Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Guest Post by Joyce DeBacco

Today I'm pleased to host Joyce DeBacco.  She is the author of Tomorrow Blossoms. She's going to tell us a little about her next project, The Mercy of Time and Chance.


Thank you, Sue, for inviting me to post on your blog. Today, I’d like to mention how “Tomorrow Blossoms”, the book you featured yesterday came to be. My college-age daughter had come home on a break and mentioned that a classmate of hers who’d been adopted as an infant had been contacted by his birth parents. That set in motion a range of possibilities for my writer’s mind, the end result being “Tomorrow Blossoms”. 
Now, I’d like to talk about my new release “The Mercy of Time and Chance” and its evolution from idea to reality. Because the story is based on my grandmother’s life, it’s very special to me, and there were times I wondered if it would ever see the light of day. Especially since I originally wrote it shortly after her death many years ago. It was my first attempt at writing, and it showed. Consequently, it went in a drawer and stayed there for 30 years.
Aware I woefully lacked the skills to do justice to Grandma’s story, I started reading everything I could about creative writing. And then I started writing another story, then another. While I started to attract agents’ interests and even signed with one, the big boys in publishing weren’t interested.
Left to my own devices, I submitted to a small publisher and was accepted. A year later, I submitted a different book to another publisher and was accepted again. By this time, indie publishing was gaining more acceptance, so I tried my hand at formatting and publishing my own work. Now, I have six novels out in paperback and e-book, and one short story collection in e-book only. I’m also working on a light romantic series.
But back to Grandma’s story. After I had some success under my belt, I began to think about tackling the mammoth stack of papers gathering dust in a drawer. As I reread it, my enthusiasm grew. Much of it had to be discarded because it wasn’t important to the story and didn’t add anything but filler. What was left needed a drastic pruning. Every verb was accompanied by an adverb, every noun had an adjective, and no one ever “said” anything. Oh, no, they opined, exclaimed, or shouted. You get the picture. After I corrected that, I felt I had a credible story that would resonate with many different nationalities besides the Italian-American families portrayed in the book.

The story begins in 1902 and spans three generations of an Italian-American family. The first generation is steeped in old world customs and values, living in the manner expected of them by their church and community. The second clings to the old and familiar while the world around them changes. The third embraces the modern but reverts to the past when it suits them.
Caught in the middle is Renie. Orphaned at two, she’s never known a mother’s love. Weaned on rejection and raised on neglect by a bitter stepmother, she’s unsure how to mother her own children, passing on what she believes are the proper roles of men and women.
After a life filled with tragedy and heartbreak, she realizes she may have created a respectful, obedient daughter, but she’s also made her meek and submissive. Her son, on the other hand, has been groomed from birth to assume his father’s role as lord and master of the family. Unfortunately, he also inherits his quick temper.

Here is a short excerpt from the first generation, circa 1913.

In the shadows of the darkened parlor, Tessa rubbed a coarse hand on the underside of her swollen belly as she pondered the conversation to which she’d just been privy. She’d noticed her stepdaughter’s figure developing a more womanly roundness. Apparently Carmine also noticed. With firm, high breasts, a tiny waist, and rounded hips, the girl reminded her of herself many years earlier. Now, at thirty years of age, she couldn’t recall a time when her body was hers alone. For the last ten years she’d been attached to, coupled with, or inhabited by others, poked and prodded from without and within. Trapped in a misshapen body for much of her adult life, she found it difficult if not impossible to commiserate with the problems of her young, attractive stepdaughter.
The fluted horn of Tony’s Victrola issued a groan not unlike the dying moans of a wounded animal. Tessa glanced at her sleeping husband, his fat cigar dangling precariously from his gnarled fingers, and frowned. She plucked the stogie from his hand before it fell and ground it out in the ashtray. Then she slipped the glass of wine from his other hand before it, too, landed on the carpet.
She drained what was left of his Chianti, then rested the empty glass on the crest of her belly and refilled it. As she swirled the ruby liquid round and round, an enigmatic smile played across her face. Then she downed the drink in a single, satisfied gulp, as if adding the final ingredient to a prize-winning recipe.

Links to all my books can be found on my website http://www.joycedebacco.com  



Monday, July 28, 2014

Tomorrow Blossoms by Joyce DeBacco

 


 RATED 4 STARS










Kate Beecham has a good life.  She has been married to the same man for 25 years and has raised two daughters.  She helped her husband establish a successful business and she should be happy.  For the most part she is, but she’s feeling a little like Is that all there is?
Her whole life gets turned upside down when her husband, Ward dies suddenly after they have tracked down the child they gave up for adoption when they were teens.
Ward doesn’t know that Kate has been keeping a terrible secret for all those years and that their son is not really his.
Kate was a good character.  She accepted the life she chose and made the best of it as she and Ward raised their daughters and went on with their lives.  She didn’t really carry a torch for Neil’s real father but she did wonder if she’d ever feel that kind of passion again.
Ward was a good guy and I was sad when he died although the author did give some hints so I wasn’t too surprised.  His family was in shock of course and the author did a good job of representing the grief they felt.
Their two daughters were so different from one another!  Doesn’t that happen in so many families?  Their oldest daughter, Val has distanced herself from her family and the small town and is walking down a destructive path.  The younger daughter Sheri is a hard worker and wants to be an integral part of the family construction business.  Needless to say, there is a lot of tension between the two which makes Kate very uncomfortable.
When Jesse, Kate’s highschool sweetheart and the father of her son, comes on the scene he is kind and respectful.  He doesn’t give Kate the bum’s rush or feel any animosity toward her.  In fact, he has been in love with her all these years.
The rest of the cast of characters were likeable and added interesting twists to the story that were unusual.  I really liked the character of Dave and his interest in both the sisters.
Sometimes I wished that Kate had a good girlfriend she could confide in and trust but Ward and Jesse filled those roles for her.

This was a good romance book and I would recommend it!

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Another New Life by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle
New Adult Contemporary
**This book contains adult subject matter. Not intended for young readers.**

Miranda Preston is a walking contradiction. Talented, smart and beautiful on the outside and insecure, haunted and damaged on the inside. Despite these contradictions, she’s ready to start Another New Life.

When her talent wins her a piano performance scholarship to the University of Texas, Miranda arrives on campus determined to experience everything college has to offer and to keep her secrets in the past where they belong.

An easy task, until the first guy who catches her eye happens to be someone, she’s known all her life.

Eight years have passed since the last time Miranda and Troy saw each other. He reminds her of the best and worst times of her life, but she can’t think about one without dwelling on the other. As they grow closer, every day their attraction reminds them they are no longer kids.

The epic romantic love story that is Miranda and Troy seems to be destined for a happy ending, but Miranda knows it's only a matter of time before her secret is discovered. A secret that will not only destroy their relationship, it will destroy Troy, too.

Can Miranda focus on her future with Troy while preventing her past from tearing them apart all over again?
Purchase
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Another-Life-Sydney-Aaliyah-Michelle-ebook/dp/B00KKU9A2Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1403057614&sr=1-1&keywords=another+new+life





About Sydney Aaliyah Michelle
Sydney Aaliyah Michelle is a New Adult Contemporary Romance writer, a voracious reader and movie fanatic who hails from Texas.
After surviving 5 1/2 years living in China, she had the courage to finally pursue her passion and become a writer.
Sydney has been blogging at sydneyaaliyah.com for three years, where she interviews people about their tattoos, discusses her favorite movie quotes, reviews books (New Adult & only the ones she loves) and journals about her writing and editing process. 

Website: http://sydneyaaliyah.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sydliyah
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SydneyAaliyahMichelle/info


Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Guest Post D. B. Crawford

Today I am happy to welcome D.B. Crawford, the author of The Hell of It All that I reviewed on Monday.  She is giving us some insight into the inspiration for her novel.  Enjoy!!

As a storyteller I am often asked how I arrive at the subject matter of my novels. The answer may be as simple as something popping up in my mind which I immediately recognize as a topic that would make an interesting book. As per the quote on my website, authors do not choose a story to write, the story chooses us.
 At other times, it is more complex and many elements come into play. It can be because of an overheard conversation or a bit of news heard or read. A combination of the latter is somewhat how the petroleum industry became the subject of The Hell of It All.
            Many years ago, a young man told me that he knew of someone who had invented an amazing car engine that ran without gas, and that the patent and prototype had been bought by a large oil company. I wasn’t sure if that were true, but the premise was intriguing to me and I kept it somewhere in the back of my mind. As the price of oil and gas continued to escalate, I began to wonder if petroleum companies were protecting their interests at all costs, including doing all they could to prevent competition in the form of new engines, electric or otherwise. From there, I saw that integrating that element within a family saga would be a most interesting project. And it certainly was for me.
            So, is the story based on facts or is it pure fiction, I was asked recently. Somewhat tricky question to answer because while The Hell of It All is fiction, I am aware that like most writers my work is influenced to some degree by my beliefs. In this case, my conviction that we have an urgent need to reduce our dependence on oil.
            However, I think my novel is garnering great reviews because the characters show their humanity through their flaws in their interactions, something we can all relate to. Their vision may not be above reproach, but to them it is the only road to follow even if they don’t always win. How it all comes together makes the story.

Monday, July 21, 2014

The Hell of It All by D. B. Crawford

 RATED 4 STARS

















Billy “Ham” Hamilton has put a life time of work into his company, NOCA.  What started as an oil well on his father’s farm property turned into a multimillion dollar corporation which Billy controls completely.
Peter Grayson is a brilliant inventor who has sacrificed his family life in order to invent the world’s first motor to run on water.  No gasoline needed.  He is elated that he can help to solve the problems our Earth is facing.  He imagines solving global warming and pollution.
The two are bound to connect especially since Grayson’s wife, Linda is having an affair with an executive at NOCA, Jim Coleman.  Hamilton wants to save his company at all costs and Grayson wants a fair and just recompense for his work and a say in its development.  Can the two men come to a fair agreement for both of them?
                   *******************************
I liked Peter Grayson a lot.  He and his team worked hard and wanted their invention to save the world.  His one friend is an environmental activist who opposes any connection to NOCA.  His lawyer is trustworthy but makes a bad judgment call when looking for a patent lawyer and that starts things in motion.
Linda Grayson was torn.  She loved her husband but her affair with Coleman was exciting and stimulating for a lonely woman.  Inclined to have premonitions that weren’t to be ignored, Linda sets a few things in motion with her choices.
I had a lot of sympathy for Billy Hamilton.  He worked his entire life to build an oil company.  Although over the years they diversified, Billy still held on to the fact that an oil well started it all and he didn’t want the company to fold because of one engine.  He was a stubborn old man but had a love for his family and respect for the inventor.
Billy’s granddaughter, Suzy, was facing the future knowing her grandfather expected her to fulfill his hopes of her leading the company.  Since Billy’s daughter, Perky, passed away he pinned his hopes on Susan.  Her two great uncles were also involved at the company but Billy’s ultimate goal was for his Suzy to run the show.
I felt a little sorry for Suzy as she wasn’t so sure she wanted to be a part of the company to that degree.  But she loved her grandfather and wanted to please him. 
There were a lot of references to the state of the environment and some facts revealed in the story that I was unaware of.

The whole saga took place in a pretty short time span.  There were lots of surprises I didn’t see coming and all in all, I really enjoyed the story.  If you like to read a family drama, I think you would really enjoy this book.
You can buy this book at : Amazon

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Introducing Tracy Banghart







~*~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~*~
Tracy E. Banghart is a cheesy movie–loving, fantasy football–playing (go Ravens!), globe-trotting Army wife who began “practicing” her craft at the age of five, when she wrote her first story. She loves visiting the international friends she met while pursuing her MA in Publishing and spends a portion of every summer at her family’s cabin in Canada, where she finds inspiration and lots of time to relax on the dock. She lives with her husband, son, two lazy dogs and one ornery cat. When not writing or spending time with her family, she is on a mission to bake the perfect cupcake.

~*~BOOK LIST~*~
Shattered Veil
By Blood series
What the Sea Wants

~*~SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS~*~

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Forbidden Forest Saga Promo

The New Series "Forbidden Forest Saga" Coming out next week through
with GMTA Publishing!


The first book in the New Series by 
Author, Wilson Feliz!



Be sure to check back here for updates and links to get your copies!



Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Guest Post from Tara Fox Hall


Today I'm happy to have Tara Fox Hall, author of the Promise Me series to share her ideas about writing.  Tara gives us an author's eye view of how to entertain and capture a reader's attention.




SHOW NOT TELL

            I forwent the treadmill today for walking out side with the dogs. Beautiful evening, even though I got caught in the rain. This was one of those times it added to the experience, and was relaxing. Such a lovely stormy sky, with no lightning or thunder to make me worry.
            Now, while that paragraph might have been enough to give you facts of what and when, was it enough to bring you, the reader, into that moment with me? I daresay not. Let’s try again.
            The freshly plowed fields were dark with remnants of rain that had fallen only a few hours before. Yet the path was only slightly muddy, something I was grateful for, even as I picked my way along. The alfalfa was already green and growing, signaling spring was here. The first trilliums had opened their petals just inside the forest edge, spotting the many hues of brown forest floor with spots of white. My dogs--large shepherd and small mutt--sniffed excitedly, tails wagging as they trotted beside me. There were only the sounds of the wind in the treetops, and the footfalls of our brisk pace. Then a coyote’s howl pieced the silence, answered quickly by some of his fellows far off to the northwest. As we neared home, the stormcloud sky darkened slightly, and rain began to fall, pattering gently on us, as if in blessing. Blissful, I closed my eyes and raised my face, the sensation of the rain both relaxing and freeing. This was a moment of perfect peace, and also renewal of hope and anticipation for the evening still to come.
            Same subject, yes, but anyone reading this second paragraph felt something more than they experienced with the preceeding paragraph. This is the infamous “Show, Not Tell,” that every writer hears at some point in their career. It was very hard for me to learn at first. It’s in our nature to tell people what we’ve been doing when we communicate with them, to give them a synopsis of what happened, without too much detail. In essence, I had to relearn how to tell a story to capture not only what happened, but how it felt to the subject of the story when it happened. Include sensation, emotion, perception, and any good details that lend reality to your story, so the characters are believable as possible. Only then can the reader truly identify with your character, and lose themselves in the story.



                        

Monday, July 14, 2014

Promise Me by Tara Fox Hall










RATED 4.5 STARS












Sarelle is a widow who lives in an isolated farm on her own with her family of pets.  She is independent and strong and relies on  no one but herself.  She spends most of her time at the farm but does have a part time job.
Her life takes an abrupt turn when she finds a wounded man on her property and while she helps him, she discovers he is a vampire.
Danial is devastatingly good looking and at his first opportunity, he drains Sarelle of a frightening amount of blood.  She is pretty sure helping him may not have been the best idea yet she is drawn to him.  She lets him stay and recover in her home.  He is sorry for the original blood drain and promises her he won’t do it again.
Sarelle and Danial quickly become involved and they are sure they are in love.  He shows her an opulent life style she never dreamed of and she gives him her love completely and with no hesitation.
Things are not easy for the couple however.  Someone is tracking Danial with the intent to kill him.  Others seek his death as revenge. When Danial’s brother, Devlin comes into their world, things start to get messy.

Sarelle was a gutsy woman.  She lived on the land and loved it.  She was lonely but she coped the best she could.  She had compassion and a caring heart but she could shoot a rifle and drive a tractor.   She had natural grace and beauty but didn’t fuss with herself.  I was really impressed by her love for her animals.  She treated them as if they were her own children.
I could see why Danial was attracted to her almost immediately.  She was no wilting little flower but a strong and willing companion for him.  Danial was sexy and rich but I had a little trouble understanding Sar’s immediate attraction to him and I thought he sometimes treated her as if she was a convenience.  Of course, the relationship is in early stages and he may become more likeable.
Devlin, who is the Supreme Leader of the Vampires was written as arrogant and dazzlingly handsome but I think I liked him better.  He didn’t try to be something he wasn’t.  He was attracted to Sar and was used to getting his own way.  Her resistance to him only made him want her more.

This is the first of a series so I am really looking forward to finding out more about these characters.  The story was exciting and the ending left me wanting more.
You can purchase Tara's book here: Amazon

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Win a Kindle Fire

News from author Charmaine Pauls:

Win a Kindle Fire!

Calling all paranormal erotic romance fans! Subscribe to my newsletter to receive notices of new book releases, and enter a draw to win a Kindle Fire Tablet. You can increase your chances of winning by liking my Facebook author page, by connecting with me on Twitter and by naming your all-time favorite paranormal romance in a comment on this blog. The competition runs from 3 July 12h00 to 3 October at midnight, EST.

Refer up to 10 friends and receive another entry for each recommendation.


Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Guest blog by Nancy Pennick

I am proud to have as my guest today, Nancy Pennick. You know her as the author of the Waiting for Dusk series and a friend to this blog.  She is sharing her feelings today about sending your first novel out into the public.  Her honest and open description is delightful to read.

All My Children
I’ve been asked if there’s a lot going on in my head and if it’s getting a little crowded in there. When you write books, people tend to ask things like that. They want to know where I got my ideas or how I can write an entire book.
The short answer is, “I don’t know!” That’s not the answer people want to hear so I will try my best to explain.
They are not books to me, they are my children. I send them out into the world and hope for the best, for everyone to like them and think I did a good job raising them. If I hear bad things about them, I get hurt feelings, but also look to how I can improve my skills as a parent. When I get compliments, I burst with pride.
These kids fight with me. Sometimes I win and other times they get their way. I suggest a certain outcome and they insist it will never go my way. I may have plotted their course but they seem to have other plans. I hopefully will always know the beginning, middle and end but it’s the parts in between that make life interesting.
Letting go of the first child was hard but we learned lesson along the way. Was I nervous to send number two and three out there into the cold, cruel world? Absolutely. It was just as nerve-wracking as the first time.
Will there be more besides them, you ask? How can you fit any more into that brain of yours? Well, like any good parent, there’s always room for one more. I just hope everyone will keep enjoying all my children.

Monday, July 7, 2014

Stealing Time by Nancy Pennick



RATED 5 STARS









This is the third book in the Waiting for Dusk trilogy.  Kate and Drew are back and facing the problems of a couple torn between two time periods.  Kate and Drew’s love is stronger than ever.  They are trying to live as normal a life as possible but things don’t go smoothly for the pair. 
Tyson is back and he has taken Drew’s copy of the book and makes an appearance at the Canyon that the couple has to deal with while not letting on to Tyson that he is not just dreaming.
Once Ty is dealt with, the couple finds more trouble and it is much closer to home.  While on their New York visit in the past with Drew’s family, Kate makes a startling discovery and the whole visit takes on a sinister turn.
All is not completely bad though as Kate returns to present day New York and makes a discovery that changes her life and Drew’s.  A sort of miracle takes place for Drew that helps him deal with the loss of his family.
Dealing with life in two different eras has more difficulties than the couple can imagine and they spend a lot of time trying to deal with the outcomes of some of their decisions in the past which could have terrible effects on the present.
                         **************************************

Kate is starting to become a young woman who is independent and smart and doesn’t need anyone to take care of her. She has lost her naïve ways and is a woman ready to take action.  But she wisely realizes that she is stronger with her family and friends to support her.
Drew is still the caring boyfriend but he is putting the pressure on Kate to get married in the present as they have done in 1927.  He is a product of his era and wants to do the right thing.  His prolonged visit to his family with Kate shows us a side of Drew that I was surprised to see but it made him even more interesting.
Tyson is his same old self, unable to accept the fact that Kate loves Drew and not him.  When he steals Drew’s book, it puts the whole time travel gang in a tailspin.
Lindsey and Anna, Kate’s best friends, are still there and supportive as always.  Anna receives a gift that no one expects and Lindsey and her family suffer a great tragedy.
I don’t want to give away too many details of this book.  Just let me say, it is the best of the trilogy and I don’t want the story of Kate and Drew to end.  I want to hear more about this young couple.
If you have read the other books, this is not to be missed.  If you haven’t you should run out and get them and treat yourself to a wonderful story.

Rated PG for mild sexual content.
You can buy it here: Amazon or here: Barnes and Noble

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Guest Post Paul Ferrante

Paul Ferrante writes Young Adult novels.  His T. J. Jackson series is one of my favorites.  His next book, Roberto's Return is about the ghost of Roberto Clemente, the famous baseball player of the 60's and 70's.  His tragic death in an airplane crash has never been explained.
Here's a story from Paul about how his book got to be in the Hall of Fame library.  It will give you some insight as how hard these authors are willing to work to promote their books!




How T.J. Jackson made the Hall of Fame
               I decided to use Cooperstown, New York and the National Baseball Hall Of Fame as the setting for the third installment of the T.J. Jackson Mysteries series, simply because I am very familiar with the town and its environs from visiting it at least once a year to do research for the historical baseball articles I write for Sports Collectors Digest. This time I would be featuring the ghost of a person who actually did exist (Roberto Clemente) instead of a fictional ghost. Clemente is a compelling subject, given the greatness of his baseball career and his role as a trailblazing Latino ballplayer in the 1960s. Of course, his mysterious death in a plane crash on December 31, 1972 while on a humanitarian mission of mercy to earthquake-ravaged Nicaragua also played a role.
               When the book was nearly finished, I took a trip up to Cooperstown in the fall of 2013 to do some final fact checking on Clemente in the A. Bartlett Giamatti Research Center at the Hall. I figured that as long as I was there I would try to meet with the head of purchasing for the Hall of Fame’s gift shop and bookstore, Mr. Drew Taylor. At that time I shared with him promotional items from the first two T.J. Jackson books, as well as critical reviews such as the one done by Sue Gesing. Mr. Taylor was intrigued, and when I pitched the plot of Roberto’s Return to him, he agreed to review the PDF to determine whether it was suitable for sale in the Hall’s bookstore. Meanwhile, I contacted the mayor of Cooperstown, Jeff Katz, to obtain permission to use the likeness of Doubleday Field, which is a municipal building, for the cover of the book. Luckily, Mayor Katz is a baseball aficionado, and readily agreed.
               Well, at the beginning of April 2014 I received word that Roberto’s Return was accepted for sale in the bookstore, a great honor for a baseball writer like myself. It was then my publicity team, namely my wife and agent, Maria Simoes, decided we should maximize this opportunity. First, we contacted Mr. Taylor and told him I would personally deliver the first shipment of books to the Hall on Friday, May 2. Then Maria contacted Mayor Katz to tell him that I would be bringing an autographed copy of the book to him as a thank you for his assistance on the cover. She inquired as to whether the local media would want to cover the event. The mayor gave us the name of a reporter for the Cooperstown Crier, whom we alerted as to my visit. He agreed to meet me and Mayor Katz at the Hall Friday morning for a photo op (which resulted in a fine article in the Crier). From there, Mayor Katz escorted me across the street to the Cooperstown public library where I donated another copy of the book and had my photo taken with the head librarian.
               But we weren’t done yet. Maria had also contacted the president of the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce, Pat Szarpa, whom we met in the hopes that I would be making another visit to town during this summer’s 75th Anniversary of the opening of the Hall of Fame. Finally we had a meeting with Stephanie Hazzard, who arranges author appearances as part of the Hall of Fame’s Summer Author Series. I was happy to tell her about the historical aspect of all the T.J. Jackson books and that Roberto’s Return would give young adult readers a wonderful history lesson on the Hall of Fame, Cooperstown and its local legends, and of course, the great Roberto Clemente. Two weeks later I received word from the Hall of Fame that I had been chosen to speak in the Bullpen Theater at the Hall of Fame on August 7 to discuss Roberto’s Return. This is  the ultimate thrill  for me, but it also illustrates that in the competitive literary market, especially when one is writing for a small publisher, any and all possible marketing opportunities should be seized. Many phone calls and emails were made in this process, but the results have been more than worth the effort.

Here's an excerpt from the book :

“Mr. Clemente,” said T.J. gently, “we’ve come here to help you. Tell us what it is we can do.”
               The ballplayer thought hard. “You know what? I would like to play on a ballfield one more time. To break at the crack of the bat, track the flight of the ball, make the catch…fire the ball to third base.”
               “Like in the 1971 Series?” asked Bortnicker.
               “You’ve seen the play? Against the Orioles?”
               “It’s considered a classic.”
               “Good. Yes, that is what I’d like to do most.”
               T.J. said, “We can do that for you. How about tomorrow night?”
               “Bueno. You have a place we can go?”
               “Sure. Doubleday Field, right up the street.”
               “Ah, yes. I remember. My Pirates played there twice in exhibition games. A jewel of a park, with short fences.” He paused. “But will we be able to leave here?” He swept his arm across the room.
               “I don’t know,” said T.J., “But we can try.”
               “And can you three children help me go home?” His voice was heartwrenchingly hopeful.
               “We’ll do our best,” promised LouAnne, her eyes brimming with tears.
               “Then I will see you again, manana,” he said. “Until then, adios.” He turned and glided down the hallway until he was swallowed by the darkness.
               “Too cool!” said Bortnicker.
               “Yeah, maybe,” said T.J. “But jeez Louise, guys, how are we gonna do everything we promised?”
               “You’ll figure it out, Big Mon,” said Bortnicker. “You always do.”
You can find Paul's books here:Amazon and here: Barnes and Noble