Thursday, April 18, 2024

Guest blogger: Glenn Berggoetz

                                       


Glenn Berggoetz is the author of books ranging from novels to prose poetry to non-fiction. He's also an accomplished filmmaker with twelve feature films to his credit. Glenn's novel "Waiting for Evening to Come" is about the friendship that develops between a young white boy and an elderly African American man in rural Indiana in the 1950s, and his novel "Fading to Black" is about a man with dementia who's trying to find redemption for an act committed six decades earlier before he fully succumbs to the disease.

Glenn is also the guitarist and primary vocalist for the band Norwegian Soft Kitten, and he's been a college professor for more than twenty years.



Find Glenn's music here:



open.spotify.com/artist/1RhLtCC.

Our most played songs are "Full Moon Raging," "Eyes Closed," and "Release." We've been played on nearly 400 stations!

 

Friday, April 12, 2024

Contest Time! Nominate Somebody That You Want To Win!

 Having a bad day CONTEST TIME!

 

Starts April 12th 

Ends April 19th


How To Enter: (Read all the rules before entering)

To enter this contest, you need to nominate a friend, family member, coworker, etc to win. Tell me in a paragraph or two what funny bad thing happened to them. Something that didn’t work out exactly the way they planned but afterwards they could laugh about it. I will give you an example of what I mean.


Email it to me at lizzyandsteve42598@gmail.com 

In the body of the email say  “I nominate _____ and here is what happened to them.”

When I was a teenager my sister who is two years older than me, my cousin, and myself went to the store with my mom. I sat in the car because they just needed to pick up something quick. So, I opened up a bag of chips and a soda while I waited. As I am sitting there snacking, I see my sister and my cousin walk out of the store and start walking to a car that looked like ours but clearly it wasn’t lol. The right thing to do would have been to open the car door and call out to them. However, I was laughing so hard that I decided to watch it play out. They walk over to the car and one of them start to open the car door and then realized it wasn’t our car lol They turned around as fast as they could and ran away from that car as they looked for ours. I was laughing so hard as I stood up in the car and waved to them to come this way LOL We will laugh about that story all these years later. So for having a bad day that ended up being funny I nominate my sister. "Put the name of the person" Do not give any personal information like address or phone number. I will contact the winners by the email address they entered with. Do not put that information here for the public to see.

 

 

Send me the stories and I will post them here on the blog and open it up for public voting. There will be 2 rounds so that we don’t have too many stories to have to read through all at once. Each round will have 2 winners. The person nominated will win a prize for bringing a smile to our faces and the person that nominated them will win a prize.

 

This is the way it will work.

 

I will check my email every day all day long, so everyone has the same chances. When I get a story, I will go straight to the blog and post it.

 

Whichever story gets the most votes will be the winner. How do you get votes? Very easy. All you have to do is tell people to go and, in the comments, say your story. However, they want. They can say I want #5 to win. Or I want the name of the person to win. It doesn't matter. I will go into the comments and count them on prize day. The comments will stay up the entire time for the public to see. That way you can see how your story is doing.

 

Share it with everyone. Share it on all of your social media pages. The more votes you get the better your chances are. Good Luck everyone!


*****************************************************


Round One Starts April 12th 

Winner will be announced April 19th.


Stories will be posted in the order I get them. I will post them here as soon as one is entered. 


***********************************************

Round Two Starts April 19th

Winner will be announced on April 26th

Stories will be posted in the order I get them. I will post them here as soon as one is entered. 



Thursday, April 11, 2024

DON'T MISS SEEING SGT SLAUGHTER Thursday April 12th!

 


LIVONIA MIπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈIt’s THURSDAY & YOU Know What That Means🫡🏻TOMORROW Friday April 12 I Will Be At The Burton Manor 5-10p For ASTRONOMICON🫑Don’t Miss An Opportunity To Get ALL of YOUR ⁦@_SgtSlaughter⁩ WRESTLING & GI⭐️JOE Collectibles Signed & Join MY “Infamous” Cobra🐍Clutch Club

Thursday, March 21, 2024

FREE BOOKS! Tommy The Snowman Had A Bad Day & The Angry Snowman

 FREE MARCH 22ND - MARCH 26TH


GET THESE EBOOKS FREE AND IF YOU LIKE THEM YOU CAN BUY THE PRINT BOOK THAT HAS BOTH INCLUDED FOR YOUR KIDS.



Tommy The Snowman Had A Bad Day - Kindle edition by Miller, Jason. Children Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.


Tommy The Snowman Was Having A Bad Day by Jason Miller

A children's book about a snowman having a bad day. This book was written by Jason when he was in the second grade. He was 8 years old at the time.


Amazon.com: The Angry Snowman eBook : Miller, Noah, Stevens, Lizzy: Kindle Store


Warning! This book is not intended for young children. The Angry Snowman has some violence and destruction in the story. The town is attacked by an angry snowman. This town didn’t get the nice looking fun to be around snowman that sat in yards every Winter. What they got was an angry snowman that terrorized their town destroying everything in sight. After watching the destruction this snowman was doing the townspeople decided to fight back. They went on the attack. Who would win this big crazy battle? Would it be the Angry Snowman or would it be the townspeople?





If you like these two stories you can buy them together in paperback to give to your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, and anyone else you want to give a good book to!




A Snowman's Life: Miller, Jason, Miller, Noah, Stevens, Lizzy: 9798830527071: Amazon.com: Books

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Guest bloggger: Character Interview: Avis Cole, Sparks Fly

 Character Interview: Avis Cole, Sparks Fly

 

1. Introduce yourself to our readers. Where do you fit into the story? What should we know about you?

I’m Avis Cole, the grandmother to the heroine, Ivy Cole, and neighbor to the hero, Caleb Grant. I’m key to these youngsters meeting and accepting their attraction to each other. Some may think I’m a meddling grandma, but I claim I’m looking out for the well-being of my granddaughter. I’m an excellent judge of character and recognized the good in Caleb—no matter that he looked like a pirate (eye patch and scarred cheek.) I aided in their successful picnicking excursion. They’re bright youngsters and understood the concept of picnicking without a detailed explanation.

2. What do you think about the author? Tell us everything. We want to know.

 

Elaine knows what she’s doing and crafted our story with precision. Our personalities came across well. I enjoyed interacting with everyone, especially Caleb’s parents.

3. What are your feelings about this story?

Poor Caleb went through so much in his life, but my Ivy helps him. The ending is satisfying, and I’m especially pleased with it.


4. How do you feel about being a character in this book?

I have an important role in this book, which I performed with grace and feistiness.


5. What do you see in your future? (No spoilers please!)

I have grandma duties to keep me busy and in my happy place.


6. Is there Sequel /another book in the future? Will you be part of it?

Oh my goodness! I don’t believe another book is necessary unless one of Caleb’s brothers needs my help.

7. Say a movie producer comes knocking. What actress would you want to play you and why?

Someone like Estelle Getty, who played the feisty Sophia on The Golden Girls. Unfortunately, she’s passed, but she’s the type who could capture the true essence of Grandma Avis!














When sparks fly, something is bound to ignite. Will it be fire or flames of passion?

Caleb Grant led a premier smokejumping team until severe injuries from an explosion ended his career.

A year later, he trains smokejumpers and battles personal demons from his pre-explosion life—fear of meeting his former team, an ex-girlfriend who wants him back, and nightmares of an explosion he doesn’t remember.

Ivy Cole fears the man helping her grandma is a con man. When is a suspected con man not a con man? When he’s Caleb Grant.

Avis Cole, a matchmaking grandma, recognizes a perfect match in Ivy and Caleb. Her maneuvering and encouragement lead the youngsters to discover a passionate attraction.

When Caleb’s parents visit, they join Avis in manipulating the youngsters toward a permanent relationship. Will their efforts succeed?

What about Caleb’s demons? Will they destroy the growing affection between Caleb and Ivy? Or will the two of them defeat his demons and free Caleb from their clutches?

Join Caleb and Ivy on a journey to their destiny.


Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Guest blogger: Mabel Schmidel (Character Interview)

 Character Interview

1.     Introduce yourself to our readers. Where do you fit into the story? What should we know about you?

My name is Mabel Schmidel. I live on the top floor of a restored 1920s apartment building with a collection of women in their 70s, 80s, 90s. At 87, I fit right in, although I have not ever dated the manager, Mr. Johnson.

 

2.     What do you think about the author? Tell us everything. We want to know.

I’ve known Alyne since she was a baby. Her parents bought a house up the hill from mine when they were expecting her. I loved that she would leave a May basket of violets hanging on my door on May 1st each year. When she was a grown woman and lived miles away, she had a blooming violet plant delivered. Sweet memories for me. I’m happy to be part of her memories as she creates her stories.

 

3.     What are your feelings about this story?

I enjoyed spending time with each of the women Alyne created to share the apartment building with me. Some of the them I had known for most of my life, but others only became friends after moving to the St. James. I am proud that we could all work together to solve this mystery.

 

4.     How do you feel about being a character in this book?

I am proud to be a center part of this book. Alyne worked very hard to show that ‘mature’ women can be active and successful in ways even they had never considered. She also proves that it is never too late to find love.

 

5.     What do you see in your future? (No spoilers please!)

I plan to get up every day, take a brisk walk while I listen to the birds, and spend time with friends. If a new challenging mystery should come our way, I’m sure we will do our best to solve it.

 

6.     Is there Sequel /another cozy mystery book in the future? Will you be part of it?

Let’s just say that the St. James Lady Detectives are not ready to retire just yet.

 

7.     Say a movie producer comes knocking. What actor/actress would you want to play you and why?

My first thought was Angela Lansbury because she was tall and a strong woman. Unfortunately, she passed in 2022 at just 96 years old. I plan to still be looking for clues when I reach 110. 

My second selection would be Vanessa Redgrave. She is also tall, and we are the same age. I think it would be such fun to share stories with her about the adventures that come with a full life.


Alyne Bailey

About the author
Alyne Bailey often told her community college business students that she intended to write something other than textbooks. After her retirement and move from Washington state to Texas, she has been able to do just that. “It has been so much fun using a life time of the interesting people I have met and their life stories as inspiration for my romance novels. It is like getting to know those people all over again.”


Find all of her books on Amazon here:







Friday, March 8, 2024

Guest blogger: Detective Eve Teschal, Gevaudan PD, Gevaudan, MA (Character Interview)

 



Question 1: Introduction

My name is Detective Eve Teschal. I have worked as a detective and police officer for more than two decades, first in New York City and, currently, in Gevaudan, a large southeastern Massachusetts mill city, a place to which I was ultimately drawn to care for my ailing mother. I have also assisted with cases in such places as Los Angeles, New Orleans and even Edinburgh, Scotland. It is said that I possess a unique talent for solving cases that require one to think outside the proverbial box. Well outside the box in many instances. Such cases literally cry out for someone who is willing to step into the shadows when necessary and return to the light when the job is done.

I have long since come to terms with the fact that I am the product of Kevin Bouchard’s imagination thus being the culmination of both his research and personal experiences and as such I freely admit that I am pleased with the way in which he depicts me. It is with some degree of pride to say that I am featured in three books by Mr. Bouchard. I first appeared in Blue Moon, a supernatural thriller set in suburbia. I don’t make an appearance until the second half of the book, but then my presence was not needed for the first half. I appeared next in Cry of the Cat, another supernatural thriller, this one with an urban setting. In this book I am a main character. I also appear in The Devil Comes to Nazareth which is a mystery thriller. And though I do not make an appearance in his other book, The House of Ophelia Raine, I am well acquainted with all of the characters as we are all part of the same fictional universe and even manage to work together in The Devil Comes to Nazareth.


Question 2: Character’s opinion of the Author

I hold the author in the highest regard. He respects his characters and the parts they play in the story or stories in which they are featured. For instance, my mother suffers from dementia and lives in a skilled nursing home. She is of Scottish decent and is also a Romani Gypsy, two facts of which I am constantly reminded. Her opinion regarding my choice of professions is less than supportive. But her concerns for my happiness and safety are beyond reproach. Mr. Bouchard handles her situation with respect, giving her opinions value while providing information related to her circumstance and insight into the unique relationship that is mother and daughter.


Question 3: Feelings about the stories in which the character is featured

I like the stories in which I play a part, though they do take me to some very dark places. Thus far I have returned from those places relatively unscathed, physically that is to say, though the journeys have left their scars on my psyche. A few of the other characters I have encountered along the way did not fare so well.


Question 4: Character’s feelings about being featured in these stories

I am pleased to be a part of these tales; it gives me purpose. It also gets me out of the house, which can be a lonely place. My cat doesn’t mind too much. And these sojourns, though often dark and dangerous provide a distraction from my mother’s situation. And each story ultimately grants me glimpses of my inner self, though some of those glimpses are not always welcome.


Question 5 and 6: Sequels featuring the character

Regarding sequels and prequels I do play a major part in a new book tentatively titled In the Shadow of the Moon, which Mr.

Bouchard is currently polishing, (he does spend a lot of time polishing stories, but then again he is a bit of a perfectionist). And I understand that due to my talents regarding cases that might prove to be frightening and even disturbing to many, Mr. Bouchard assures me that there are countless adventures in store for me. He does like the macabre, but then again he did grow up in Fall River, Massachusetts, Lizzie Borden’s home town. And Fall River is a stone’s throw from Providence, R.I., the home of H. P. Lovecraft, and Boston, a former haunt of Edgar Allen Poe and is in regional proximity to Stephen King up in Maine. Perhaps the air in this region is simply more mysterious by nature. But I have faith in Mr. Bouchard and his sense of justice and his ability to provide for me a path back from the shadows.


Question 7: Who would play this character in a film adaptation?

I like this question. I like it a lot. For a character to see them-self fleshed out on the silver screen… Well, that would be akin to The Velveteen Rabbit becoming real wouldn’t it? Mr. Bouchard and I have mused over this topic on many occasions, (Mr. Bouchard has turned one of his books into a screenplay so these thoughts did not just magically appear). We are unanimous in our decision that Jodie Comer would be perfect for the role, though Hollywood magic would have to age her. She is tough yet vulnerable and a brilliant actress. And she has no trouble with the darkness, especially if there is some humor attached. Kate Blanchett might also suit the role, though she might be an all too obvious choice. In either case, dare we dream?



About  The Author: Kevin Bouchard

Kevin Bouchard is a retired Special Needs teacher who has also worked as a professional musician playing drums with cover and original rock bands in and around Boston. He lives in south coast Massachusetts with his wife Robin and their Lhasa Also, Maizie.

Amazon.com: Kevin Bouchard: books, biography, latest update


Books by Kevin Bouchard with Solstice Publishing: 

Blue Moon, Cry of the Cat, The House of Ophelia Raine, The Devil Comes to Nazareth






Amazon.com: Blue Moon eBook : Bouchard, Kevin: Kindle Store





Guest blogger: Glenn Berggoetz

                                        Glenn Berggoetz is the author of books ranging from novels to prose poetry to non-fiction. He's...