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Guest Blog Post: How a Corgi Supercharged My Writing Life by Regina Buttner (Author of “Down a Bad Road”)

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I have never been dogless. When I was a child, my family had a succession of pooches of various breeds. As an adult, my kids and I adopted a string of dogs, including two incorrigible beagles and a lovely golden retriever named Juliet.

After my children were grown, I decided to trade the cold winters of upstate New York for the endless summer of coastal Florida, where I could enjoy the sunshine and write more books. There was a hitch, though—faithful Juliet disliked hot weather, so my son gladly took her in.

Being dogless gave me the freedom to pursue new pastimes in my new home: paddling my kayak, exploring the beaches, and planning my next novel. But then, an emptiness hit me. No damp doggy nose nudging me awake in the morning, nobody wagging their fanny off in greeting when I arrived home. My beach walks were solitary, and the space next to me on the couch was sadly vacant when I curled up to read in the evening. My writing suffered, too. With all the disruption of moving, the daily writing routine I’d worked so hard to cultivate was in danger of falling apart.

What to do? I wasn’t sure at first. Then one day, while sorting through my boxes, I came across a photo of a house I’d lived in twenty years ago. I recalled the wintry day when my young family moved in. The driveway was so long and narrow that the moving van had to park on the road, and the crew schlepped our belongings up to the house by hand. The cheerful driver wasn’t fazed though, because he had a secret power hidden inside his truck. “Mind if I let my dog out to play with yours?” he asked, and of course I agreed.

Next thing, a little dude named Edgar came bounding through the gate. He had short, stumpy legs, a ridiculously long back, and tall, pointy ears like satellite dishes. Where his tail should have been, there was only a fluffy pair of buns that resembled oven-browned loaves of bread. Edgar launched himself across the snowy backyard like a ping pong ball on steroids. “He’s a corgi,” his owner informed me, and I was instantly smitten.

As I sat there with my memories, a realization dawned: I need to get a dog. A month later, I acquired Pekoe, a 10-week-old Pembroke Welsh Corgi, and all heck broke loose. Having a puppy forced me to rise with the birds in the morning, for urgent potty and walkies. The vet had warned me that corgis tend to think they’re the boss of the world, so I worked diligently on Pekoe’s obedience training. Needless to say, she wasn’t too psyched about the whole doing-what-you’re-told thing, but I persevered. I developed a daily routine with a healthy blend of play time, training and naps, and structured my writing time around it.

The discipline of a daily schedule worked wonders with my pup, and it also jump-started my stalled writing life. The four basic commands I taught Pekoe—COME, SIT, STAY, FETCH—were essential to her training; and in a happy coincidence, I found they could be applied to my writing as well. 

Take COME, for instance. When the muse knocks, the writer must come to greet her, or risk her disappearing into the dreaded maw of writer’s block. Then there’s SIT. Your book won’t get written if your butt is traipsing around town, instead of at home in that desk chair where it belongs. And once you’re seated at the keyboard, you must STAY. Silence those pesky notifications and close the door, because it’s writin’ time! The last command you must master is FETCH. Your book ain’t gonna write itself, so let’s get after it! Clamp those needle-like puppy teeth around your story, give the muse a ferocious growl, and don’t let go until it’s done.

I’m happy to report that Pekoe has grown into a happy, healthy, and reasonably obedient corgi who only occasionally indulges her fantasy of being the supreme leader of the universe. With plenty of loving care, I hope to have Her Royal Corginess by my side for many more years and books to come. If you’d like a glimpse of Pekoe’s life of leisure, she’d be delighted to have you follow her on Instagram at #pekoecorgi.

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About the Author

Regina is a registered nurse-turned-writer who was raised in beautiful upstate New York, where she spent many happy years exploring the winding back roads and scenic hiking trails of the Adirondack mountain region. She recently traded the snowy northern winters for the tropical breezes of the Sunshine State, where her favorite pastimes are kayaking among the mangroves, strolling the gorgeous beaches, and attempting to teach tricks to her boisterous corgi. 

Learn more on Regina’s website or follow her on Instagram, Facebook, Goodreads or BookBub. 

You can read more about the book (and read a preview!) by going to: https://www.amazon.com/Down-Bad-Road-Regina-Buttner-ebook/dp/B0BSN7F7KT. 

Add Down a Bad Road to your Goodreads TBR list or purchase a copy at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Bookshop.org.

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Blog Tour Calendar

May 29th @ The Muffin

Join us as we celebrate the blog tour launch of Down a Bad Road by Regina Buttner. You’ll have the chance to read an interview with the author and win a copy of the book.

https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

May 30th @ Author Anthony Avina’s blog

Stop by author Anthony Avina’s blog to read his review of Down a Bad Road by Regina Buttner. 

http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com

May 31st @ Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews blog

Join Lisa for an interview with Regina Buttner.

https://lisahaselton.com/blog/

June 1st @ World of My Imagination

Stop by World of My Imagination to read Nicole’s review of Down a Bad Road. 

https://worldofmyimagination.com

June 4th @ Author Anthony Avina’s blog

Revisit author Anthony Avina’s blog to read “How a Corgi Supercharged My Writing Life” by Regina Buttner. 

http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com

June 5th @ A Lit Life

Stop by A Lit Life read Stephanie’s review of Down a Bad Road. 

http://www.alitlife.com/

June 7th @ Sue Edwards’s blog

Visit Sue’s blog to read an interview with author Regina Buttner.

https://suebe.wordpress.com/

June 8th @ Michelle Cornish’s blog

Read a guest post from Regina Buttner about cultivating writerly discipline.

https://www.michellecornish.com/blog

June 9th @ Reading is My Remedy

Check out Chelsie’s Instagram where she’ll review Down a Bad Road.

https://www.instagram.com/reading_is_my_remedy

June 10th @ World of My Imagination

Stop by Nicole’s blog where Regina Buttner is a guest for “Three Things on a Saturday Night.”

https://worldofmyimagination.com

June 12th @ Reading is My Remedy

Stop by Chelsie’s blog to read a guest post by Regina Buttner about disguising your friends and family in your stories.

https://www.readingismyremedy.wordpress.com

June 13th @ Michelle Cornish’s author blog

Join Michelle as she reviews Down a Bad Road.

https://www.michellecornishauthor.com/blog

June 14th @ Create Write Now

Visit Mari’s blog to read a guest post by Regina Buttner about growing up old-school Catholic and daring to write about it!

CreateWriteNow.com

June 15th @ The Knotty Needle

Join Judy for her review of Down a Bad Road.

http://knottyneedle.blogspot.com

June 16th @ Mindy McGinnis’s blog

Stop by Mindy’s blog to read “A Humorous Look at NOT Dating After 50” by Regina Buttner.

https://www.mindymcginnis.com/blog

June 16th @ From the TBR Pile

Join Kari as she reviews Down a Bad Road. 

https://fromthetbrpile.blogspot.com/

June 18th @ Lady Unemployed 

Stop by Nicole’s blog to read “How Joining a Professional Writers Organization Transformed My Writing Career” by Regina Buttner.

Welcome to Lady Unemployed!

June 21st @ Life According to Jamie

Join us as Jamie reviews Down a Bad Road. 

http://www.lifeaccordingtojamie.com

June 22nd @ Sue Edwards’s blog

Return to Sue’s blog to read “From Nurse to Writer” by Regina Buttner.

https://suebe.wordpress.com/

June 23rd @ Nikki’s Book Reviews

Read Nicole’s review of Down a Bad Road.

https://nikkitsbookreviews.wordpress.com/

June 24th @ The Faerie Review

Stop by The Faerie Review to read a spotlight of Down a Bad Road. 

https://www.thefaeriereview.com

June 25th @ A Lit Life

Return to A Lit Life to read a guest post from Regina Buttner about how a visit to the Stillwater Hotel in Upstate New York inspired the setting for Down a Bad Road. 

http://www.alitlife.com/

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Interview with Author Maria Liviero

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Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?

I live in the UK near London with the many ups and downs of writing I am passionate to share how personal struggles can create an empty canvas to recreate your life because there is no end but a beginning. 

I feel passionate to show how suffering is an important part of life that must not be repressed or pushed aside by using a person, a thing, or a situation to relieve us from inner despair but take the experience to evolve emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. The message is that a mistake is never a mistake, it’s the human brain relearning.

How did I get here? 

That is a question. I left school with minimal qualifications, and my writing skills were less than average therefore I struggled with writing.  While in London, I worked as a lifeguard, a colleague planted a seed of return to education and during that time I was reading a renowned book “Road Less Travelled” by Scott Peck. The seed and one sentence from the book changed my life. I returned to studying, which I found challenging, and was diagnosed with dyslexia in the final year of my degree. During my studies, I realized my creative expression was in the form of writing, and in time my writing skills improved immensely. For me, creativity is a place of solace where I can connect with myself and feel alive. 

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What inspired you to write your book?

To cut a long story short, I had my own life challenges that forced me to look at myself and my dark side. During my time in therapy, I became conscious of my dark side meaning that I was aware of how negativity can take hold without you realising. Being self-aware so crucial because it’s the first step to knowing ourselves. Labeling our dark side as bad is likely to cause us to suppress those traits which causes more harm. Fundamentally, we must bring those parts of ourselves to awareness not only for ourselves but for the collective well-being as well. 

Once I reconnected to my authentic self, of course, I continue to work on myself, I began to sense something inside of me that I can only describe as a creative force that seem to have a life of its own.  As I write the story unfolds in front of my eyes – I even don’t know what’s going to happen next. I do believe in a higher force or energy that I call God, but not align with the religious God that has pushed me to write this book in spite of the obstacles and challenges – and there were tough ones that tested every part of me. 

What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

Embrace and do not fear your dark side it’s there for you to transcend and be the person you meant to be without other people’s projections, transferences, negativity, and importantly your own destructive self-talk of blame, guilt, judgment, and shame, for example. 

What drew you into this particular genre?

I think it was a natural progression after completing a psychology degree, a Masters, and a psychotherapy diploma where the training emphasis was on transpersonal themes that seem to tap into my unconscious self. Plus therapy helped in tearing down my defenses and layers of the false self to connect with my authentic self which is also my soul qualities. I think when you surrender things just happen. 

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What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?

I actually don’t have any social media sites, for me I don’t have the knack for creating posts or the mind space to regularly or keep on top of social media. 

What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?

For me, it was self-doubt whether I was good enough or if was it a fantasy that I could become an author. It was important to face the possibility that I may not have the aptitude for writing but I received positive editorial reviews and yours Anthony helped me to gain courage and self-belief that I have the skills to push this forward.  If the passion and desire are there any project requires consistency, discipline, and hard work. In spite of obstacles you must carry on even when it gets tough, and it will. 

On a practical level, I suggest finding yourself a good editor with credentials and a person who knows actually what they are doing when it comes to designing your cover and printing your book.  Because of my lack of experience, I managed to learn the hard way, nevertheless, the next book will be a lot easier to deal with.   I find marketing a challenge, no one told me how hard it can be to market your book requires a lot of time and resources so be aware. 

What does the future hold in store for you? Are any new books/projects on the horizon?

Continue where my passion lies which is writing, reflecting back I would have never imagined that I would be writing books as well as blogs.  Blogs were never for me but now I enjoy sharing my thoughts and experiences to hopefully support/help others.  I stepped out of my comfort zone and realized yes I CAN do this. 

My second book is currently with an editor, which may well be a series to Why We Make Bad Choices but the subtitle will be changed.  The thought came about a few days ago that the second book can be a continuum because it’s all about why we make bad choices. The first book was concerned with the collective unconscious and the second is related to how childhood experiences shape how we make choices later in adulthood.  This is told through relationships between criminals and their alibis. 

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About the Author

Maria Liviero, based in the UK, has received an award for her first book that had been in the planning for five years. With the many ups and downs of writing, and to share how personal struggles can create an empty canvas to recreate the reader’s life, because there is no end but a beginning.

She obtained a psychology degree, along with MSc and diploma in psychotherapy. In her experience, the dark side of human nature is of equal or even greater importance—without being conscious of our shadow we continue to live in fear, discord with ourselves and others. Maria believes to understand ourselves we must travel the path of self-discovery. This can mean transcending our false ego to live a fulfilling life without the shackles that we have created like the internet, social media, mobiles phones, addictions, relationships, negative thinking (and behaviours), and statements.

Liviero’s passion is to show how suffering is an important part of life that must not be repressed or pushed aside by using a person, a thing or a situation to relieve us from the inner despair but take the experience to evolve emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

https://www.maria-liviero.com/

Blog Tour: Everything’s Better with You by R.L. Merrill

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Everything's Better With You - R.L. Merrill

R.L. Merrill has a new TED LASSO-inspired MM sports romance out: Everything’s Better With You.

Everything’s Better With You is a TED LASSO-inspired sports-themed funny romance featuring two guys who’ve pined for each other for 15 years while their careers soared and their bodies fell apart.

Retired quarterback and “nicest guy in the NFL” Leslie Payton met former college cheerleader-turned-reality-show darling Joe Judd fifteen years ago. They spent one magical night…talking. They’ve been pining for each other via text and phone calls ever since while their careers kept them geographically apart. When their alma mater recruits them to reinvigorate a flagging athletic program, Leslie sees his opportunity to finally have Joe close enough to see if their “what if” can become a reality. And the sooner the better before Leslie’s history of Traumatic Brain Injury catches up to him and he’s unable to be a true partner.

Joe has spent their years apart dancing in every gig offered to him, knowing full well the clock is ticking on his body’s ability to continue taking the abuse. Leslie wants forever to start now, and Joe doesn’t have that luxury, though Leslie makes him want things he’s never allowed himself to dream of with anyone else. But a lifetime of only feeling worthwhile for his performance ability makes him doubt whether he could ever be a good coach or enough of a partner for the best man he’s ever known.

As football and cheer coaches, they’re forced to be rivals in public, but behind closed doors, their chemistry is unstoppable. A wager triggers their competitive sides, but the secrets they keep come to light and present them with a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. Can they finally meet on the relationship 50-yard line and move forward as a team?

Warnings: discussion of past domestic violence that happens off page, not graphic

Get it On Amazon | Universal Buy Link

Giveaway

R.L. is giving away a $25 Amazon gift card with this tour:

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Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47284/?

Excerpt

Everything's Better With You meme - R.L. Merrill

Joe Judd pulled his cigarette-smoke infested rental minivan into a spot in front of the imposing brick building that represented an important slice of his formative years. His ties to the place ran deep; his liberal arts education, his adult education, his physical education, all happened in this very place, and the building before him was a symbol of the chapter in his life that paved the way for where he was now.

Where am I?

Right. Spring Fling weekend. Greenvale College. Go Jackets!

This was the first year he’d returned to his alma mater for this momentous occasion since graduating in 2005. Joe left Ayre Valley, Iowa in his rear view mirror fifteen years ago and his life had been all glitz and glamour ever since. Okay, the minivan he was currently sitting in wasn’t glamorous. He couldn’t even pretend to be an old Hollywood starlet whose leading man lit his cigarettes for him. He’d quit smoking a long time ago, and the way this car reeked, it was a damn good thing he had. Everything else in Joe’s life was glitz and glamour, though.

And pain.

Ugh, the pain.

He turned off the ignition of the Chrysler and listened for the clunk clunk of the engine shutting down. The airport car rental place had given him their last available vehicle and charged him a premium since he’d wrongly assumed Kansas City, Missouri wouldn’t be so packed that he couldn’t land a nice Mustang for the two-hour drive up to Ayre Valley. The woman working the register let him know in no uncertain terms that his thinking was wrong.

The engine clunked once more and a grinding sound emanated from the other side of the dash as if the thing had given up the ghost.

He could relate. His body felt like that when he stopped moving these days.

At 36 years old, Joe had the appearance of a fit man in his twenties. He liked to think he resembled his beloved Porsche at home in West Hollywood rather than this current hunk of junk. Gleaming chrome and a flashy paint job on the outside gave people the impression that he was all power and sleek lines, when in reality, his engine needed an overhaul under the hood, and his shocks and struts had seen better days. He pushed his Porsche to the same limits he pushed his body and both protested loudly. Just like the minivan.

“Time to move before you freeze up like this piece of shit.”

He gritted his teeth and opened the door, feeling his lower back protest. He had to get his feet planted under him just right and push himself to standing, putting the least amount of pressure on his knees. Once he was upright, he arched his back and felt the L5 bulging disc, the torn tendon in his hip, and the stubborn rib that would not stay in place no matter how hard his chiropractor back in Hollywood pounded on it.

He let out a harsh exhale as everything settled into place and then he swung the door closed. It was a chilly April morning and he was glad he’d brought his wool coat and worn his fleece-lined jeans. He was just about to head up the walkway when he heard the rumble of tailpipes and the screeching of…heavy metal?

A ginormous four-by-four truck complete with a rack of lights and a winch mounted on the front grill kicked up gravel as it pulled into the spot next to Joe’s rental. The windows were tinted but he had a feeling he knew exactly who the monstrosity belonged to.

“Well, if it isn’t fancy-pants, twinkle-toes, Dance Machine’s own Joe Judd! I’ll be damned.”

The six-foot-five, long and not-quite-as-lean these days, blond-mulleted, monster-truck madman currently lowering himself gingerly out of the gas-guzzling giant was none other than Leslie Payton. Three-time Super Bowl-winning—now retired—NFL quarterback, championship university football coach, and fellow alum of Greenvale College.

The tremors running through Joe’s body had nothing to do with the temperature. No, this was a reunion long in the making, and now that he was here, he struggled to keep his snarky demeanor front and center.

“You always did know how to make an entrance,” Joe said, shaking his head. He strolled toward the back of his car to greet Les, who already had his hand out, seemingly just as eager.

“And you’re a sight for sore eyes,” Les said, taking Joe’s hand and pulling him in for a back-pounding bro-hug that made Joe’s teeth smack together. “I can’t believe you’re really here.”

Joe couldn’t either, honestly. He’d told himself he’d never come back here after graduation. The fact that he’d returned to the site of the best and most difficult years of his life was due entirely to the sheer amount of respect he held for Barry Payton—Leslie’s older brother and the new president of Greenvale College—and the complicated feelings he had for the man standing before him.

“I’m glad you could make it out. Barry was thrilled when you agreed to arrive early and meet with him.”

Joe raised an eyebrow. “I agreed to come for Spring Fling and the recognition of the cheer squad…am I missing something? Was there another part to the invitation?”

Les stepped back but didn’t let go of Joe’s hand, nor did he remove his other hand from Joe’s shoulder.

“I’ll let him explain it all to you. I’m just glad you’re here. Man, you look good.”

Joe did not miss the fact that Les’s gaze traveled hungrily over Joe’s body. Joe stood a little taller under the appraisal, glad he wasn’t the only one struggling with propriety.

“You just off a show?”

“Uh, yeah. Just finished choreography for the next season of Dance Machine and I’m headed from here to New York for a limited run of West Side Story.”

“When you’re a jet…doo doo doo doo doo,” Les sang, snapping his fingers. He laughed and pounded on Joe’s shoulder again, hard enough to make him stagger. “Oh, sorry, man. That’s great. I loved watching you on that live broadcast. You’ve still got those moves.”

Les’s smile held more wattage than all the lights in Levi Stadium, and Joe felt a blast of heat being the recipient of one of those smiles.

He had a flash of the first time he’d been the recipient of a Leslie Payton smile and how that night changed his life.

He watched my show. Joe fought to hide a triumphant smile.

Author Bio

R.L. Merrill

Whether she’s writing contemporary romance featuring quirky, queer, and relatable characters or diving deep into the supernatural to give readers a shiver, R.L. Merrill loves creating compelling stories that will stay with readers long after closing the book.

Ro writes inclusive romance for the Happily Ever After collective, contributes paranormal hilarity to Robyn Peterman’s Magic and Mayhem Universe, and pens horror-inspired tales and music reviews for HorrorAddicts.net.

A mom, wife, daughter, and former educator, you can find her rocking out in her Bronco with Great Dane pup Velma, being terrorized by feline twins Dracula and Frankenstein, or headbanging at a rock show near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area! Stay Tuned for more…

Author Website: https://www.rlmerrillauthor.com

Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/rochellerlmerrill

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/rlmerrillauthor

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rlmerrillauthor

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9828914.R_L_Merrill

Author QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/r-l-merrill/

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/R.L.-Merrill/author/B00PI6Q1LI

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Guest Blog Post from Author Donovan Hufnagle, author of “Raw Flesh Flash: The Incomplete, Unfinished Of”

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Publishing is just another trial as part of the writer’s journey. When we cross the threshold from the known world into the unknown world, answering the call to adventure, entering OZ, Wonderland, the Athenian Forest…into our dreamworld, “somewhere over the rainbow,” we follow the yellow brick road, follow gold bricks in the form of words to counter the white space on the page and, perhaps, in our life. The perfect word(s). This word and not that word. We pass through the abyss, reach the Emerald City, and eventually come back home. But before we can reach the city, earn our gift, tap our heels together, and share it with the known world, the trial of publishing confronts us. 

Publishing is not the end of the journey nor is it a gift. When my first book, Sunshine Special, was published, I thought the world would change. It didn’t. I did, however, reach a revelation…publishing isn’t the key to a magical door that opens a garden of poppies and avenues. When my current book, Raw Flesh Flash: The Incomplete, Unfinished Documenting Of, won a publishing contest and was published by Uncollected Press, I understood that the work had just begun. And I think understanding is crucial. Writers, especially poets, should understand that there may be many times we hear the word NO. It feels personal. It’s not. But when you write and write, edit, and write some more then finally build the strength to submit your work, placing your work on display for someone to just cut it open until it bleeds seems pretty damn personal to me. And, simultaneously, impersonal, since most of the time you receive a cookie cutter rejection from the publisher like they didn’t even bother to read it. 

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On a side note, if you receive a personalized rejection, cherish it. 

Understand that publishing is a business like any other business and your success as a writer is not dependent on publishing. I just received a rejection through Submittable just the other day for one of my poems. I place it in a folder titled “submissions,” forget it and move on. Publishing is not an enemy; it is just a necessary hurdle along the way. 

My advice, then, is to keep writing, and one day you may become published (if that is what you are striving for).  It will feel good. It will be exciting. Someone out there appreciating your work as much as you do. Your hard work will finally be on display for others. You can stop plucking rose petals, wondering if they love you or if they love you not (maybe). Also, understand that the journey is not over. You will need to work just as hard for the next thing, to conquer the next trial. 

It took a long time for me to truly think about publishing—decades. As a younger poet, I wasn’t that interested in publishing. I would submit a poem here or there. But it wasn’t until I crafted my art to a point where I wanted, no, felt like I needed to share it with more than my wife that publishing seemed like the next logical step. So, I put my stuff out there. Scary and exciting. I received rejections. Dejected. I received acceptances. Elated. Some won contests. Some still have never seen the light of day. 

I am at a place, now, in my writing career that I know my talents, I know my successes, and they don’t depend on those publications. But it sure does feel nice. My writings are like my tattoos, on public display for all that I encounter, simultaneously, holding a personal meaning no one else will ever know, unless you ask. Every writer’s journey is unique; some trials along the way may come easy, some may never be conquered, but know the real gift is that you wrote something, you created new, you crafted art for a world where the “dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.”

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About the Book

Donovan Hufnagle has assembled a careful poetic ethnography of tattooed bodies and the stories that they tell. Just as the tattoo inscribes meaning on the body, this book elegantly reveals the stories that only the body can tell. It is a book that connects tattoo adorned bodies to a profound human truth: we are each other’s mirrors, and the artful inscriptions of our bodies connect us to each other in ways that transcend political and social divides. This is an urgent book that does what only the best poetry can do; it opens spaces for conversation, connection, and healing.-Kristin Prevallet, author of “I, Afterlife: Essay in Mourning Time”.

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About the Author

Donovan Hufnagle is a husband, a father of three, and a professor of English and Humanities. He moved from Southern California to Prescott, Arizona to Fort Worth, Texas. His new poetry collection, Raw Flesh Flash: The Incomplete, Unfinished Of, is a poetic scrapbook of interviews, poetry, and documents about the universal narrative of tattoos. 

He also has three other poetry collections: The Sunshine Special, a “part personal narrative, epic poem, and historical artifact;” Shoebox, an epistolary, poetic narrative about Juliana’s “past and present, love and lack, in language that startles;” and 30 Days of 19, inverted Haiku poems juxtaposed to Trump tweets, capturing the first thirty days of the Covid 19 quarantine. 

Other recent writings have appeared in The Closed Eye Open, Tempered Runes Press, Solum Literary Press, Poetry Box, Beyond Words, Wingless Dreamer, Subprimal Poetry Art, Americana Popular Culture Magazine, Shufpoetry, Kitty Litter Press, Carbon Culture, Amarillo Bay, Borderlands, Tattoo Highway, The New York Quarterly, Rougarou, and others.

http://www.donovanhufnagle.com/

Intentional Retention: The Essential Guide to Human Resources for Leaders by Sean Barnard Review

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I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Author Sean Barnard shares his personal experiences and teachable moments to show how managers and leaders should treat and interact with their employees in a time where turnover is a constant in the world of employment in the book “Intentional Retention: The Essential Guide to Human Resources for Leaders”.

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The Synopsis

National Bestseller!! The best employees don’t stick around just because they like your product, you, or their coworkers. Turnover is the pandemic of today in the world of employment and there don’t appear to be too many cures. Leadership is rarely taught and the pressure on untrained managers and owners leads to the pitfalls that come with a revolving door of new faces who don’t stick around long enough to earn an annual bonus. Or they do stay, and you sometimes wish they wouldn’t? Sean Barnard instinctively knows how to help leaders at any level get the most out of their team members and can show you innovative ways to increase retention from the first chapter. From a middle-class background in southern England to the C – Suite in Charlotte, North Carolina, Sean tells his story in a way that leaders at all levels can easily relate. His first book is a firsthand look inside every aspect of how to manage people. He understands what it’s like to be unmotivated as an hourly employee and what it takes to turn that into a loyal and happy team player who roots for the success of everyone around him, including the company he works for. Sharing a career that spans living in three countries, leading teams from Europe to the Caribbean and the United States, the reader will hear his story, with blunders, pitfalls to avoid and the huge wins that came along the way. With a genuine commitment to telling his story, readers will walk away knowing how they will be the leader they want to be and the leader their employees deserve.”

The Review

This was a fantastic blend of memoir-style storytelling and guided education on management and leadership skills in the modern world. The importance of taking the time to learn how to speak with your employees or your team members in our modern world not because it is required, but because it is the right thing to do becomes a cornerstone early on in the author’s book was truly moving to read about, as it sets the tone for the author’s experiences and lessons immediately.

To me, the author really was able to cover a wide range of topics under the banner of leadership. From establishing excellent communication early on to determining one’s core values and even the recruitment process, the book does a great job of detailing and showcasing each step easily. The balance of personal storytelling and education that each chapter boasts was a helpful tool in relating to the reader and showcasing how leaders can always grow and learn themselves as time goes on.

The Verdict

Memorable, engaging, and thoughtfully written, author Sean Barnard’s “Intentional Retention” is a must-read nonfiction book on business and leadership that you won’t be able to put down. The inspiring and enlightening nature of the author’s work and the captivating steps that readers can take to improve their leadership skills and how the author was able to relate it to our modern workforce made this a captivating read. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Sean Barnard serves as Chief Operating Officer for privately held North Carolina based Smiles Ahead LLC. His role oversees 5 brands of dentistry that include Burrow Welchel & Culp, Orthodontics, White & Johnson Pediatrics, Charlotte Pediatric Dentistry, Signature Smiles Orthodontics and Dogwood Family Dentistry. His international career spans from Europe and the Caribbean to the U.S. and includes C-Level suite positions in gaming, hospitality, manufacturing, and healthcare.

Starting his career as a casino dealer in England in 1979, he moved into junior management before emigrating to the Bahamas in 1984. In 1991 Sean was recruited to join a management team opening one of the first casinos in North America to be built outside Las Vegas or Atlantic City.

Sean enjoyed several leadership positions within the gaming and hospitality industry and worked throughout the United States. As Senior Vice President of one of the largest casinos in the U.S., he was responsible for over a 1m sf resort with 1500 employees, close to $250,000,000 in annual revenues and over $85m in EBTIDA. Sean served as President of the Missouri Gaming Association and on several non-profit boards before ‘retiring’ in 2014.

In 2016, the introduction to Dr. Dustin Burleson led to Fifty-Eight LLC, a consultancy that grew in reputation and size with a range of clients across the US. Sean has been a keynote speaker with a presentation that challenges how we all think of HR and leadership.

• Sean is a Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional and Certified Kolbe Consultant.

https://www.sean-barnard.com/

Nerve: A Pulstar Prequel by Giancarlo Roversi Review

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I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

A disgraced former agent must solve a mysterious murder and uncover the dangerous secrets that have put him in the crosshairs of a deadly conspiracy in author Giancarlo Roversi’s “Nerve”, the prequel to the author’s Pulstar series. 

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The Synopsis

Seeking redemption, a discredited agent investigates the perplexing death of an elderly millionaire, unearthing a macabre scheme that might involve himself.

Astralvia: a nation on the verge of collapse.

Jon Creepel, an elderly millionaire and CEO of a leading high-tech corporation, is dead.

Discredited Agent Graham Squirrel investigates this disconcerting death. It’s his chance to clear his name and return to the Federal Police job he lives for.

As he delves deeper into the inquiries, he discovers layers of intrigue, secrets, and plots on a significant macabre scale. Working alongside Zabrinah Yorkt, a mysterious and complicated intelligence agent, brings extra challenges and triggers questions Squirrel would never have anticipated.

He has to escape the sinister threat looming over him and find out why they assigned him to the case, but nothing is what it seems.

And he’s about to discover the truth … he’s about to meet the Nerve.

Join Agent Squirrel to see if he cracks the mystery of Creepel’s death and survives the investigation in this suspenseful, mystery-packed sci-fi thriller.

Nerve is the enigmatic prequel to the gripping Pulstar trilogy (although you can also read it as a stand-alone novel), which took over ten years to make and has a soundtrack in production.

The Review

This was a pulse-pounding and exhilarating read. The pacing and the world-building stood out immediately. While I did read the first book in the Pulstar series, I was able to see both the connective layers of the narrative between this prequel and the first novel, while also recognizing how much this story stood out on its own two feet. The blend of sci-fi and metaphysical dystopian storytelling the author brought to this narrative was fascinating and kept me intrigued as the story progressed.

For me, the heart of the story rested in the unique balance of character development and atmosphere. The tone and quality of the author’s writing and the philosophical discussions that were brought to the forefront as a result of the narrative reminded me greatly of why I loved Battlestar Galactica so much, and the evolution and path that Graham as a character took and the framing of the story overall felt very cinematic due to the author’s amazing handle on imagery in this book.

The Verdict

Memorable, captivating, and entertaining, author Giancarlo Roversi’s “Nerve” is a must-read prequel to the Pulstar series and a wonderful sci-fi narrative. The unique world that the author has built and the major twists that some of these characters undergo by the book’s end will keep the reader hooked until the very last page. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Venezuela-born Giancarlo Roversi isn’t only a writer. He’s also a computer engineer and a musician who shared stages with artists such as REM, Oasis, Travis, Duran Duran, and Maroon Five.

When his band Fractaler broke up in 2011, he devoted the next ten years to cue the Pulstar Trilogy and three prequels in that universe.

He surrendered his personal life and wrote these manuscripts in his native language, Spanish, and then he translated them into English. He also composed a soundtrack for each book; they’re currently in production.

When he’s not living and breathing in his Pulstarverse, he loves family time, cooking, astronomy, animals, and having philosophical discussions—especially about the meaning of life—with anyone who cares to join him.

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The Ballerina by Catherine Follestad Review 

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I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

A young woman with dreams of being a dancer struggles with her confidence, and finds herself steeped in a journey towards destiny after a magical costume connects her to a world-renowned dancer from the past in author Catherine Follestad’s “The Ballerina”.

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The Synopsis

The Ballerina is a story about reaching dreams, fulfilling destiny, and an extraordinary experience of a lifetime.

Alina loves to dance and has a growing passion for the art of ballet. With an upcoming performance for her dance class, she finds herself struggling with the confidence to stand out.

One day, while helping her mother in her vintage shop, Alina finds an old enchanting costume in a donated box. This magical costume connects Alina to a famous prima ballerina from times past, who encourages her to work hard and believe in herself.

With excitement and renewed confidence, Alina not only discovers more about the art of dance, but also finds her destiny and true self.

The Review

This was an engaging and heartfelt read. The author does an amazing job of connecting with younger readers, giving an honest and emotional look into the mindset of young women as they not only grow but as they pursue their passions in life. The lighthearted pacing of the story and the emotional weight of the protagonist’s struggles instantly draw young readers into the story as the narrative progresses. 

To me, the heart of this story rested in the dynamic character development and the almost magical sense of time travel and magical realism that permeated the story. The themes of hard work and making your dreams a reality felt both attainable and inspiring through this magical lens and the mystery surrounding the woman who would appear to the protagonist and the connection she shared with Anna added a touch of mystery and history to the story.

The Verdict

Memorable, heartfelt, and engaging, author Catherine Follestad’s “The Ballerina” is a must-read children’s dance and time travel book that you won’t want to miss. The passion and heart for which the story is told and the relatable characters will have children eagerly taking hold of this book and getting lost in the narrative immediately. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Catherine Follestad has always been interested in art and storytelling in many forms. Her early painting career began in Australia in 1972 when she and her husband moved there for a teaching job. During this time, they were Sunday School Supervisors and teachers with a love of telling bible stories using songs, pictures, and flannel graphs. Her creativity expanded into local art shows where she sold her paintings.

Upon returning to the United States, Catherine studied with local artists while taking classes at Western Washington University and Whatcom Community College. She broadened her interests to various mediums and began experimenting with illustrations and cartooning.

Catherine loves the artistic process and beauty of life which is reflected in everything she writes and paints. Her books tell stories of heroes, the underdog, or someone who overcomes a challenge. Her children’s picture books include The Itty Bitty Kitty (Nov 2011) I Think That I Would Like to Be (March 2012) The Itty Bitty Kitty: Mystery At Reflection Pond (Feb 2013) and I Dream That I May One Day Be (Aug. 2013), Itty Bitty Kitty and the Fun Day (May 2016)

Catherine has been featured in Raising Arizona Kids Magazine on the subject of bullying and the Reader House Author Roundtable. She enjoys visiting many elementary schools to read her books and share her illustrations. Catherine and her husband currently live in Arizona where she enjoys painting and traveling back to Australia.

Down a Bad Road by Regina Buttner Review

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I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

A complicated love triangle between a man, his ex, and the married woman he’s having an affair with threatens to explode in a complex web of revenge and heartbreak in author Regina Buttner’s “Down a Bad Road”.

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The Synopsis

Longtime bachelor Ron Burley has a rule against messing around with married women in his rural upstate New York town, but sassy, lovely Lavender has convinced him to break it. Their steamy affair sets someone off, but it isn’t Lavender’s clueless husband-it’s Marta, Burley’s clingy childhood friend and ex-lover.


Marta knows Burley is on the verge of going broke, so she secretly tries to lure him with a lucrative job offer and some enticing fringe benefits. Although he’s sorely tempted, Burley’s afraid to trust Marta due to the sketchy circumstances surrounding their bitter breakup years ago; but this might be his only chance to get back at her for what she did.


Suspicious of her boyfriend’s romantic history, Lavender visits a psychic for a tarot card reading in a creepy cabin in the Adirondack woods. Watch your back, the psychic warns her. Burley and Marta aren’t the innocent people they’re pretending to be. Someone’s out for revenge, and this love triangle could turn deadly.

The Review

This was a truly compelling and captivating read. The author did an amazing job of finding just the right pace and tone to capture the devious nature of these characters and their outlooks on life. The slow burn that the author utilizes here as the story progresses and the interwoven lives that these characters lead made the story feel more explosive and alive on the page. The world-building and atmosphere that permeates the narrative really drew me into the story and found the heart of a great psychological and domestic thriller beating life into the fictional world around these characters.

The true heart of the story though rested in the unique characters the story utilizes. The way the author writes, the reader never truly knows who the true “protagonist or hero” may be, as each takes steps in both good and bad directions throughout the narrative. Yet as the story progresses and new characters are added to complicate the story for these characters, the level of deviousness that each is capable of showcases the theme of morality not being a black and white scale, but a multitude of shades of grey instead. 

The Verdict

Memorable, chilling, and entertaining, author Regina Buttner’s “Down a Bad Road” is a must-read psychological thriller of 2023! The twists and turns in both the narrative and the character development will leave readers shocked, and the haunting story that unfolds as these characters come clashing together will leave readers breathless by the final page. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Regina is a registered nurse-turned-writer who was raised in beautiful upstate New York, where she spent many happy years exploring the winding back roads and scenic hiking trails of the Adirondack mountain region. She recently traded the snowy northern winters for the tropical breezes of the Sunshine State, where her favorite pastimes are kayaking among the mangroves, strolling the gorgeous beaches, and attempting to teach tricks to her boisterous corgi. 

Learn more on Regina’s website or follow her on Instagram, Facebook, Goodreads or BookBub. 

You can read more about the book (and read a preview!) by going to: https://www.amazon.com/Down-Bad-Road-Regina-Buttner-ebook/dp/B0BSN7F7KT. 

Add Down a Bad Road to your Goodreads TBR list or purchase a copy at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Bookshop.org.

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Blog Tour Calendar

May 29th @ The Muffin

Join us as we celebrate the blog tour launch of Down a Bad Road by Regina Buttner. You’ll have the chance to read an interview with the author and win a copy of the book.

https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

May 30th @ Author Anthony Avina’s blog

Stop by author Anthony Avina’s blog to read his review of Down a Bad Road by Regina Buttner. 

http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com

May 31st @ Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews blog

Join Lisa for an interview with Regina Buttner.

https://lisahaselton.com/blog/

June 1st @ World of My Imagination

Stop by World of My Imagination to read Nicole’s review of Down a Bad Road. 

https://worldofmyimagination.com

June 4th @ Author Anthony Avina’s blog

Revisit author Anthony Avina’s blog to read “How a Corgi Supercharged My Writing Life” by Regina Buttner. 

http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com

June 5th @ A Lit Life

Stop by A Lit Life read Stephanie’s review of Down a Bad Road. 

http://www.alitlife.com/

June 7th @ Sue Edwards’s blog

Visit Sue’s blog to read an interview with author Regina Buttner.

https://suebe.wordpress.com/

June 8th @ Michelle Cornish’s blog

Read a guest post from Regina Buttner about cultivating writerly discipline.

https://www.michellecornish.com/blog

June 9th @ Reading is My Remedy

Check out Chelsie’s Instagram where she’ll review Down a Bad Road.

https://www.instagram.com/reading_is_my_remedy

June 10th @ World of My Imagination

Stop by Nicole’s blog where Regina Buttner is a guest for “Three Things on a Saturday Night.”

https://worldofmyimagination.com

June 12th @ Reading is My Remedy

Stop by Chelsie’s blog to read a guest post by Regina Buttner about disguising your friends and family in your stories.

https://www.readingismyremedy.wordpress.com

June 13th @ Michelle Cornish’s author blog

Join Michelle as she reviews Down a Bad Road.

https://www.michellecornishauthor.com/blog

June 14th @ Create Write Now

Visit Mari’s blog to read a guest post by Regina Buttner about growing up old-school Catholic and daring to write about it!

CreateWriteNow.com

June 15th @ The Knotty Needle

Join Judy for her review of Down a Bad Road.

http://knottyneedle.blogspot.com

June 16th @ Mindy McGinnis’s blog

Stop by Mindy’s blog to read “A Humorous Look at NOT Dating After 50” by Regina Buttner.

https://www.mindymcginnis.com/blog

June 16th @ From the TBR Pile

Join Kari as she reviews Down a Bad Road. 

https://fromthetbrpile.blogspot.com/

June 18th @ Lady Unemployed 

Stop by Nicole’s blog to read “How Joining a Professional Writers Organization Transformed My Writing Career” by Regina Buttner.

Welcome to Lady Unemployed!

June 21st @ Life According to Jamie

Join us as Jamie reviews Down a Bad Road. 

http://www.lifeaccordingtojamie.com

June 22nd @ Sue Edwards’s blog

Return to Sue’s blog to read “From Nurse to Writer” by Regina Buttner.

https://suebe.wordpress.com/

June 23rd @ Nikki’s Book Reviews

Read Nicole’s review of Down a Bad Road.

https://nikkitsbookreviews.wordpress.com/

June 24th @ The Faerie Review

Stop by The Faerie Review to read a spotlight of Down a Bad Road. 

https://www.thefaeriereview.com

June 25th @ A Lit Life

Return to A Lit Life to read a guest post from Regina Buttner about how a visit to the Stillwater Hotel in Upstate New York inspired the setting for Down a Bad Road. 

http://www.alitlife.com/

The Woodcutter by Stephanie Ellis Review

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I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

A small village becomes the battleground between a family, townspeople with a deadly secret, and a ruthless landowner as a local legend comes to bloody life in author Stephanie Ellis’s “The Woodcutter”.

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The Synopsis

A tragic accident, shrouded in mystery, leads to a family reunion in the hidden village of Little Hatchet, located in the smothering shadow of GodBeGone Wood, the home of the mythical Woodcutter and Grandma. Alec Eades rediscovers his bond with GodBeGone Wood and the future his father agreed to years ago as nefarious landowner Oliver Hayward schemes to raise money for the village by re-enacting part of the Woodcutter legend. Old wounds are re-opened and ties of blood and friendship are tested to the extreme when the Woodcutter is summoned and Grandma returns.

Bookbaby.com helps independent authors bring their creative vision to the marketplace. Sell eBooks online in the biggest retail stores.

The Review

I loved this story. The author did an incredible job of capturing the small town/village horror trope that showcases a local legend, a dark town secret, and the outsider caught in the middle. The tension and atmosphere the author was able to capture really honed in on the chilling nature of the townspeople and their secrets, as well as the mystery and haunting heart of the woods and the local legends that impact their surroundings.

To me, the heart of this narrative was in the pacing of the mystery and the twisted character development that starts early on. I felt a twinge of nostalgia at the beginning of the story, as a mystery caller in the middle of a stormy night for protagonist Alec made the story feel like an old 1920s Hollywood Horror film from Universal Studios. The twisted family dynamics that are at play thanks to these legends and the path that the mystery brings Alec on as each page is lifted and the shocking truth behind the Woodcutter is revealed kept me invested in this story. 

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The Verdict

Memorable, terrifying, and entertaining, author Stephanie Ellis’s “The Woodcutter” is a must-read horror novel to read this summer. The upcoming supernatural thriller will not only chill readers with the twists and turns the story takes but will have them shocked as the final fate of these characters is revealed in all its bloody glory. If you haven’t yet, be sure to preorder your copy today or grab your copy on August 1st, 2023. 

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Stephanie Ellis writes dark speculative prose and poetry and has been published in a variety of magazines and anthologies. Her longer work includes the novels, The Five Turns of the Wheel and Reborn, and the novellas, Paused and Bottled. Her new folk horror novel, The Woodcutter is due out soon!

She is an active member of the HWA and can be found at https://stephanieellis.org and on twitter at @el_stevie.

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