#WriterWednesday Interview with Lorie Lewis Ham & Give-away

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I’d like to welcome author, editor, publisher, and podcaster, Lorie Lewis Ham to the blog for #WriterWednesday.

A few of your favorite things: Pepsi, animals, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Things you need to throw out: I need to giveaway some of the books I know I won’t ever read again but it’s so hard!

Things you love about writing: I love creating a story and characters.

Things you hate about writing: Editing!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Getting the word out to readers.
Easiest thing about being a writer: The first draft!

Things you never want to run out of: Pepsi

Things you wish you’d never bought: A house! I would much rather rent and have all the repairs be someone else’s problem lol.

Favorite music or song: Frank Sinatra

Music that drives you crazy: The loud hip hop and rap that our neighbor plays in the middle of the day (mostly because it’s so loud and I can’t enjoy sitting outside to read)

Favorite beverage: Tie between Pepsi and coffee
Something that gives you a sour face: Strong lemonade

Favorite smell: Coffee
Something that makes you hold your nose: Flowers because they make me sneeze

Something you wish you could do: Write for TV

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: That one is tough. There are moments I wish I didn’t know how to drive  car and that we had public transportation where we live instead.

Things you always put in your books: animals
Things you never put in your books: torture or death of an animal

Favorite places you’ve been: Santa Cruz, CA and London
Places you never want to go to again: Needles, CA

Favorite books (or genre): mystery and urban fantasy
Books you wouldn’t buy: Romance (I am fine with it being in the other genres just doesn’t interest me by itself)

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Patrick Stewart.

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: Sir Ian McKellen-he was wearing skinny jeans and seemed so tiny in person.

Merlin

About Lorie:

Lorie Lewis Ham lives in Reedley, California and has been writing ever since she was a child. Her first song and poem were published when she was 13, and she has gone on to publish many articles, short stories, and poems throughout the years, as well as write for a local newspaper, and publish 6 mystery novels. For the past 11 years, Lorie has been the editor-in-chief and publisher of Kings River Life Magazine, and she produces Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcast where you can now hear an excerpt of her new book One of Us. You can learn more about Lorie and the new book on her website mysteryrat.com and find her on Twitter @mysteryrat and Facebook. Another way to keep up with Lorie’s writing is to subscribe to her newsletter, which you can do on her website. 

Lorie has been married to Larry for 30 years and they have 2 grown children—Jayce and Joseph Ham. She currently has 5 cats (Merlin, Sam, Dean, Sidney, and Willow), 4 dogs (Lestat, Huey, Xander, and Phoebe), a pet dwarf rabbit (Sherlock), and pet rat named Yuki. For many years, she worked in pet rat rescue, and has had many pet rats of her own over the years.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: https://www.mysteryrat.com/

Twitter: @mysteryrat https://twitter.com/mysteryrat

Facebook: I mostly use the Kings River Life Mystery Facebook Group to share about my books https://www.facebook.com/groups/krlmysterygroup

Instagram I share with KRL @krlmagazine https://www.instagram.com/krlmagazine/

 Lorie Lewis Ham is giving away an ebook of her latest, One of Us. If you’d like to enter for a chance to win, please leave a comment, and Lori will choose a winner on May 25.  



#WriterWednesdayInterview with Darrell Newton

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I’d like to welcome author Darrell Newton to the blog this week for #WriterWednesday!

Things you love about writing:

I can share the voices in my head with other people. Yes, these characters take on a life of their own.

Things you never want to run out of:

Time, but I know that day is coming. Time makes the best things in life precious. Oh, and caffeine. I never want to run out of caffeine, but that day too may come. :)

Something you’re really good at:

Analyzing problems and finding solutions. I’m an engineer by trade and nature.

Something you’re really bad at:

Underwater judo. I’m incredibly slow underwater. Is that true for you too?

The last thing you regret buying:

A heavy duty one-hundred-foot hose. It only lasted one use. I pulled on it after screwing it onto the faucet and it snapped off. It happened again after I bought the replacement.

Things you always put in your books:

A conflict that matches the character’s personality or history, a conflict with no easy answer.

Things you never put in your books:

Erotica. Sorry, that’s for my wife.

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living):

Dr. Jordan Peterson. With his clinical and teaching experience, the conversation could easily go past my bedtime.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done:

Bought a house at an auction. The closer we got to the final bid, the more it felt like an out-of-the-body experience.

The funniest thing to happen to you:

This is one of those you’ll-look-back-at-it-and-laugh moments. We raise chickens, and one year we had a problem with predators. No matter how many traps we put out, we couldn’t catch the predator. Late one night, we heard frantic squawking from one of the chicken pens. Man, I was going to get this thing. Everyone in our house got up to catch it. I ran full tilt down the stairs and out through the big garage door. The next thing I knew, I was flat on my back with a welt across my forehead. In the darkness, I didn’t see the garage door was not rolled up all the way.

The coolest person you’ve ever met:

He may not be the coolest person, but this may be the best person-I-met story. I applied for a job while going to college in California. After a phone interview, I was asked to come to this residence in the Hollywood hills. After I was let through a security gate, the guy who hired me told me I was working for Marlon Brando … at his house. So, now I can say I got through college working for the Godfather.

About Darrell:

Born in Simi Valley, California, Darrell Newton attended twelve different schools until he finally got it right and graduated from a high school on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The Cypriots soon realized it was in their national interest to ship Darrell back to the United States. He meandered through college until the administration bribed him to leave with two apparently contradictory degrees: Theology and Electrical Engineering. He is currently working as an electrical engineer, robotics programmer, landlord, part-time farmer, and father of seven. Sometimes he even writes a thing or two.

Darrell is the author of historical science fiction short stories and novels based on questions like:              

What would you do with a stone that heals anything?    
If you could look like anyone, who would it be?
What happens when time travelers lose their tools?

Let’s Be Social:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Darrell-Newtons-Author-Page-159769627457243

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5102847.Darrell_Newton

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newtonscifi

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NewtonSciFi


#WriterWednesday Interview with David M. Kelly

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I’d like to welcome author David M. Kelly to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

A few of your favorite things: my Corvette, my collection of tatty but loved sci-fi paperbacks.

Things you need to throw out: cables, old computers and assorted other electronic devices.

Things you love about writing: The creative freedom. If I have a pen and paper, I can work.

Things you hate about writing: I'm not keen on editing, and terrible at marketing

Favorite foods: Fish and chips, bacon, British bangers

Things that make you want to gag: Bananas, cabbage, cauliflower

Favorite music or song: Sixties soul – Sam Cooke, Otis Redding.

Music that drives you crazy: Country!

Favorite beverage: Coffee or Sleeman’s Original beer

Something that gives you a sour face: Gin

Something you’re really good at: Expert level sarcasm

Something you’re really bad at: Remembering people’s names

Things you always put in your books: Some humor – generally of the cynical variety, and mostly plausible science

Things you never put in your books: Long, rambling descriptions that go on for pages.

Things to say to an author: I loved your book. By the way, I'm a Hollywood producer and want to turn it into a movie!

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Writing's not a proper job though, is it?

Favorite places you’ve been: Lake Superior Provincial Park

Places you never want to go to again: Istanbul

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): Neil deGrasse Tyson, Robert Downey Jr, Dr. Mae Jemison, Avery Brooks

People you’d cancel dinner on: Elon Musk, George Lucas, and a long list of others!

Best thing you’ve ever done: Move to Canada

Biggest mistake: Not starting to write sooner

The funniest thing to happen to you: Ending up at the wrong wedding in Istanbul.

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: Ending up at the wrong wedding in Istanbul.

About David:

David M. Kelly writes fast-paced, near-future sci-fi thrillers with engaging characters, cynical humor, and (usually!) plausible science. He is the author of the Joe Ballen series, Logan’s World series, and the Hyperia Jones series. Originally from Yorkshire, England, David emigrated to Canada in 2005 and settled in Northern Ontario where he was able to transition from the world of IT into life as a full-time writer. David is a rabid science news follower and especially passionate about astronomy and physics.  Never short of an opinion, he writes about science and technology on his blog. You can find him at davidmkelly.com.

Let’s Be Social:

AMAZON PAGE

https://www.amazon.com/David-M-Kelly/e/B00PQXCCHU/

FACEBOOK

https://www.facebook.com/DavidMKellySF

GOODREADS

www.goodreads.com/DavidMKelly

INSTAGRAM

https://www.instagram.com/david_kelly_sf/

LINKED IN

https://ca.linkedin.com/in/davidkelly2008

REDDIT

https://www.reddit.com/u/David_M_Kelly

TWITTER

http://twitter.com/David_Kelly_SF

YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPAYerclATlzkCphAbAF79g

#WriterWednesday Interview with Meg Hafdahl

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I’d like to welcome Meg Hafdahl to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

A few of your favorite things: I love horror movies, pugs, and mimosas.

Things you need to throw out: I probably should get rid of some books I’ll never read, and some clothes I’ll never wear!

Things you need for your writing sessions: As a mom I really value peace and quiet when I write. Not that it happens very often! I also need some sort of coffee, tea, something to sip on.

Things that hamper your writing: Anxiety about other life stuff can get in the way of my creativity, so I try to get myself in a good headspace first. Also, as I mentioned, kids can ruin it too!

Things you love about writing: I mean I get to create worlds and characters while expressing myself. It’s the best job in the world.

Things you hate about writing: Editing. Let’s be honest, after a few times going over the same novel with a fine toothed comb I want to gouge my eyes out!!

Hardest thing about being a writer: No matter how much success I’ve had, I meet with rejection. It’s just the nature of the beast. Still sucks though!

Easiest thing about being a writer: When the flow is there and you are fully invested. Time stands still. Words that describe you: Funny, assertive, thoughtful.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Ha! I am definitely anxious, hot-headed, and can be a little selfish…yikes that all sounds bad!

Favorite foods: I want anything bread: garlic bread, popovers, croissants, dinner rolls. Oh, and the ultimate is a warm biscuit with butter.

Things that make you want to gag: I’ve never liked mushrooms. And the older I get I’m less interested in fast food. Also, I like pizza but not as much as everyone else seems to.

Favorite books (or genre): I can’t so no to horror, thriller, mystery books. I also have a soft spot for some historical fiction.

Books you wouldn’t buy: You won’t see me reading a political thriller, anything about espionage or the drug cartel. Snooze.

Favorite things to do: I love spending time with my friends and family of course, whether eating drinking, playing board games. Travel is a big part of my life and I read as much as I can.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: You’re not going to convince me to ride in a helicopter, sit in one of those closed areas where birds or butterflies crawl on your head, or skydive.

Things that make you happy: Well there are so many things; laughing with my best friend Kelly, date night with my husband Luke, writing a sentence that is just *chef’s kiss* perfection.

Things that drive you crazy: Complainers and negativity. We all have bad days, we all have tough situations, and its okay to wallow in that sadness or grief for a time. But some people operate on a constant negative vibe and I can sense them a mile away!

Best thing you’ve ever done: Being a mom of course. I have two unique, clever, and loving boys.

Biggest mistake: Probably not believing in myself early on in my career. I squandered several amazing opportunities in college because I didn’t believe in my writing abilities. There were people telling me I had the talent and I wouldn’t listen.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: Any time I get praise or just earnest excitement from readers it warms my heart. I’ve had honest connections made where a character resonated and I think that’s the best sort of compliment you can get.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: Probably the craziest is being compared to authors. I’ve had the wonderful luck of being compared to Stephen King, Blake Crouch, Bentley Little, and that’s just nuts. It usually leaves me speechless!!

About Meg:

Bram Stoker nominated author Meg Hafdahl is the creator of numerous stories and books. Her fiction has appeared in anthologies such as Eve’s Requiem: Tales of Women, Mystery and Horror and Eclectically Criminal. Her work has been produced for audio by The Wicked Library and The Lift, and she is the author of three popular short story collections including Twisted Reveries: Thirteen Tales of the Macabre. Meg is also the author of the three novels; The Darkest Hunger, Daughters of Darkness and Her Dark Inheritance called “an intricate tale of betrayal, murder, and small town intrigue” by Horror Addicts and “every bit as page turning as any King novel” by RW Magazine. Meg, also the co-host of the podcast Horror Rewind and co-author of The Science of Monsters, The Science of Women in Horror, The Science of Stephen King, and The Science of Serial Killers, lives in the snowy bluffs of Minnesota. 

Let’s Be Social:

Website: http://Meghafdahl.com  

Website: http://Horrorrewind.com  

@MegHafdahl on Instagram and Twitter 

Meg Hafdahl; Horror Author on Facebook 

#WriterWednesday Interview with Ramon Del Villar

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I’d like to welcome Ramon Del Villar to the blog for #WriterWednesday.

A few of your favorite things: Fast cars, no, I will be specific, Porsches. Cigars, not the expensive ones, but the tasty long Cusano M1. My four grand-puppies, Coco, Misty, Arya and Merlin.

Things you need to throw out: Fax machines, wait, no, I need them in my law office. All non-Keurig coffee makers.

Things you need for your writing sessions: My computer, my computer, my computer and my computer.

Things that hamper your writing: Having to work as an attorney.

Things you love about writing: The freedom to create as much as I want or as am able to.

Things you hate about writing: Because I insist on being positive that anything that my character does as an attorney is possible and legitimate, having to research to find out if it is really possible and legitimate.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Getting people to read my novels.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Writing my novels when I’m inspired.

Things you never want to run out of: My Cusano cigars. Money. Food for my grand-puppies. Paper for my printer.

Things you wish you’d never bought: I cannot think of anything, but I regret leasing my BMW M-Roadster, because I had to return it when BMW refused to finance the purchase after the three-year lease.

Words that describe you: Persevering. Obstinate. Insecure. Hard-Working.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Obstinate. Insecure.

Something you’re really good at: Driving a car. Interpreting from and to English/Spanish. Translating from and to English/Spanish. Litigating a case I am really interested in.

Something you’re really bad at: Almost everything else.

Things you’d walk a mile for: My daily exercise routine. For anything else, I rather drive.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: When my family has the air-conditioning full blast.

Things to say to an author: Write whatever you enjoy doing even if you suspect you might not be able to do as well as you wish.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Nobody is going to read your crap.

Favorite places you’ve been: Paris. London. Rome. Nurburgring. Brussels.

Places you never want to go to again: I cannot think of any.

Most embarrassing moment: Forgetting how to say “kidney” in English at my very first deposition as an interpreter.

Proudest moment: Being asked by my favorite Federal Judge to be his interpreter in all his cases.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Marry my wife.

Biggest mistake: Not marrying her sooner.

#WriterWednesday Interview with Sarah E. Burr

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I’d like to welcome the fabulous Sarah E. Burr to the blog today for #WriterWednesday, spring edition. Make sure to check out her wonderful series.

Favorite spring treat: You can't keep me away from a Cadbury Milk Chocolate Egg with a Caramel Center. It's got to be one of the best chocolate/caramel combos out there.

A spring treat that makes you gag: Peeps. I know they are an Easter candy staple, but I was not a fan even as a kid. I think I pretended to like them for the longest time before turning my sweet tooth elsewhere.

Something you only do in the spring: Spring cleaning. After a long winter, I throw open the windows and deep clean my home within an inch of its life. I must do it during the spring when it's still cool outside because I always work up a sweat by the end.

Something you'd never do in the spring season: Go swimming in the ocean. When I lived in Florida, I used to, but as much as I love swimming, the New York Atlantic usually doesn't get to a swimmable temperature (for me) until July.

Favorite spring beverage: I am obsessed with the Peach Passionfruit Refresher from Dunkin'. It's my go-to "It's warm out" drink. Honestly, if I could hold the cold cup in the winter, I'd drink it all year round, but it's definitely a sign of spring when I order my first one.

A drink that gives you a sour face: Energy drinks. Red Bull, Monster…I tried a sip of Red Bull once, and that was enough.

Favorite spring smell: Honeysuckle. I love the simple, light sweetness. It's one of my favorite scents.

Something that makes you hold your nose: Fresh mulch. It's everywhere this time of year where I live, and the smell always leaves me coughing with watery eyes.

Best spring memory: When I was a kid, my family traveled to Bermuda a few times during spring. When April/May comes around, Bermuda's weather is at the perfect spot where it's warm but not too warm. I loved the adventures we had while visiting. It's such a beautiful island.

Something you'd rather forget: I grew up in Maine, where spring meant mud season. One time, I slipped on the playground during recess and landed in a massive pile of mud. My jeans were completely soaked through with slimy dirt. I looked disgusting. Luckily, my mom was able to drop off a set of clean leggings at school so I could continue the day without looking like I'd just walked out of a sewer.

Best spring break story: I guess this might not be considered "spring break" since it technically was a class, but I left to spend a trimester abroad in Egypt and Greece during a college spring break. It was the first time I'd traveled internationally beyond tropical vacation spots, and the history of both countries was astounding. I recently watched the new Death on the Nile movie and was amazed to see the places I visited featured on screen. It brought back a lot of fond memories.

A spring break story you want to forget: In seventh grade, for our spring break, a friend and I went down to one of the only malls in Maine with our moms for a "girls' weekend." What started as a super fun time ended with me being so, so sick. We were shopping, and all of the sudden, I just collapsed. It turns out I had an insanely high fever. My mom got me back home, only to fall ill herself. So, we spent the rest of our spring break recovering.

About Sarah:

Sarah lives near New York City, where she writes the Trending Topic Mysteries, Glenmyre Whim Mysteries, and the Court of Mystery series. Sarah is a New York Tri-State Sisters in Crime board member, serving as the chapter's social media guru. She also enjoys creating digital content for authors with her graphic design service, BookstaBundles. When she's not writing or reading, Sarah is singing Broadway show tunes, video gaming, or taking walks with her dog, Eevee.

 Let’s Be Social:

Newsletter: https://bit.ly/saraheburrsignup

Website: www.saraheburr.com

Facebook: https://bit.ly/saraheburrfacebook

Instagram: https://bit.ly/saraheburrinstagram

Twitter: https://bit.ly/saraheburrtwitter

Sarah’s Social Media Hub: https://bit.ly/sarahsocialmediahub

Book Links:

 #FollowMe for Murder: https://bit.ly/followmeformurder

You Can’t Candle the Truth: https://bit.ly/glenmyrewhimmysteriesbook1

Court of Mystery: https://bit.ly/courtofmystery

#WriterWednesday Interview with Lida Sideris

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I’m so excited to have the fabulous Lida Sideris on the blog today for #WriterWednesday!

A few of your favorite spring traditions: Celebrating the first day of spring with a family party. It’s also my younger son’s birthday.

Something spring-related that you’ll never do again: Weed whacking my yard; I managed to eradicate all weeds in a square foot strip, ripping only one pant leg in the process and avoiding a narrow miss with my knee. It was a good day, but not to be repeated.

Favorite spring treat: Strawberry rhubarb cobbler

A spring treat that makes you gag: Ambrosia salad. I’m not a marshmallow fan unless they’re incorporated in Rice Krispy treats.

Something you only do in the spring: Plant tulips.

Something you’d never do in the spring season: Spring cleaning. I prefer to enjoy the spring with minimal labor, especially after the weed whacking incident.

Favorite spring beverage: Iced tea in raspberry peach flavor

A drink that gives you a sour face: Soda

Favorite spring smell: Freesias

Something that makes you hold your nose: Skunk

Best spring memory: Our first Easter egg hunt after we’d moved to the countryside. Kids hunting in tall grass surrounded by hens and goats. It was a treat!

Something you’d rather forget: Goats jumping the fence and feasting on our roses.

Best thing you ever cooked/baked in spring: Lemon meringue pie with lemons from my tree.

Your worst kitchen disaster: Boiling water for tea and forgetting about it for hours!

Favorite place you spent a spring day: Outside in a garden with beautiful flowers.

The worst place to spend a spring day: Outside in a garden with lovely flowers on a very windy day. Pollen everywhere!

Funniest egg-dyeing story: I don’t have to dye eggs because my chickens lay green, pink and dark chocolate colored eggs. Growing up in Los Angeles, our L.A. guests were amazed that the hens laid eggs in different colors.

Your worst egg-dyeing story: Trying to dye eggs using a kit. Never quite comes out the way I hope. A big thank you to my colorful layers!

Your favorite spring/Easter candy: Anything with chocolate (almost anything).

Something you would throw away if it appeared in your Easter basket: Candy canes. Not a fan even at Christmas.

About Lida:

Lida Sideris' first stint after law school was a newbie lawyer's dream: working as an entertainment attorney for a movie studio...kind of like her heroine, Corrie Locke, except without the homicides. Lida was one of two national winners of the Helen McCloy Mystery Writers of America Scholarship Award and a Killer Nashville, Silver Falchion Award Finalist (humor). She also writes short stories and is the author of THE COOKIE EATING FIRE DOG, a picture book for ages 4-8. Lida lives in the Santa Barbara area with her family, rescue dogs and a flock of uppity chickens.

 Let’s Be Social

Amazon 

www.lidasideris.com             

https://www.facebook.com/lidasideris      

Twitter: Lida (@LidaSideris) / Twitter

Instagram: Lida Sideris (@lida_sideris) • Instagram photos and videos
Book Bub

#WriterWednesday Interview with Carol Preflatish

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I’d like to welcome fellow Guppie, Carol Preflatish, to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

A few of your favorite things: coffee, Reese’s Cups, my cat.

Things you need to throw out: the recliner in my living room, an old artificial Christmas tree.

Things you need for your writing sessions: sweet tea or ice coffee.

Things that hamper your writing: people that interrupt me.

Things you never want to run out of: Diet Pepsi, chocolate, and coffee.

Things you wish you’d never bought: I have a few shirts I wish I hadn’t bought.

Favorite foods: anything Italian

Things that make you want to gag: avocados.

Favorite music or song: I love classic rock from the 70’s.

Music that drives you crazy: polka.

Favorite beverage: Margarita

Something that gives you a sour face: coffee without sugar.

Last best thing you ate: pepperoni pizza

Last thing you regret eating: a lot of birthday cake

The last thing you ordered online: books

The last thing you regret buying: I bought a toy for my cat that she will not play with.

Favorite places you’ve been: Great Smoky Mountains

Places you never want to go to again: Garden of the Gods in Illinois

Favorite books (or genre): My favorite book is Wild by Cheryl Strayed.

Books you wouldn’t buy: I usually don’t buy sci-fi books.

Things that make you happy: reading a good book and spending time with my grandsons.

Things that drive you crazy: not being able to find something to watch on television when I have so many streaming services.

About Carol:

Carol Preflatish, from southern Indiana, is the author of the Nathan Perry Mystery Series, as well as several romantic suspense novels, and two non-fiction books. When she’s not writing, she loves to read, watch Indianapolis Colts football, and do just about anything outdoors. 

 An avid photographer, Carol has had many photos published in her local newspaper, as well as in “Golf Journal,” the official publication of the United States Golf Association. A few little-known facts about Carol are that she’s a licensed amateur radio operator, and is a collector of celebrity autographs, stamps, and coins.

Carol is a member of Sisters in Crime, SinC's Guppies chapter, and the Louisville, Kentucky SinC chapter.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: http://www.carolpre.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolPreflatish

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CarolPreflatish

Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/carolpre

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4957220.Carol_Preflatish

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carol_pre/

Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolpreflatish/

Book Links:

Amazon - https://amzn.to/3H6oArD

B&N - https://bit.ly/3p6fK77

Kobo - https://bit.ly/3sj6E9b

iTunes - https://apple.co/3s8bSEh