood in Goldfield, Josie channels her Georgia Christmas memories into a perfect Eve nuptial for Rose and Hank, footed by taciturn rancher Clint Hollister. Their prickly partnership blooms amid pine boughs, fiddle waltzes, and whispered regrets from a saloon-fueled mail-order mishap. When a wheel-wrecked ride home unveils Clint's hidden role in her arrival—and his lingering loneliness—snowy revelations ignite a romance as timeless as the stars above the Llano River. What the Snow Blew In by Jae El Foster: Snowbound in Deerborne, Connecticut, during a record-breaking blizzard, editor Carina Whitaker hunkers down with wine, her cat Tom Boy, and cherished Christmas ornaments—until a shivering mailman named Jerry delivers a package and seeks refuge from the storm. As power flickers out and drifts bury her home, candlelit evenings spark unlikely conversations, shared meals, and cozy traditions that warm more than the gas fireplace. Amid reading aloud by firelight and piano carols, holiday magic proves that what the snow blows in might just be the love she's been waiting for. The Magic of Mistletoe by Jennifer Patricia O’Keeffe: Sarah's winter break turns into survival mode: dodging doll-throwing dollops, sweeping glass shards, and sacrificing her office sanctuary for peace between battling children. Amid cold coffee confessions and contract close-calls with hubby Thomas,reluctant photos—test their bond. Yet as grilled cheeses soothe tears and starry-eyed surprises arrive post-midnight, mistletoe weaves its spell, transforming holiday havoc into heartfelt harmony and impossible dreams come true.

Read an Excerpt from Meant to Be by Pamela Ackerson

Faith Anjos pulled into the driveway of the house she recently purchased. She groaned when the tires hit a deep hole. Her truck responded in kind, letting her know it objected to the rut she’d drove it through. The boat she was pulling didn’t exactly like the driveway either. She white knuckled the steering wheel as the hole rocked both vehicles.

Faith gritted her teeth. Just what she needed. Give the new neighbors a show of incompetence as her boat tipped over.

Bloop. Bye, bye boat.

Nope, not going to happen today.

Pulling back out, she turned the vehicle around and backed the boat onto the grass on the side of the house.

She stood on the walkway, leading to the front door staring at the wood-framed structure. Her dark hair pulled in a ponytail, swayed in the welcoming wind.

This was hers.

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Release Blitz: A Doggone Driftwood Disappearance

 

Title: A Doggone Driftwood Disappearance Author: Heidi McLaughlin Genre: Cozy mystery, Coastal, Small town Release Date: December 16, 2025 Hosted by: Buoni Amici Press, LLC.

When driftwood artist Marnie Lane’s one-of-a-kind Christmas star vanishes just days before the Seacliff Haven Christmas Market, the last thing she expects is a cryptic note warning her to “forget the past.” With the help of her lovable giant schnauzer, Finn—who has a nose for more than just seashells—Marnie stumbles onto a trail of buried secrets, seaside clues, and a mystery tied to her late father’s legacy.

As the festive coastal town prepares for its biggest event of the year, Marnie teams up with her former rival, the brooding yet talented Sid. Together, they must untangle a treasure map, outwit a secretive saboteur, and discover the truth hiding beneath the sand and snow.

With hot cocoa, holiday cheer, and a touch of seaside romance, Doggone Driftwood Disappearance is a heartwarming, murder-free mystery perfect for fans of clever pets, crafty sleuths, and Christmas by the sea.

AMAZON

Heidi McLaughlin is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of The Beaumont Series, The Boys of Summer, and The Archers.

Originally, from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband, two daughters, and their three dogs.

In 2012, Heidi turned her passion for reading into a full-fledged literary career, writing over twenty novels, including the acclaimed Forever My Girl.

Heidi's first novel, Forever My Girl, has been adapted into a motion picture with LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions, starring Alex Roe and Jessica Rothe, and opened in theaters on January 19, 2018, and is now available on DVD & Digital.

To stay connected with Heidi visit www.facebook.com/authorheidimclaughlin or heidimclaughlin.com

 

  JOIN OUR HOST LIST

Book Blast: The Art of Human Connection

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Adir Biniamini will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

In an age of extreme technology and growing separation, we've lost our way. We've traded authentic human connection for a world of aggressive tactics, self-serving behaviors, and fleeting transactions that leave us feeling isolated and unfulfilled.

The Art of Human Connection offers a powerful and ethical alternative, a return to our shared humanity.

This educational book is your essential guide to mastering the simple yet profound skills that form the bedrock of true success. Through a series of practical insights and transformative principles, you will learn how to:

Cultivate Self-Awareness: Understand your own emotional landscape and its impact on every interaction.

- Build Authentic Relationships: Master the art of empathy and genuine communication to forge instant rapport and build lasting trust.

- Navigate with Confidence: Learn to move through professional and personal challenges with less friction and more grace.

"The truest version of a person is never who they perform to be, it is who they become when they forget to perform!"

This is a powerful call to action, inviting you to reflect on your own experiences and visualize a clear path to improvement. By embracing this approach, you will discover a liberating truth: your greatest success and most profound connections begin the moment you stop performing and simply start being.

Read an Excerpt

The Ultimate Hack to Connecting: Forget the Script and Just Be Real

I remember a colleague sharing with me about the recent time walking into a boardroom once where the air felt heavy. Everyone sat stiff, guarded, waiting for the “pitch.” You could almost hear the silent checklist in their minds: Is this person credible? Are they trying too hard? Can I trust them? In that moment, he felt the old instinct to perform, to tighten my shoulders, polish my words, and deliver the perfect script. But then he remembered a truth from The Art of Human Connection:

“The truest version of a person is never who we perform as, it is who we become when we forget to perform.”

So, he dropped the act. He softened his posture, smiled, not the rehearsed kind, but the kind that comes from seeing the people in front of him. He asked a question and let thesilence linger. And something shifted. The room exhaled. People leaned in. The barrier dissolved.

That’s the real hack to connection: not perfection, but presence.

Drop the Act: Your Silent Superpowers

Before you speak, your body and voice are already telling your story.

• Body Language: Open posture, relaxed shoulders, and a genuine smile signal honesty and collaboration. When you’re real, others mirror it back.

• Voice: Let your tone carry warmth and variety. Use pauses like punctuation, moments that invite attention and reflection.

The Detective Mindset: Reading the Room

Connection isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you notice.

• The Pause: After asking a meaningful question, resist the urge to fill the silence. Watch what emerges in the stillness.

• The Cues: A drop in energy signals resistance. A nod and steady eye contact?

That’s your green light to go deeper.

You don’t need to be flawless. You just need to be real.

When you stop performing and start observing, when you trade polish for presence, you become magnetic, not because you’re perfect, but because you’re human, and in a world full of scripts, nothing is more refreshing than someone who simply shows up as themselves.

Ditch the Baggage: Forgive Past Flops

Everyone makes mistakes, and sometimes, a conversation just feels clumsy. But dwelling on past perceived failures leads to Self-Condemnation and overthinking, hindering your ability to connect now. The solution is simple but hard: don’t let past perceived failures sabotage your present interactions. Remember, failure happens only when we quit.

About the Author:

Adir Biniamini is a visionary coach and the author of The Art of Human Connection. His journey into coaching began after a long and successful entrepreneurial career where he learned firsthand that genuine connection is the cornerstone of success.

From working at a flea market as a teenager to launching multiple businesses, Adir quickly discovered the power of authentic communication. A pivotal piece of advice, "Be exactly who you are . . . real, friendly, inviting," became his guiding light. Thirty years and successful businesses later, this commitment to genuine human connection remains the cornerstone of his sucAdir's unique philosophy, forged from a lifetime of business and personal challenges, is built on the belief that a deep connection to ourselves is the key to creating meaningful relationships with others. Through his work, he helps clients master the essential skills of emotional intelligence and rapport, empowering them to navigate challenges and create lasting success in every facet of their lives.

Website: https://adirbiniamini.com/
Goodreads: https://www.g oodreads.com/author/show/60102851.Adir_Biniamini

cess.

The Liberating Truth

VBT: True Target

 

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Austin S. Camacho will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Skye Maddox is a contract assassin driven by both personal demons and professional discipline. Hired by grieving father Milo Williams to hunt down the chain of men responsible for his son’s death, Skye takes on a mission that escalates into a war with Washington, D.C.’s most dangerous underworld figures led by a man known only as Hetman. As she climbs Milo’s ladder of revenge, Skye uncovers a web of corruption that links drug dealers, judges, mobsters, and even international crime syndicates.

The story escalates through brutal shootouts, betrayals, and psychological games, as Skye pushes deeper into Hetman’s empire. becoming just another expendable weapon in someone else’s war.

Read an Excerpt

When Jayla stood, Skye raised a palm to stop her. “Yes. Yes, all right. I just finished an assignment, but it was part of a larger contract so I’m feeling like both the situations you mentioned. I’m on the job, and I just took a player off the board.”

Jayla jotted in her notebook. She always collected the euphemisms Skye used for her profession. “So, tell me about this latest assignment. How do you feel about this player you’ve taken off the board? Was it, in your mind, a just action?”

“You always want to go there,” Skye said, shaking her head. “What did I tell you? The first rule of the assassin’s doctrine. The target has got to deserve it.”

“Oh, yes,” Jayla said with a half-smile. “Your job, while criminal, does have rules

“I misspoke earlier,” Skye said, sliding a slim dagger out of her boot. “It’s not a job. It’s a profession. All professions have their rules. For doctors, rule number one is ‘do no harm’, right? For an assassin, it’s that the target has got to deserve it.” Skye began to absently flip the dagger in the air, catching it by its tip each time. “In this case, this bastard kidnapped my client’s son. I don’t know how they got him. My client kept his family totally under the radar. But once he got the ransom demand, the client agreed to pay, and the ransom money was in transit but not fast enough to suit the kidnappers. They killed the boy, I think just to make a point. Just to be snotty. The action took place overseas and no way the police would ever have gotten close to the killer.”

Jayla nodded. “I think I understand. So, you were hired to…”

“Correct the balance,” Skye said, standing.

About the Author:

Austin S. Camacho is the author of eight novels about Washington DC-based private eye Hannibal Jones, five in the Stark and O’Brien international adventure-thriller series, and the detective novel Beyond Blue. His short stories have been featured in several anthologies and he is featured in the Edgar nominated African American Mystery Writers: A Historical and Thematic Study by Frankie Y. Bailey. He is a past president of the Maryland Writers Association, past Vice President of the Virginia Writers Club, and one of the creators of the Creatures, Crimes & Creativity literary conference.

Guest Post

Topic: In the course of writing our books, there is always a fascinating piece of research 

that we stumble on and it may, or may not make it into our stories. Really good research 

should, of course, never be intrusive so here is your opportunity to let that little piece of 

trivia or major research point have its moment in the sun. 

For your post, it would be 

wonderful if you could share a “Fun Fact”. 

I suspect my research has me on some sort of FBI watch list. When I decided to create 

a series about a professional assassin I knew I’d want her to be creative in doing her 

work. That launched a lot of research into how to kill someone. 

I discovered, for example, that you can end a life with a simple shot of the barbiturate 

lorazepam. Of course, if the medical examiner who gets that body is any good at all he 

will notice the puncture wound, and a blood test will reveal the barbiturate. But if you 

want a death to appear to be of natural causes you would have to use a tiny .50-gauge 

needle to inject something like adenosine into the semilunar fold on the inside of the eye. 

But many of the most effective poisons are hard to come by unless you happen to be a doctor. It 

was specifically researching how to get deadly substances and where they come from that I 

stumbled upon a surprisingly common source of one of the deadliest of all substances.

Ricin is a toxic protein Just inhalation of this substance can cause a cough followed by nausea, 

diarrhea, and aches and pains all over the body. If the dose is big enough, say through an 

injection or swallowing the stuff, death will occur from damage to the heart and blood vessels. It 

is feared like nerve agents are feared. Naturally you can’t just pick up ricin at the drug store. But 

as I learned, the source is easy to obtain.

Ricin comes from the castor bean plant. It is in fact a pretty plant. In Africa it is a common 

ornamental house plant. They make castor oil out of the bean of this plant, so it has a commercial 

use. However, those beans also contain ricin. And the beans are not controlled substances in any 

way. In fact, like almost everything else, you can order the seeds of the castor plant on Amazon. 

Of course, a certain amount of work is required to get from those seeds to beans to a liquid 

distilled out of the beans. Following this research down the rabbit hole revealed that it could all 

be done fairly easily with no special equipment. 

I’m not sure how easy it is to own ricin is a “fun fact” but for this thriller writer, it was both 

interesting and useful in my books.

Website: https://ascamacho.com/
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-camacho-1a5a622/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FV6 FYVZK
B & N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/true -target-austin-s-camacho/1148461145?ean=9798988533351/br>
ach success makes her a bigger target.

 

Release Tour: Every Other New Year's Eve

 

When two strangers meet in a bar that exists for only a few magical hours every two years, their lives become entwined across time. Every Other New Year’s Eve by Michelle Dayton is a poignant exploration of love, fate, and the moments that refuse to fade. Readers who enjoy Rebecca Serle and Ashley Poston will fall head over heels for this steamy, friends-to-lovers, magical realism romance.

Purchase at Your Favorite Retailers!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/49q4078 

iBooks: https://tinyurl.com/yn26ycav 

Barnes & Noble: https://tinyurl.com/5d2fde3r 

KOBO: https://tinyurl.com/6jrd7n53 

Google Play: https://tinyurl.com/57zv7unp 

Tule: https://tulepublishing.com/authors/michelle-dayton/ 

The point of magic is not to understand it. The point is not to waste it…

Paige Larsen is riding high on her future when she drops into a bar on New Year’s Eve 2019 for a celebratory drink. Will Weber, too, is excited about his life’s direction. Despite clashing personalities—and unexpected physical attraction—they quickly become friends while grooving to 1970s music in this unique joint.

But when Paige and Will each try to find the bar the following day, they realize the night was even more magical than they believed. It seems this bar appears for only a handful of hours every two years in an abandoned city lot on December 31. What’s more, Paige and Will are living in different timelines two years apart.

Over a span of eight years and a multitude of life changes, Paige and Will connect deeply in a fantasy situation that allows them to be their messy, imperfect, vulnerable selves.

Then suddenly, the enchantment—and the bar—disappear for good. Can love offer the magic they need to create a real-life happy ever after?

Every Other New Year’s Eve is a tender, heartwarming romance with a magical twist, perfect for fans of Rebecca Serle and Ashley Poston.

Excerpt 

Copyright 2025, Michelle Dayton

“I miss kissing,” she blurted. Under her hands, Will’s shoulders leaped an inch, like she was scaring him out of his skin. “Sorry.”

Will did not relax. Pressed against her on the dance floor, from chest to toes, she could feel how tense and tight he was. Experimentally, she squeezed his shoulders, willing him to loosen. His eyes fluttered shut, like the brief massage felt good. When he opened them again, his pupils had expanded, darkening his blue eyes almost to black.

Oh.

Her breath caught in her dry throat, and she licked her lips. Oh. Now she felt the drumbeat between them. A thready pulse of . . . oh wow, was it lust?

Their gazes caught, held.

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She fought a sudden urge to press her face into his neck and taste his skin with her tongue. Yeah, oh yeah—it was lust.

She wasn’t exactly shocked. She’d admitted at the NYE countdown two years ago that Will was a kissable guy. And that was when he’d looked so much younger, puppy-like. Now he was a more mature, carved version of himself. Too skinny by a long shot, but without any roundness or hair, she could really see him. His noble cheekbones, long nose, broad jaw. Topped with those blue eyes, always radiating sincerity and kindness. There was no way to ignore how arresting he was.

The breathless stare went on for another beat. They had lingered too long in the moment now to pretend it was anything other than what it was. Paige had forgotten how powerful these magnetic connections could be. How undeniable. They both knew what the thickness in the air between them meant.

Paige was positive that any second now, sweet Will would flee for the safety of the bar.

Instead, he cocked his jaw slightly and rasped, “I miss kissing too.”

She went numb in her knees.

He lowered his gaze and focused on her mouth. Paige rose on her toes. Her breathing had gone shallow, and there was a fluttering sensation in her chest. She couldn’t even hear the jukebox anymore.

Will lowered his face until it hovered just a breath above hers. “Can we?” he whispered.

“I want to,” she said hoarsely. “But I don’t know if it could mean anything.”

A ghost of a smile crinkled the corners of his eyes. “Right now I don’t know who I am or where my life is going tomorrow. And you’re in your own mess, I think. All this kiss would mean is that we want the comfort of each other. An escape.”

He grew bolder, sliding his hands from her hips to the small of her back. “I don’t know if anything counts in a mystical little pocket outside of time anyway.”

It felt so good to be closer, to feel his body—the strength of his hands, the broad, hard line of his shoulders. She slid one hand to the nape of his neck and dropped the other to the back of his belt and tugged. “You’re right.” She scraped his neck with her fingernails. “Kissing in this place would be like kissing in a dream.” No consequences.

Behind them, at the bar, Sam rang his bell and announced that it was almost midnight. The crowd began to shout the countdown. “Ten!”

Ah, perfect timing. As soon as she heard ‘One! Happy New Year!,’ she would plant one on him.

Will did not wait.

About Michelle Dayton 

There are only three things Michelle Dayton loves more than sexy and suspenseful novels: her family, the city of Chicago, and Mr. Darcy. Michelle dreams of a year of world travel – as long as the trip would include weeks and weeks of beach time. As a bourbon lover and unabashed wine snob, Michelle thinks heaven is discussing a good book over an adult beverage.

Follow: Facebook | Instagram | Website | Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon

This promotional event is brought to you by Indie Pen PR

VET: Arabesque

GENRE: historical psychological drama

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

BLURB:

A woman living alone in a coastal Sussex town in 1998 plants a copper beech sapling at 3 a.m.

on a dark, cold night. Why?

A ballet dancer in 1960s East Germany is oppressed, longs for escaping with his little daughter

but not his wife. Why? Will he make it?

In 2022 Karsten von Stein, widower and principal of the Royal Ballet, with two young children,

meets Ivone Benjamim, a Portuguese, newly-arrived principal dancer. They discover a magical

chemistry when dancing and soon it transfers to their private lives.

Against the background of ballet and its dancers, a woman called Grace tells her story from a

rehab centre. Obsessive, delusional she begins believing Ivone robbed her of the man of her

dreams—Karsten. And then a skeleton is found in a garden...What connects all these people

and their stories?

You’ll be the audience facing the stage of this balletic novel.

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT

Two weeks later Adam broke up with me stating he had tired of my demands, of my continuous

interference in his life, making constant calls to his workplace in an attempt to control him. But I

only did that because I missed him and felt miserable when he wasn’t with me. I cried bitter,

hurtful tears but Adam wasn’t affected and simply left. I found out later he had a new girlfriend

and then I understood. It was all her fault. With her sex appeal and alluring arts, the stupid cow

had stolen Adam from me. I tried to win him back but for a variety of reasons it didn’t work the

way I’d planned. 

I had to move out of the flat. It was his. Unable to afford a place of my own I moved into an 

apartment with Bev and Glenda. Since splitting with Adam I’ve suffered a lot. Lacey thinks it’s 

my fault and that I did terrible things. I didn’t. My mistake was to love him and try to free him 

from the other woman’s clutches. Lacey, the meddling slut—I shouldn’t call Lacey a slut. It’s 

wrong but for a moment my anger gripped me. Anyway, Lacey meddled and forced me to see a 

doctor. She thought I needed help. Perhaps I did…or perhaps I didn’t. Personally I don’t think so 

but anyway I went through the whole so-called “treatment” and Lacey thought it helped me. 

Maybe it did. I don’t know nor do I care. I didn’t know it then but I do now that Lacey paid for 

everything. I thought it was the NHS but one of the doctors told me the truth. Perhaps I should 

have felt grateful—most people would, I guess—but I didn’t. For a while I almost hated Lacey. 

Sometimes I still do. No matter. Resuming.

Since Adam I’ve had no relationship worth mentioning. Not even casual sex. It isn’t my thing. I 

prefer to know a man and have feelings for him before jumping into his bed. But for some 

inexplicable reason the Stranger from the Strand touched my heart. At least I knew his name 

was Karsten. As if that meant anything or would prove useful. Didn’t sound British. Shaking my 

head at my own inadequate, over-active imagination, I walked to the taxi stand, deciding in 

favour of a cab instead of the bus. I sensed a need for daydreaming before arriving at Lacey’s.

In spite of my unexpected encounter (if one could call it that!) with the Stranger from the Strand 

named Karsten at Victoria station, I might have forgotten about him if it weren’t for what 

happened the next afternoon. The actual day of my thirtieth birthday.

AUTHOR:

M G da Mota is Margarida Mota-Bull’s pen name for fiction. She is a Portuguese-British novelist

with a love for classical music, ballet and opera. Under her real name she also writes reviews of

live concerts, CDs, DVDs and books for two classical music magazines on the web: MusicWeb

International and Seen and Heard International. She is a member of the UK Society of Authors,

speaks four languages and lives in Sussex with her husband. Her website, called

flowingprose.com, contains photos and information.

Website

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

GIVEAWAY 

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card to a randomly drawn

winner.

Kingsumo

Book Blast: The Hotel Guru's Journey

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Robert Rauch will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

For over half a century, Robert Rauch, referred to as "The Hotel Guru", has witnessed and made history within the evolution of modern hospitality. From performing night audits on Sweda cash registers in the 1970s to utilizing AI-enabled revenue strategies today, he has seen it all. The Hotel Guru's Journey combines his fascinating behind-the- scenes narratives with proven operating insights.

This unique operations guidebook shares both the "war" stories and the systems that matter. Rauch shares lessons learned the hard way in trust, crisis management, technology adoption, and leadership. And aside from the entertaining personal experiences, you'll gain access to tried-and-true frameworks, in-the-trenches checklists, and practical guidance for all aspects of hotel operations.

Whether you're breaking ground on your first property, expanding a hospitality portfolio, or seeking to avoid costly mistakes, Rauch's five decades of experience provide your competitive advantage in building a successful and sustainable hotel.

For up-and-coming hoteliers, veteran general managers, and hospitality investors, The Hotel Guru's Journey is your map to long-term success.

Read an Excerpt

Striving for trust and integrity is essential. Trust is particularly challenging, especially in business, where it’s crucial to trust your partners. Trusting a life partner or spouse is foundational—choosing the wrong spouse can lead to everything else collapsing like a house of cards. But choosing a business partner is more difficult, often happening quickly without an engagement period. My first business partner, Bob Graff, and I worked together at The Hyatt Regency Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona, where I’d been transferred after stints in Atlanta, Orlando, Memphis, Chicago, Los Angeles, Scottsdale, and Denver. We both managed restaurants in that 711 room hotel and often dined together after closing. While my hotel industry knowledge was broader, my partner had excellent business acumen and food and beverage expertise. We were both eager to leave our jobs. Hyatt wasn’t bad; it was and still is a great company. But we had an entrepreneurial itch. So together, we launched a company, buying a restaurant out of bankruptcy and adding a talented chef to our team. And our initial success allowed us to acquire two additional restaurant management agreements.

From January to April 1981, business was great. But unlike today, where there’s a year- round base of residents and travelers, back then, the Phoenix Metro Area’s tourist business halted at the end of April. And the season ending abruptly forced us to make changes. We needed to make more revenue and cut costs. First, we needed a liquor license for our own restaurant, BLD’s Eating Emporium. Despite good revenue, our margins were too thin without that license, limiting our customer base. We investigated why our predecessor didn’t acquire one and found out it had been rejected by the church across the street. It was within 100 feet, and they had the right to reject any liquor service at our site. We approached the pastor at the church, requesting a limited liquor license for wine and beer. He offered to send more business for our Sunday brunch but firmly denied our request. We moved on from that outcome but agreed the next step was to cut our expenses. In addition to our own BLDs (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), the owners of the two restaurantsrestaurants, the business reality was grim. During these tough times, I sought a mentor, and I met the perfect person through mutual friends. He brought me into a consulting assignment and mentioned an opportunity for me to open a hotel as General Manager for one of his clients. That fall, after the tough summer, we left the restaurant business. It was grueling, losing money for us, and didn’t seem like a great career path. Instead, I called my mentor and took the job as a hotel General Manager. We joined the team at the Camelhead Granada Royale Hometel, a 228-suite hotel opening soon. My mentor and I collaborated on projects for many years until his passing after a 30-year friendship.

About the Author:

With a bachelor’s degree in Hotel Administration from Western International University and a master’s degree in Tourism Administration from Arizona State University, Mr. Rauch has served as president and on the board of numerous tourism organizations. Mr. Rauch is a recently retired faculty member at Arizona State University and taught Tourism Industry Entrepreneurship. He is widely quoted on television and radio and in numerous publications, including the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Los Angeles Times. He speaks at industry conferences regularly and has developed several leading brand hotels, three of which the firm still owns and manages, and has been a finalist for CEO of the year in San Diego, CA, and Phoenix, AZ.

Mr. Rauch currently utilizes his private company, R. A. Rauch & Associates, Inc., to provide management services for his owned hotels, consulting services for various Wall Street firms and selected litigation support clients, and asset management services designed to provide hotel owners with oversight and review of potential and currently operating hotels. He also serves as Chairman and Chief Strategist of Brick Hospitality, a we managed hired us to make profits, notcompany formed by his management team to operate hotels in California. Mr. Rauch recently sold RAR Hospitality, a leading hospitality management firm with 20 hotels under management or development, retaining management of selected hotels where he serves as an owner in San Diego. As a student, teacher, and mentor in the hospitality industry over a six-decade period, Mr. Rauch continues to be active at industry conferences, in key meetings, and when needed to support the hospitality sector.

Website: https://hotelguru.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertrauch/
Twitter: https://x.com/truehotelguru
Goodreads: https://www. goodreads.com/author/show/20244045.Robert_Rauch

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hotel-Gurus-Journey-Excellence- Industry/dp/B0FQBTH878/ref=sr_1_1

Release Tour: One Night in Paris

When a not-quite-jilted bride turns her would-be honeymoon into a solo adventure, the last thing she expects is to fall for Paris or the broodingly handsome artist who shows her its secrets. As midnight kisses blur into something deeper, she must choose between the life she left behind and the future she never saw coming. One Night in Paris by N.D. Jackson is a heart-mending, spicy travel romance where art, passion, and second chances collide in the world’s most romantic city.

Read Now! 

It started as one night in Paris.
It ended with forever on the line.

Not quite a jilted bride,

I still find myself on a first-class flight to Paris—solo.

What was supposed to be a honeymoon has become my Great Parisian Adventure: art, food, and falling in love with the city.

Then I met Lucien.

Tall. Dark. French. Irresistibly artsy.

He taught me how to see the city through his eyes.

Its sounds, its colors, its passion.

And somehow, somewhere between croissants, art galleries, and midnight kisses,

Paris stopped being just a place… and started to feel like him.

But he’s a world away from my real life.

And I came here to move on, not fall in love.

Still, you can’t have a Great Parisian Adventure without a touch of romance.

Even if it can't last.

One Night in Paris is a jilted bride, friends to lovers, travel romance with a happy ending, steamy open-door scenes and a whole lotta Paris. Features a scorching hot Parisian with sensitive eyes, a gentle soul and hot touch.

Add to Goodreads!

Excerpt 

Copyright 2025, N.D. Jackson

It was that magical hour where the whole world seemed perfect. Friends catching up after a long day at work. Lovers greeting each other with soft kisses and heated looks. Even families gathered with a bottle of table wine over rapid fire French.

It’s perfect.

I walked along the boulevards until I found a little bar with a blue neon light that read beaux rêves. Sweet Dreams. It was exactly what I needed so I turned down the cobblestone alleyway and tugged on the heavy black door. I stepped inside and instantly the tension left my body. Soft jazz played inside the dimly lit bar. Booths covered in deep blue leather lined the walls on either side of the door while a few tables with two and four chairs dotted the middle space before the long mahogany bar took up the rest of the space. The dark wood and dark leather should’ve made the place seem heavy but it wasn’t. There was a lightness to it that called to me so I settled at the bar. Or maybe it was just that it seemed less pathetic to sit alone at the bar.

“Que voulez-vous boire?” The voice was masculine, deep and smooth. Heavenly.

My gaze drifted from the specials on the chalkboard above to the owner of the voice, which was my first mistake. His face was even more beautiful than his musical voice. With his brown hair that looked just a little bit mussed and big mossy green eyes, he was a work of art. His olive toned skin gave him an exotic appeal that I shouldn’t have noticed but it was impossible not to. “Oh, um, right. Je voudrais, a, um bourbon?” That was horrible, from the accent to the words, and I felt my skin warm with embarrassment. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he said with a short laugh. “You ordered it just right. Either that or you asked me if you would like a bourbon.” His face split into an amused grin that drew my gaze to full, pink lips.

I sat taller and looked him right in those mesmerizing green eyes. “Je vourdrais un bourbon.”

He gave a short nod, lips still smiling. “Coming right up.”

I ordered my first drink en français and the bartender understood, which was one for the win column. I got this.

He returned and set a glass in front of me half-full of brown liquid. “Autre chose?”

I ran the catalog of French words I knew in my brain and nodded, because I definitely needed something to go with the booze. “Yes. Je prendrai le plateau de fromages et de pâtés.”

He bit back another smile. “One cheese and pâté board coming right up.”

My brows dipped this time at his smile. He was handsome, sure, but he was also a little bit devilish. “Are you doing that on purpose?” He was messing with me. Right?

He turned back, thick dark brows shot up. “Quoi?”

“That!” I pointed at him. “You keeping responding in a different language.” I heard rumors about the French but I hoped it wasn’t true. “Is this a mess with the dumb American thing?”

His smile slipped. “Bien sûr que non.” He shook his head, seeming appalled at my accusation. “I am just letting you know that I understand. Would you prefer that I clap each time you speak properly?”

I took a long sip of my drink, finishing off half easily and then folded my arms before I aimed a really good glare at him. “Non. Non, je ne le ferais pas!” I definitely would not like that.

“I didn’t think so. Another bourbon?” His accent in both French and English was incredible. It was like a sultry grownup lullaby that effectively vanquished all of my annoyance.

“Yes please. Another bourbon would be great.”

He watched me for a long time, so long I began to squirm. At first I wondered if I still had paint on my face or in my hair but then I remembered the hot shower and high end French beauty products and I knew it wasn’t that. “I have something perfect for you, if you are bold enough to let me choose for you?”

Bold enough. I recognized the challenge for what it was and I tilted my chin high in the air. “Absolument.”

“Now it is you messing with me.” He grinned as he poured, but I noted a hint of sadness in his eyes. “Here you go. Tell me what you think.”

I accepted the crystal glass, noting the artistry of the cut geometric pieces before I wrapped my hand around it took a sip. “Oh my god!” I didn’t spit it out, thankfully, but my eyes bugged out and I choked on it. “That is…strong,” I finished and then frowned at the glass. “But good. What is it?”

“French rye. American’s always think bourbon is French but it is from your homeland. This,” he pointed to my glass, “is the best of French alcohol.”

It wasn’t bad but it was incredibly strong. I leaned closer and looked left and then right. “Would it be terribly rude or uncouth to ask for it on the rocks?”

He laughed but this time it wasn’t at me, and goodness it went all the way up to those incredible eyes. “Whatever the lady wants.”

I stared at him blatantly because he really was beautiful, but it wasn’t attraction. I mean he was attractive but it was more than that, he was beautiful in that way that made my fingers tingle with the urge to paint him. To sketch him. Anyway I could celebrate his beauty through my art I wanted to.

Badly.

Now.

About N.D. Jackson

Wanderer. Lover of books. Romance author. Vegan. Those are just some of the things used to describe me! When I’m not spinning tales of small town and contemporary romance, I love to travel, cook, and watch/listen to true crime, history & strange documentaries and podcasts. I’m a native Chicagoan currently living in Europe who has been in love with books for as long as I can remember. My first book, Conflict of Interest, was published in 2014, and I’ve been writing books ever since! I’m a full-time writer and part-time author, traveler, vegan blogger, and obsessive fan of Dawson’s Creek.

Follow: Facebook | TikTok | Instagram | Reader Group | Goodreads | BookBub | Website | Newsletter< /a> | Amazon 

This promotional event is brought to you by Indie Pen PR

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Release Blitz: One Night in Paris

When a not-quite-jilted bride turns her would-be honeymoon into a solo adventure, the last thing she expects is to fall for Paris or the broodingly handsome artist who shows her its secrets. As midnight kisses blur into something deeper, she must choose between the life she left behind and the future she never saw coming. One Night in Paris by N.D. Jackson is a heart-mending, spicy travel romance where art, passion, and second chances collide in the world’s most romantic city.

It started as one night in Paris.
It ended with forever on the line.

Not quite a jilted bride,

I still find myself on a first-class flight to Paris—solo.

What was supposed to be a honeymoon has become my Great Parisian Adventure: art, food, and falling in love with the city.

Then I met Lucien.

Tall. Dark. French. Irresistibly artsy.

He taught me how to see the city through his eyes.

Its sounds, its colors, its passion.

And somehow, somewhere between croissants, art galleries, and midnight kisses,

Paris stopped being just a place… and started to feel like him.

But he’s a world away from my real life.

And I came here to move on, not fall in love.

Still, you can’t have a Great Parisian Adventure without a touch of romance.

Even if it can't last.

One Night in Paris is a jilted bride, friends to lovers, travel romance with a happy ending, steamy open-door scenes and a whole lotta Paris. Features a scorching hot Parisian with sensitive eyes, a gentle soul and hot touch.

Add to Goodreads Here! 

Buy Now or Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited! 

Excerpt 

Copyright 2025, N.D. Jackson

For the first time in my life, words failed me so I did the only thing that seemed appropriate in the moment, I pressed my lips to hers and let the moment carry me.

A soft whimper escaped Emerald’s lips when our mouths touched at the exact same time her hands landed on my chest, the warmth of her touch penetrated every layer of my skin.

It was an odd sensation, kissing a woman who wasn’t Eve. Who didn’t taste the way Eve did. Emerald’s curls were a stark contrast to her silky straight locks. Everything about the k iss was surreal because I never thought I would kiss another pair of lips but here I was, savoring a pair that were thicker and softer than I was accustomed to. She tasted of cherries instead of peach lip balm.

Emerald’s lips weren’t submissive, she dove right into the kiss as if she wanted it the way I wanted it. Her hands curled into the fabric of the thin t-shirt I slept in, fisting it as if she wanted to make sure I didn’t break the kiss.

As if I could.

Not even ten thousand hours could have dragged our lips apart. Her kiss was more intoxicating than the best French wine, her touch was hotter than the hottest Parisian sun. Every second that our lips were fused together was another second I grew addicted to her touch and her taste. Emerald kissed the way she seemed to do everything, with an immense passion that was impossible to ignore. Her lips moved against mine with a drugging intensity that made my head spin. Her tongue danced with mine so effortlessly as if we’d been kissing for years, diving deep as if she was hungry for every inch of me.

The soft moans she made were enough to unravel the steely resolve that had settled deep in my bones the moment the doctor’s told me my wife, my son, my entire world was gone. The hesitation was gone, vanishing on the breeze that tore through the apartment, replaced by pent up passion that shocked me with its ferocity.

The way I wanted her didn’t just shock me, it scared me. Who was this woman to make me want her this way? Why did she affect me this way when no other woman had? I had been the picture of the faithful, grieving husband since the day I lost her and now it was all gone. Obliterated in one, heartfelt act.

An eternity passed before one of us—Emerald—pulled back, gasping and wide-eyed. Her lips were pink and swollen as they curved up into a slow smile. “That was…wow. One hell of a kiss.”

Her words relaxed me and pulled me out of my head a way nothing else could have in that moment. “It was pretty wow wasn’t it?”

She nodded, a short shock of laughter exploded from her lips. “Yeah,” she sighed. “It was.” Her gaze went from my eyes back to my lips, and then her breath hitched as if she was fighting the urge to kiss me again.

Buy Now or Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited! 

About N.D. Jackson

Wanderer. Lover of books. Romance author. Vegan. Those are just some of the things used to describe me! When I’m not spinning tales of small town and contemporary romance, I love to travel, cook, and watch/listen to true crime, history & strange documentaries and podcasts. I’m a native Chicagoan currently living in Europe who has been in love with books for as long as I can remember. My first book, Conflict of Interest, was published in 2014, and I’ve been writing books ever since! I’m a full-time writer and part-time author, traveler, vegan blogger, and obsessive fan of Dawson’s Creek.

Follow: Facebook | TikTok | Instagram | Reader Group | Goodreads | BookBub | Website | Newsletter< /a> | Amazon 

This promotional event is brought to you by Indie Pen PR

Release Blitz: Versions of You

When a bolt of lightning drags bookstore owner Lena Harper into the pages of a centuries-old chronicle, she’s thrust into a love triangle that spans worlds and lifetimes: a devoted medieval knight, a seductive immortal, and the best friend she left behind. As her heart becomes entangled with all three men, Lena uncovers a truth that binds their fates—and hers—in ways she never imagined. Caught between fantasy and reality, she must choose the world she belongs to and the love worth stepping out of her stories for. Readers who enjoy steamy genre-bending romances will want to sink their teeth into Versions of You by Cecelia Mecca, a fated mates, second-chance, forbidden romance.

Blurb

Lena Harper sells love stories in her bookstore. She never expected to fall into one.

When lightning strikes her small-town bookshop, pulling Lena into the pages of a centuries- old chronicle, she finds herself torn between a noble knight, a dark immortal, and her steadfast best friend.

In medieval England, Sir Rowan offers devotion and protection.

In Stone Haven, immortal Riven awakens Lena’s darker cravings.

And back home in Kitchi Falls waits Nolan, the best friend she’s never truly seen.

Three men. Three worlds. One impossible truth … they’re all connected to her in ways she never imagined.

As the boundaries blur between story and reality, Lena must step out of her books and risk everything for the love waiting right in front of her.

Add to Goodreads Here! 

Buy Now From Your Favorite Retailers!

Excerpt 

Copyright 2025, Cecelia Mecca

Rain tapped softly against the windows of Kitchi Falls Books, the steady rhythm syncing with the thrum of my pulse as I turned another page. Was there anything better than the smell of old paper on a rainy afternoon? Maybe one thing: reading a romance that made you feel something again. Something real. Something messy.

“Let me guess,” Nolan said as he set a mug beside me, steam curling upward like a beckoning hand. “You skipped lunch. Again.”

I looked up at him—my best friend, my constant, the boy who used to trade PB&J halves with me in third grade and had somehow turned into a man with forearms I pretended not to notice.

“It’s barely noon,” I protested.

“It’s two-thirty,” he countered, one brow raised.

Okay, so time slipped when I read. Sue me.

“I’m just saying,” he continued, leaning on the counter beside me, “it wouldn’t kill you to occasionally consume food that isn’t flavored with printer ink.”

I smiled, unable to help it. Nolan’s teasing never felt like criticism. It felt like care. Like home.

He nudged the book in my hands. “Good?”

“Great,” I said. “The kind of read that makes the world feel bigger.”

That earned me a quiet look—one of those soft, unreadable ones Nolan gave when he wanted to say more but didn’t.

Before I could ask what was behind it, the bell over the door chimed.

A man stepped inside, rain clinging to his shoulders like it worshiped him. Tall. Dark hair. Sharp jaw. Eyes so blue they looked unreal under the shop lights. He shouldn’t have fit in Kitchi Falls—our little lake town was cozy sweaters and maple donuts, not… whatever he was.

He scanned the shelves like he was searching for something he’d lost a lifetime ago.

“Need help finding anything?” Nolan asked, but the stranger’s gaze was fixed on me.

On my book.

“The Healer’s Curse,” he said, voice low, a strange familiarity threading through it. “You enjoy stories like that?”

I blinked. “Stories like what?”

“Ones where fate pulls two people together long before they understand why.”

A shiver traced my neck.

Nolan stepped closer—not protective exactly, but present, his body blocking half the stranger’s view. “Can we help you with something?”

“Yes,” the man said simply. “Her.”

“Me?” I echoed.

The stranger nodded once. “Your name is Lena, yes?”

My breath stalled. I didn’t know him. Had never seen him in town. Yet he said my name like he’d said it before. Like he’d whispered it into the dark.

“Do I… know you?” I asked.

“Not yet,” he said. “But you will.”

Okay. Cryptic much?

Nolan angled himself between us. “Maybe you should try that line somewhere else.”

The stranger didn’t even flinch. “I’m not here to cause trouble. I came to return something.”

He reached into his coat and pulled out a small, leather-bound book. Old. Worn. The kind of artifact historians drooled over.

I hesitated but took it. The cover was embossed with a symbol I recognized instantly—a crescent moon surrounded by three intertwined circles. I’d seen it in the medieval romance series I’d been reading. In the margins of my dad’s genealogy notes. Even in last night’s dream—

My heartbeat tripped.

“How did you get this?” I whispered.

His gaze softened. “That’s a much longer story than you’re ready for.”

And just like that, the lights flickered overhead. Once. Twice. Like the whole world held its breath.

“Lena?” Nolan’s voice pulled me back.

I forced a smile. “It’s fine. Really.”

But it wasn’t. Something inside me shifted the moment the book touched my hands, as if a door I hadn’t known existed had swung open.

The stranger gave a barely-there bow. “We will see each other again.”

Then he stepped back into the rain, leaving the scent of storm air and something ancient behind.

Nolan shut the door a little too hard. “What the hell was that?”

“I don’t know,” I said honestly, but the truth pulsed beneath my skin like a second heartbeat.

I wasn’t sure whether I felt terrified.

Or awakened.

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About the Cecelia Mecca 

Cecelia Mecca is a former 8th-grade teacher and curriculum consultant turned full-time romance author. Armed with a PhD in Language & Literacy, an enduring love of chai lattes, and a newly minted Italian passport she uses to visit Sicily as often as possible, she writes across three romance genres under the Mecca Romance umbrella: • Cissy Mecca – steamy small-town romance • C.L. Mecca – romantasy & paranormal romance • Cecelia Mecca – medieval & Scottish historical romance If you love emotionally charged, flirt-filled love stories where strong women fall hard but never lose themselves, you’ve found your next favorite author. Cecelia’s heroines are bold, her heroes bring the heat, and every story is an escape—whether to a small town beside a vineyard or to the intrigue-filled Anglo-Scottish border of the 13th century. Cecelia lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two teens. When she’s not writing, she’s planning her next girls’ trip or Disney vacation, sipping wine, or chatting with readers. From castles to coffee shops, your escape awaits.

Follow: Facebook | TikTok | Instagram | Reader Group | Goodreads | BookBub | Website | Newsletter | Amazon 

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