~ Take a Walk With Us Along The DEVIL'S PROMENADE! ~

I am absolutely thrilled to have on with us today one of my favorite authors--Alicia Dean! And she brings along a book from a very unusual project, A World of Gothic--Gothic mysteries written by different authors and set in locations around the globe. But let's find out a little bit more about her first.

Alicia, when did your love for writing start?

When I first began reading. I’ve wanted to write since I was a child.

What is something you struggle with when you write?

There are three main things I struggle with, the beginning, middle, and end. J Haha, although that’s true, I know it’s not what you meant. I probably struggle with characterization the most. I’m a plot driven writer and I don’t always bring the characters to life like I should.

How do you balance the demands of your everyday life and your writing life?

Aaarrrgggghhhh…I don’t! I just try to focus on the most pressing thing at the moment. I ignore my writing more than I should so that I can take care of other things, but I haven’t gone completely insane yet, so I guess I’m managing. The best way I can balance is to get up two hours earlier than I have to in order to get in some writing. And, I try to hibernate and block out everything except writing on weekends when I can.

Do you have a job outside of writing? What is it and how does it mesh with your writing?

Yes, I’m a legal assistant in a family law firm. It doesn’t really ‘mesh’ but I love what I do. It does give me lots of material for books, though. Divorce and paternity cases can get kind of crazy.

Where do you live?

Edmond, Oklahoma. Where would you love to live? Maybe Alaska, except when it’s light 24 hours a day.

When trick-or-treating as a kid, was there any kind of candy that you didn’t like to get?

Those nasty orange fluffy peanuts.


Amen. How did that company stay in business when only a handful of people like them? Name your favorite children's story.

Little Match Girl

Oh, my gosh! That's so depressing! What is your biggest pet peeve?

People asking me questions. HA! Just kidding. I have a lot of pet peeves. One of them is rude/loud eating noises. And people blowing their noses in restaurants. And making out in public. Especially ugly people.

What one thing (modern convenience) could you not live without?

Computer/cellphone/kindle

Okay, that could all be one thing, so we'll let you get away with it. What are your three favorite smells?

Coffee, rain, babies

I can't stand the taste of straight up coffee, but I like it when it flavors something else, and the smell is heavenly! Thanks for sharing a little bit of yourself with us, Alicia! Let's find out more about Devil’s Promenade: A World of Gothic – United States...

Blurb ~

Amidst a blizzard, paranormal debunker Camille Burditt arrives at Devil’s Promenade in Oklahoma to research a supernatural 'spook light' for her latest book. There she encounters a ghostly being, which she dismisses as a figment of her imagination. But as the apparition becomes too persistent to deny, Camille realizes the woman’s ghost is quite real—and that her demise was not accidental. 

Declan Rush—the inhospitable, reclusive owner of the inn—is linked to the deceased woman, but he is less than forthcoming. Despite his unfriendliness, Camille is oddly drawn to him, even though she suspects his connection to the spirit might be that of killer to victim.

Excerpt ~

The blackness around me was broken only by the blinking of the cell tower lights ahead and a sliver of moonlight. Even through my coat and the blanket I’d wrapped around my shoulders, frigid air seeped through my bones. From a distance came the low rumble of cars and a keening sound I was growing accustomed to. The possibility of coyotes no longer frightened me—at least not as much as it had in the beginning—but the haunted wail still sent a shiver through my body.

I’d been out for hours when my lids grew heavy, in spite of the nap I’d taken. I poured the last of the coffee from the thermos into the cup and drank the lukewarm liquid. I checked my phone, which was only good as a clock now that I had no service. Four a.m. Six hours. If I hadn’t seen it by now, I probably wouldn’t see it.

I stared down the road, stretching my eyes wide to keep them open. I wasn’t going to make it. I was so sleepy…

I yawned so hard my jaw ached. Definitely time to go in. I reached for the golf cart key, then stopped mid-motion when a glimmer of light caught my eye. I jerked my head up.

There…at the end of the road between the overhang of skeletal tree branches, an orange-yellow ball of light appeared. It hung in the air for a moment before moving in a bouncy motion from left to right. Oh wow… Was I really seeing it?

I blinked and looked again.

The light was still there.

I jumped out of the cart. “Oh my God. The spook light,” I whispered in awe.

I no longer felt the cold, and I was no longer sleepy. My insides jittered, but from excitement rather than fear. In one of the articles I’d read, a psychic claimed the light wasn’t actually a light, but a dimension to another world…that it could lead to danger. But still, I wasn’t afraid.

This was amazing. Beyond amazing. I fumbled out my cell phone and snapped a few photos. I touched the thumbnail and breathed a sigh of relief. Unlike Eleanor had in the video, they hadn’t disappeared. I’d actually gotten pictures.

I glanced around, feeling alone, wishing someone were here to share it with me. I let out a scoffing chuckle. Be honest, you wish Declan were here to share it with you.

In spite of my humiliation, I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him since last night. I couldn’t help but wonder how he would treat me when we saw one another again. No doubt, after my clumsy attempt to hit on him, it would be awkward to say the least.

I hung out for another half an hour, until the spook light disappeared. I was disappointed, but I’d known it wouldn’t last forever. At least I had seen it. And I had pictures.

Jillian had to let me write this new book. Now, I could prove that the spook light existed. And, knowing it was real, I could make the book even a more entertaining read by sharing about the legends.

I climbed into the cart and headed back to the inn, my mind brimming with possibilities now that I had an entirely new outlook on the phenomenon. I couldn’t wait to revise the book.

Available July 8th! Amazon pre-order link: https://amzn.com/B01GNGTU96

Author Bio ~

Alicia Dean is a suspense and paranormal author in Edmond, Oklahoma. She wrote her first romance at age 11, and she still has the tattered, pencil-written copy. Other than reading and writing, her passions are Elvis Presley, MLB, NFL, and watching her favorite televisions shows.

You can find Alicia here:

*** Sign up for our Novel Notes Newsletter, a multi-author newsletter where we give away a $25 gift card each month: 

https://www.facebook.com/NovelNotesAuthors

Website: http://aliciadean.com/

Blog: http://aliciadean.com/alicias-blog/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alicia-Dean-559598754221926/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alicia_Dean_

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/aliciamdean/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/468339.Alicia_Dean

You can pre-order DEVIL'S PROMENADE here:

https://amzn.com/B01GNGTU96

Available July 8th!

~ This Book Will Cause Readers to FILL THE STADIUM and Stand Up and Cheer! ~

Please welcome the dynamic duo to the spotlight today, the team of Pat Casiello and Kathie Clare, writing as K.M. Daughters. And as a special treat, Pat and Kathie have brought along NFL quarterback Ramsey Delaney!



Ramsey, please tell us a little bit about yourself? Why did you become a quarterback? What are your strengths & weaknesses?

Good morning, M.J. Since I’m on injured reserve for the Massachusetts Dragons I have extra time to focus on the kids at The Good Sports Club I founded. Of course, I’m ready whenever Coach Beltzer needs me to quarterback for him. I’d say I’m strong in pass completion and I don’t want to jinx myself, but I haven’t thrown an interception in 20 games. Weaknesses? Can’t think of any… Well, maybe for a beautiful woman and her two small boys.



Ahh... Well, Ram, what is your earliest childhood memory?

Believe it or not I was kind of a puny kid. I remember that I was always the last one chosen for teams and was frequently knocked down on the playground. The Good Sports Club was born out of those memories. It’s a place where kids can participate on their level without worrying about ridicule.



Sounds wonderful! How did you meet Nikki? What was your first impression of her?

She came storming into my office like a Mama bear protecting her cub. It was all a misunderstanding. I thought she was a little spitfire and I also couldn’t get her out of my mind.


Now for a toughie...what is it that you want out of life?

A cure for ALD.


Yes! Wouldn't that be something. For those of you who aren't familiar with this disease, 
"Adrenoleukodystrophy, or ALD, is a deadly genetic disease that affects 1 in 18 000 people. It most severely affects boys and men. This brain disorder destroys myelin, the protective sheath that surrounds the brain's neurons -- the nerve cells that allow us to think and to control our muscles. It knows no racial, ethnic or geographic barriers.

The most devastating form of ALD appears in childhood, generally between the ages of four and ten years old. Normal, healthy boys suddenly begin to regress. At first, they simply show behavioral problems, such as withdrawal or difficulty concentrating. Gradually, as the disease ravages their brain, their symptoms grow worse, including blindness and deafness, seizures, loss of muscle control, and progressive dementia. This relentless downward spiral leads to either death or permanent disability, usually within 2 to 5 years from diagnosis." (http://www.stopald.org/what-is-ald/) Truly a cruel disease. 

How about we lighten things up a bit. If you owned a CB radio what would your "handle" be? 

It would be “Enginee” from my Highland U quarterbacking days.

There's a story in there somewhere, but we're all out of time. Thank you for joining us, Ram. It was a delight spending time with you. Not let's find out a little bit more about FILL THE STADIUM...

Blurb ~

Nikki Lambert’s husband purposely stalls his truck in the path of the midnight freight on the same day her eldest son, Jack, is diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder.
Injured NFL quarterback, Ramsey Delaney is benched from his starting position leaving him ample time for more hands-on involvement in The Good Sports Club, a community center he established where Nikki’s sons, Jack and Rocky are enrolled.


Jack’s deteriorating motor skills concern Ram’s employees who bar Jack from attending the club without Ram’s knowledge. Nikki wants nothing but normalcy for Jack and she heatedly confronts Ram for depriving her son of a beloved activity. Ram immediately reinstates Jack forging the fateful bond between Nikki and her boys’ number-one sports hero.

Ram is instantly attracted to Nikki. He wants to win her heart more than he’s ever wanted to win a game. But after her husband’s terrible abandonment will Nikki trust Ram’s motives and open her heart to love again?

Excerpt ~

"It’s not funny Ram. How dare you hire people to tear up my house without my knowledge? What the hell were you thinking?"

Shrugging his shoulders he replied, "I don't know. That I'm helping you?"

She dragged her fingers through her hair. His stomach tightened yearning to thread his fingers through her silky hair, too. In the next second he questioned his motives once more, something he had done repeatedly since she had stormed his office the first time. Ram still remained satisfied that he wasn't trying to buy or to manipulate her affections. Whether or not she'd ever see him the way that he saw her, Ram had to help Jack. The compulsion had become near obsession. He'd spend his last dime and would have fought anyone who had tried to stop him, including Nikki.

Nikki pinned him with a penetrating glare, tense and unsmiling.

"Say something," he said.

“I can take care of my son.”

“I never said you couldn’t. No one could give Jack better care than you. I just want you to let me help you."

She wagged her head, no. “It’s too much Ram. I can’t accept it.”

"I think it might be a little late to refuse.” He smiled but the dark stare she gave him had him back stepping, “Look,” he said, holding his palms up in supplication, "Let’s be honest. I have been paid an obscene amount of money to play football. More than I will ever need. I have the money to fix up your house for Jack, and you don't have money to spare. It's nothing. It's what friends do for each other."

“You’re out of your mind. It’s too much.” Her chest heaved.

She sighed and he detected a slight softening in her eyes and a minuscule slackening of her shoulders.

Encouraged Ram paced a step closer. “What can I say? I’m just a dumb jock.”

Author Bios ~

K.M. Daughters is the penname for team writers and sisters, Pat Casiello and Kathie Clare. The penname is dedicated to the memory of their parents, “K”ay and “M”ickey Lynch. K.M. Daughters is the author of 13 award winning romance genre novels. The “Daughters” are wives, mothers and grandmothers residing in the Chicago suburbs and on the Outer Banks, North Carolina. Visitors are most welcome at http://www.kmdaughters.com

You can buy FILL THE STADIUM here:

http://www.amazon.com/Fill-Stadium-K-Daughters-Team/dp/150920489X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1465263299&sr=1-1&keywords=fill+the+stadium