Marsh Rose is here to tell us about her memoir A Version of the Truth.
There's also a great giveaway.
________________________
Do we spend our lives searching in vain for an answer,
or do
we find a version of the truth we can live with, and live with it?
A Version of the
Truth
by Marsh Rose
Genre: Memoir
Over forty years, Marsh and her partner built a life defined
by love, devotion, and independence. He supported her when she bought her home
in California wine country, when she grieved the deaths of her parents, when
she built her career as a psychotherapist, and even when she overcame a
lifelong fear of dogs to adopt a rescued greyhound.
They never married or shared a home—by choice. They were lovers and confidants,
deeply committed to one another. Yet, they only met on Tuesdays and Fridays.
And then, one day, he vanished.
When Marsh finally tracked him down, she discovered the unimaginable: he had
suffered a catastrophic stroke. His memory was gone. He could no longer speak.
And he was living with a woman who knew him by a different name.
What was the truth? With him unreachable behind the devastation of his illness,
and with the danger that exposing their relationship could cause irreparable
harm, Marsh was left to confront a hall of mirrors—plagued by questions,
silences, and uncertainty.
In the end, she discovered a universal reality: we all live with some
unknowable mystery. The question is—do we spend our lives searching in vain for
an answer, or do we find a version of the truth we can live with, and live with
it?
Marsh Rose is a freelance
writer, psychotherapist and college educator. Her short stories have appeared
in a variety of publications including Cosmopolitan Magazine, the San Francisco
Chronicle, Carve Magazine, Hippocampus Magazine, and New Millennium Writings
where she took first prize for creative nonfiction in 2018. She lives in the north San Francisco Bay Area with her greyhound, Adin.
Jolene MacFadden is here to tell us about her non-fiction 3-book marketing toolkit for authors.
There's also a great giveaway.
_______________________
“Own your story, build your brand, and share it with the
world—your author journey starts here.”
Authors- How To Brand
You and Your Books
by Jolene MacFadden
Genre: Non-Fiction, Author Self-Help
Digital Marketing Assistance for the Business Challenged
Writer
One of the most difficult tasks for any creative talent is to effectively brand
ourselves and our stories.
This book will help you.
From websites to the most popular social media platforms, I have experienced it
all, and will provide you with most of the tips and tricks I have learned
through the years. This book will also help you gain some basic understanding
behind the 'why you should do these tasks yourself'. It has become a
requirement in today's publishing climate for both indie and traditionally
published authors to have a social media presence. This book will show you the
different places you should be spending your valuable time to, hopefully, be
most effective at connecting with your readers and make more sales. I include
some great ideas on what to post, how often, and when. (Of course, you do what
is best for you and your schedule)
The main goal is to inform, encourage, and to show you that YOU CAN DO THIS or you, your
readers, and your professional book writing business
Welcome to the 30-Day Challenge Workbook. Within these pages
are helpful forms that will help you get started on your digital marketing
journey for your small business. This workbook along with my other beginner’s
reference book called, “Top Ten Ways to Market Your Books for Free”,
which works for authors and small businesses, will help you understand the
how’s and whys of social media. Again, these are beginner guides only. At the
end of 30 days, you will have actionable routines and data to help you formulate
a plan of action that works for you and your business.
Quick and easy information for writers who want to know how
to market their book on a very tight budget. Tips and tricks gathered from
years of working with writers, publishing my own books, and as a reader wanting
to find more on the writers I want to read.
Jolene MacFadden is a multi-published nonfiction author,
digital marketer, and lifelong storyteller dedicated to helping writers build
their brands and thrive in today’s publishing world. With decades of hands-on
experience as a financial counselor, freelance web designer, and marketing
strategist, she blends practical know-how with creative insight to guide
authors through the often-overwhelming world of book promotion. Her popular
guides—"Authors: How to Brand You and Your Books”, “30-Day Social Media
Challenge Workbook”, and “Top Ten Ways to Market Your Book for Free”—have
become go-to resources for indie, hybrid, and traditionally published authors
alike.
An eclectic learner and enthusiastic community builder,
Jolene has grown a vibrant multi-platform presence, engaging readers and
writers through Pinterest, Mastodon, TikTok, Substack, and YouTube. She hosts
the lively Jolene’s Book and Writer’s Talk podcast, where she interviews
authors and industry pros across genres, and she regularly speaks at book
festivals and writers’ conferences across Florida. Her passion for
storytelling, education, and empowerment drives everything she creates—whether
it’s a blog post, a marketing workshop, or her Solo Sojourn Project inspiring
solo women travelers to explore public lands.
Jolene also writes historical fiction, mystery, and romance
under the pen name L. J. Green (Lillian Jade Green), where she blends rich
historical detail with intrigue and heart. A proud “Booming Xer,” she lives a
life of exploration, blending authorship, digital entrepreneurship, and travel
in her home state of Florida.
Kathryn Caraway is here to tell us about her true crime memoir Unfollow Me, a terrifying true story of a sadistic stalker, and He Follows Me, suspense thriller.
There's also a great giveaway.
________________________
'
First comes the true story.
Then comes her fictional
revenge.
Unfollow Me
A Terrifying True Story of a Sadistic Stalker
by Kathryn Caraway
Genre: True Crime Memoir
#1 Amazon New
Release!
What if the man
stalking you worked in IT—at the police department?
"Think it couldn't happen to you? Think again. Read. This. Book.” —John
DeDakis, Award-winning novelist, writing coach, and former editor on CNN's
"The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer"
This true crime case is told with brutal honesty,
exposing the silent terror of stalking. Gripping details of kidnapping,
intimate partner abuse, and surveillance using everyday tools engrained in
society—and most households—uncovers systemic blindspots. From
overlooked police reports to exhausting court battles, it’s a story of a
woman’s resilience in the face of relentless fear. A must read for fans of true
crime, survival stories, and psychological thrillers.
Stalkers don’t just
hide in the shadows. Some log in.
Kathryn meets Todd, a charming IT expert for the police
department. He coaxes her into a brief relationship and turns a normal breakup
into a reign of terror. Todd isn’t just obsessed—he’s inside Kathryn’s home
network.
He doesn’t have to be in her house to watch her. Or hear
her.
He sees her text messages—on his screen.
He can follow her car without ever leaving his house.
And he even tells her why: “You are mine. And I don’t
share.”
When Todd asks Kathryn if she wants to see death coming, she
tells him no. Now she waits for it every day. Dismissed by officers, Kathryn
builds a case police can no longer ignore. But the more she learns about Todd’s
past, the more she suspects he might be tied to the unsolved murder of a woman
she has only one thing in common with: Todd.
And if she’s right, she might be next . . .
“A powerful, riveting
account about a woman being victimized by a modern-day monster.” —Kirkus
Reviews
“Urgency of feeling
pulses throughout . . .” —BookLife
“An inspiring story
of survival . . . the horrors of stalking and its devastating effects on the
mental health of those targeted . . .” —Chanticleer Book Reviews
& Media
“The specificity of emotion, the
physiological response to trauma, and the intellectual clarity . . . give this
book its power.” —Independent Book Review
“Unfollow Me kept me on the
edge of my seat from beginning to end. Caraway’s will to get justice in her
case and her composure through it all shows a resilience that not many
possess.” —Memoir Magazine
* 2024 Grand Prize Winner in Narrative
Nonfiction (Journey Award, Non-Fiction Overcoming Adversity)
* 2024 1st Place Winner in
Thriller/Suspense (Clue Award)
* 2024 1st Place Winner in
Non-Fiction Cover Design
Kathryn Caraway
thought a conviction would end the nightmare. She was wrong.
Todd Bennett is getting out of jail—and he hasn’t forgotten
her. The government offers her a lifeline: new name, new life, new country. But
freedom comes at a cost and safety is an illusion.
U.S. Marshal Wes Kade doesn’t care about feelings. He cares
about results. Cold, disciplined, and relentless, he has built a career on
keeping people alive. But something about this case doesn’t add up. He realizes
this isn’t personal—it’s war.
With nowhere left to hide, Kathryn must face the terrifying
truth that some nightmares never end.
A gripping
psychological thriller where survival isn’t just about escape—it’s about
fighting back.
Wow! I have absolutely DEVOURED this book, and Kathryn
Caraway has become my new favorite author! He Follows Me is the fictional
follow-up to Unfollow Me, and it does not disappoint. What starts as a
semi-cozy read turns into a tense thriller with an absolutely explosive ending!
Give this one a read, especially if you have read Unfollow Me! – Goodreads reviewer
Kathryn Caraway lived life as the target of a stalker for years.
After her perpetrator’s conviction, Kathryn founded the Unfollow Me Project to raise
education and awareness of the debilitating effects of stalking, as well as to
offer support to those being stalked. For more information, go to https://unfollowme.com.
Caila Klaiss is here to tell us about Kennedy Sloane Gets Scooped, contemporary women's fiction and romance.
There's also a great giveaway.
________________________
Contemporary Women's Fiction/Contemporary Romance
Date Published: November 6th, 2025
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
Faster than details break in a news story, Kennedy Sloane gets scooped.
On a rainy Manhattan afternoon, career-obsessed writer and news producer
Kennedy loses the interview that was guaranteed to catapult her to senior
producer status. Hours later, revered and feared book editor Muffin Evans, aka
the Manuscript Eater, shelves the publication of her promising debut novel.
Over a night of tears and too many glasses of wine, Kennedy responds to an
internet ad for a villa on the picturesque island of Hilton Head. She books a
five-week “hiatus from life,” to focus on herself, free from
distractions.
However, soon after arriving on the island, J.P. Long catches Kennedy’s
hesitant eye. Despite a series of serendipitous encounters around the romantic
oasis, Kennedy knows there’s no room in her life for a charming
professional golfer turned businessman who is battling his own personal and
professional insecurities.
But maybe he’s worth the trouble.
If there’s one thing Kennedy’s learned, it’s that life
rarely happens as expected, and sometimes, the best stories unfold when you
stop chasing the perfect headline.
About the Author
A graduate of Fordham University, Caila Klaiss is an award-winning network
news producer who spent seventeen years crisscrossing the country to cover
breaking and developing stories for platforms across ABC News. The bulk of her
career was spent producing true crime documentaries for 20/20.
Since making the difficult decision to leave a career she loved, Caila has
pursued her other life-long dream of becoming a writer. When she is not
reading, writing, or researching, Caila recharges by practicing yoga.
Born, raised, and currently living in northeastern Pennsylvania, Caila is a
New Yorker at heart whose happy place is a warm sandy beach, under a palm
tree.
Joanne Guidoccio is here to tell us about her short story fantasy Hippie Mermaid.
There's also a great giveaway.
______________________
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Joanne Guidoccio will be awarding a $10 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
From sea to shore, betrayal follows her wherever she goes.
On Christmas Eve, psychic Kendra Adams reveals the secret she’s hidden for decades—she was once Rosina, a mermaid torn between sea and shore. Betrayed in her ocean kingdom and desperate to escape banishment, she persuades a politician to smuggle her into the human world. But freedom on land comes at a cost, as she soon finds herself ensnared in another web, this one spun by the politician’s power-hungry sister.
Read an Excerpt
A smile crept up on Aunt Lina’s face. “We have seven days to captivate your human.”
“What…How?”
“I heard all about the excursion from the Ettas,” Aunt Lina said. “They couldn’t stop talking about the attention you received from those four men. And that, my dear Rosina, is why Annabella is determined to get rid of you. She doesn’t want any reminders of a competition she didn’t win.”
“But I wasn’t competing. I said nothing and let the others pick their humans.”
“Ah, but the humans wanted you. And the one called Blake was not too happy when Annabella claimed him.” Aunt Lina spoke more briskly, “You made a good impression. You stayed much longer than the others, and you risked your life for a man.”
I shook my head. “I forgot about the time.”
“Something you cannot afford to do when you go up there tomorrow night.”
“I can’t go up there.”
“Did La Bella forbid you?”
“No, but I don’t want to upset her any further.”
“If she has mentioned Crete, she has already decided. You need to find a way out of this disaster. Go up there each night until you connect with the human. Persuade him to take you with him. If a human desires you, La Bella will not interfere. She will expedite the process.”
I tried to recall scattered bits of the conversation with Lloyd. At one point, he did mention wanting to take me with him, but there was uncertainty in his voice. He already had issues with the two women in his life.
“Cry,” Aunt Lina advised. “Humans cannot handle our tears. And if necessary, beg him to take you away.”
“His life is already complicated.”
“And yours is not?” Aunt Lina grabbed my shoulders. “This human is your only way out of this mess.”
About the Author:
Joanne Guidoccio enjoyed a rewarding career teaching mathematics, business, and co-operative education courses before retiring to pursue writing. A member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, she writes paranormal romances, cozy mysteries, and inspirational stories from her home base of Guelph, Ontario.
Brendon Patrick is here to tell us about Afghani, historical fiction.
There's also a great giveaway.
_____________________
Two souls,
one hundred years apart,
bound by lands that both
embrace and betray.
Afghani
by Brendon Patrick
Genre: Historical Fiction
War is a Racket, and
Culture is Blind: The True Cost of Conflict
Journey through a century of strife in this gripping
dual-timeline novel with:
George Sher Gul:
A Muslim cameleer fleeing early 20th Century Afghanistan, seeking hope in
Australia's unforgiving outback. He navigates harsh landscapes and the
prejudices of White Australia, with his dream of belonging hanging by a thread.
Patterson: An
Australian soldier in post-9/11 Afghanistan, questioning the war's true motives
amidst corruption and personal demons.
Their intertwined stories challenge our beliefs on war,
peace, and humanity.
Experience heart-wrenching choices, cultural clashes across
generations, and a quest for belonging spanning continents.
This thought-provoking historical fiction exposes
deep-rooted xenophobia, drawing parallels between early 20th century Australia
and today's complex geopolitical landscape.
Together, it offers a witty yet unflinching critique of
global politics—questioning the cyclical nature of conflict.
From sun-baked Australian deserts to war-torn Afghan
streets, immerse yourself in a powerful journey through time and culture.
Will George Sher Gul find his future in a land that views
him as an outsider?
Can Patterson discover peace amidst chaos and national
expectations?
Uncover these answers in a compelling tale of resilience,
hope, and the enduring human spirit.
Click Buy Now to
embark on an unforgettable adventure that will challenge your perspectives and
touch your heart!
What readers
are saying:
Between breathtaking descriptions of Afghanistan's
demonic and razor-sharp craggy edges and the sun-scorched Australian outback,
Brendon Patrick weaves a tale that will leave you questioning everything you
thought you knew about both nations' shared history.
Brendon Patrick is an emerging voice in historical fiction,
drawing upon his experiences as a veteran of the Australian Army and his
heritage as a descendant of Afghan Cameleers. His debut novel: Afghani explores
the untold stories of Australia’s multicultural past.
Based in Brisbane, Brendon is a self-taught writer who founded Bulldog Self
Publishing to bring authentic Australian stories to readers. When not writing,
he can be found spending time with his beloved bulldogs and advocating for
diverse voices in literature.
Building an impossible tea farm in the Cheshire countryside was Sofia’s second chance. A way to prove herself. A fresh start. She knew it would be graft. She anticipated a degree of isolation. But with Christmas imminent and the farm failing, her thoughts have grown darker. She’s searching for something — an ineffable force to make this year the magical wonderland she always craves and never finds.
Yet with the farm failing there’s no time to fix her ailing social life. Sofia resigns herself to another lonely holiday.
Enter Matt.
Delaware Grange’s twenty-one-year-old assistant gamekeeper. Nice enough, a bit dopey.
As she hunkers down for winter, Sofia thinks she’s prepared for everything. Nothing could prepare her for Matt. For the abrupt awareness of him. For the way he’s far more capable than he seems. Thoughtful. Considerate. Quietly intelligent.
Way sexier than he appears.
Suddenly impossible to ignore.
But Matt isn’t what he seems. A darkness runs beneath Delaware Grange — insidious, creeping, buried deep.
Sofia was little more than a challenge, a box for Matt to check, an assignment to complete. Until he fell.
Hard.
Now all he sees is her. All he wants is her. And all he knows is she has no idea who he truly is. While Sofia fights her feelings in the face of forbidden fruit, and Matt wrestles with the reality of his true purpose on the estate, the pair fall into an intoxicating, passionate, volatile romance.
As winter deepens and Christmas closes in, two lonely souls struggle to find peace in each other, and trust becomes the most dangerous choice on the estate.
Falling for Matt threatens everything Sofia has worked so hard to build. Falling for Sofia might just be the making of Matt.
That Boy is a high-heat, secret-identity romance where desire, deception, and devotion collide in a snowy small-town Christmas.
While not required, it is highly suggested to read Nightshade before That Boy.
Author’s Note: Each novel in The Cheshire Set can be read as a standalone, but the following order avoids spoiling the reading experience of earlier books.
Recommended Reading Order for The Cheshire Set:
Bane
Nightshade
That Boy
Eve Was Framed, a prequel novella to Bane, isn’t strictly part of The Cheshire Set but is available for free download on the author’s website.
A quiet, introspective moment between Matt and Sofia after a near-disaster. As they talk about “The Gloaming”—that melancholy space between Halloween and Christmas—their chemistry deepens and the novel’s central themes of loneliness, yearning, and rediscovery of light emerge.
“What’s the Gloaming?”
“Oh. Right.” I shifted, trying to find a way to lean that didn’t hurt my shoulder. It was useless. Until someone could pop it back in, I was doomed to dull agony. “It’s that feeling that threatens to drown you…” I paused, swallowing hard and staring out the window.
The world nearly drowned me tonight.
“This time every year.” I finally managed. “You know?”
Keep talking. Stay conscious. Don’t toss your cookies into his lap.
“That…overwhelming urge to…cover everything in cheer. But…” I took a little more water. “…the more you try, the less cheerful you feel. So you just keep…adding more.”
He chuckled.
“Hoping the cheer finds you before you’re…” Another tiny sip of water. “…crushed by baubles and fake fir garlands.”
He stared at me.
Great. Now he thinks I’m a total weirdo.
“I get it.” A slow smile spread across his face. “You’re staring at all the decorations. Watching the snow fall. And somewhere inside you’re sure you love Christmas. But you never quite seem to feel it.”
“Yes!” I sat up, and momentarily thought I’d blackout from the effort.
He eased me back into the sofa.
“Nailed it.” I swallowed. Talking was so much effort. Thinking was weirdly worse. “It’s a coping mechanism, I guess.”
He nodded, but when I didn’t continue, he made a winding motion with his hands.
“Every year this…fog descends. When Halloween’s over. This looming sense of…dread.”
“And it’s right when everyone else is getting excited.”
I nodded. “Exactly. Not me.” The wind howled savagely by, rattling the window and making us both jump. I turned my face away from the glass, not wanting to think about the carnage outside. “I’m sat there like a…miserly Scrooge.”
“Scrooge was never that pretty.”
I shook my head. “Don’t flirt with me.”
“Keep talking then.”
I didn’t want to. I just wanted to sleep.
My eyes drifted, and he nudged my knee with his. “Sof?”
With gargantuan effort, I rallied. “Welcome to Gloamas!” I wheezed. “Not quite Christmas. Not quite apathy. Some…twisted netherworld.”
He permitted me another tiny sip of water for my effort.
I swallowed it and continued, “You’re stuck for weeks. Longing to be…joyful and merry. But…that ineffable light is…absent.”
Matt pursed his lips. “So…it’s not gloomy, it’s gloamy. You’re in the twilight. Daylight’s gone. You know it will be back at some point, but in the interim, you’re left with a hollow echo—”
“How you…loved Christmas…as a kid,” I managed. “Desperately wish to…feel it all.”
He grinned. “But for now, the light’s faded. Until the sun rises, you’re left wisting after a feeling.”
I stared at him. “And someone to share it with.”
Matty shifted a little closer. He was still soaking wet from the rain. Must have been freezing. Yet he hadn’t complained. Hadn’t even seemed to notice. I leant into him and shivered. More at the thought of how cold he must be than anything else. But he stripped off my blankets (now soaked) and wrapped me in two new dry ones.
The phone rang, and he shot up to grab it.
“She’s okay, I think. Conscious, talking, the bleeding’s stopped. Her shoulder’s bad, but—”
A pause as whoever was on the other end of the line spoke.
“Are you sure it’s safe?” He peered out of the window. “The rain’s still coming down hard.”
Another pause.
“Okay. We’ll be here.”
He hung up. “Sounds like the storm’s passing. It’s lightening up at the house, and the rain’s almost stopped down there. They’re on their way up. By the time they get here, it should have cleared.”
“The track will be murder.” I tried to sit up.
He moved and blocked me, forcing me to stay still. “Easy.”
“Give me the phone.”
“They’ve already left, Sof.”
I struggled some more.
“Stop!”
Calm. But firm. Commanding.
I’ve never heard him speak like that before.
“Stop.”
Softer. Eyes searching mine.
My heart fluttered.
“We’d all gladly risk a bit of fucking mud to get you safe. You must know that?”
My breath caught. My chest constricted painfully. His jaw was locked. The look in his eyes was…feral.
And so fucking hot.
There’s really something wrong with me.
Satisfied I wasn’t about to bolt for the door, he sat back down. Glanced around.
“Is that why all your decorations are so…weirdly depressing?”
“They’re not.” I sniffed.
“They really are, Sof. Like…they’re full of the festive spirit but don’t quite hit the mark.”
He glanced at my forlorn little tree. Which, in fairness, was at least standing vertically now. I’d come in one day to find him scrambling around on the floor, fiddling with the screws on the base to get it standing straight.
He was right. The baubles were desolate.
I loved them.
“I like them.” Matt wrapped the blankets tighter around me. “They’re comfortingly depressing. How Christmas should be. It always just…kind of reminds you of all you’re missing in life.”
Author Bio:
Briar has been a professional copywriter for many years (far more than she cares to admit). She began her career working for large companies and agencies before realising she could do it all for herself. Now, she happily writes for businesses and entrepreneurs she’s passionate about and dreams of the day her fiction becomes popular enough for her to retreat into fictional worlds full-time. Growing up in Cheshire and falling in love with its countryside, small towns, and villages, she’s enjoyed creating a fictional world that reflects her own.
