Window Over The Desk by Liz Flaherty

Window Over The Desk

Liz Flaherty

 “I read a post on Facebook this morning where the writer said he hated social media. Although he was making a good point, I’m sure the irony didn’t escape him that he was using a social media platform to decry its value.” – Liz Flaherty, Window Over the Desk 

I am here not only to promote my book but to make a full confession. Picture if you will a woman of a certain age standing slump-shouldered with her head bowed so that you can see where her roots are growing out. Confessing.  

I love Facebook. 

It is where I keep up with numerous and sundry nieces, nephews, fellow writers, singers from the 60s, and even the occasional reader. It has taught me the value of scrolling, of looking things up even when I’m almost sure they’re true, and of—not for the first time—loving your neighbor.  

The essays in Window Over the Desk are kind of like Facebook, but you don’t have to scroll and I don’t care who you voted for.  

Giveaway! Because it’s the holiday season and my favorite time of year. I’ll send a Christmas ornament and a backlist paperback to a commenter who shares the name of their favorite holiday song—and why.  

Excerpt 

Unrequited Love, And Yet… 

So, have you ever been in unrequited love, where the person who holds your heart doesn’t feel anything about you? Or feels friendship and really only wants to talk to you about the one he really loves? Or, oh, Lord, doesn’t even know you’re alive. (That’s how it is for Sam Elliott and me, but...oh, well.) 

I have been, of course. I made a high school career of being unpopular—which contrary to my belief at the time, didn’t kill me. My first boyfriend was rebounding from a breakup. I thought he the coolest thing since sliced bread—he thought I was...handy. 

I didn’t marry the first person I loved, although I married the last and best. Every day for 50 years we’ve told each other we loved each other more than once. Usually, one of us says, “I love you more,” and the other person says, “No, you don’t.” 

Yesterday, we talked about that. The truth is, there are times when I really do love him more. There are other times when he loves me more. This is, I guess, what runs the marriage-go-round for us. We’ve had some hard times in our life together. There have been a few years I wouldn’t want to go through again. Him, too, and they would be different years. 

Unrequited love isn’t something I’ve written about, although I’m a fan of marriage resurrected—which is sometimes the same thing. I remember reading some stories when I was younger that used this trope and used it well. I believe the stories were historical, which made them more believable (for me.) I admit to having trouble placing a modern young woman in a situation where she was the one giving all the love. But I remember... 

I read a short story once, and I apologize for not being able to give either the title or the author. It was about a couple in their 30s who just kind of ended up together because there they were in their 30s and ready to have a family and it had never happened. So they dated and eventually married—all with no depth of feeling. They were leaving for their honeymoon, and I don’t remember what the conversation was, but they had a flat tire and he was going for help on what I think was a dark and muddy night. He told her to wait in the car and stay safe. She watched him walk away, and suddenly got out of the car and ran to catch up with him, placing her hand in his so that they would go on together. The final words of the story were, paraphrased, “And so it was, that on the day she was married, she fell in love with her husband.” 

I have no idea how long ago I read the story, but it still thrills me. In romantic fiction, unrequited love is the same thing as hope, and I guess that’s my favorite trope of all. 

 

Bio: 

Retired from the post office, Liz Flaherty spends non-writing time sewing, quilting, and wanting to travel. The author of 20-some books and her husband Duane share an old farmhouse in North Central Indiana that they talk about leaving. However, that would require clearing baseball trophies from the attic and dusting the pictures of the Magnificent Seven, their grandchildren, so they’ll probably stay where they are. Liz can be reached at lizkflaherty@gmail.com or found at http://lizflaherty.net  

Social  Media 

https://www.facebook.com/lizkflaherty/ 

https://www.facebook.com/authorlizflaherty 

https://twitter.com/LizFlaherty1 

https://www.instagram.com/lizkflaherty/ 

https://www.pinterest.com/lizkf/_saved/ 

Buy Links 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09JCMK7LX/ 

https://books2read.com/u/m2lDzo 

A Blaze of Poppies by Jennifer Bohnhoff

 

 

Don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end of the post.

A Blaze of Poppies

by Jennifer Bohnhoff

Genre: Historical Romance, Women's Fiction

In 1916, Mexico is on the brink of revolution. Despite armed bandits streaming over the border and prejudices against female ranchers, feisty little Agnes Day is determined to keep the family ranch and run it on her own terms. The last thing she wants is to fall under the authority of a husband who will keep her from the land she loves.

Her ally in the fight is Will Bowers, a strong and silent New Mexico Guardsman assigned to nearby Camp Columbus under General Blackjack Pershing, but Will hides a dark and disturbed background that stops him from committing to any one or any place. Then the United States enters World War I and both Agnes and Will are swept into conflagration.

Can Agnes secure a peaceful future on the Sunrise Ranch after the insanity and bloodshed of war? Dare she hope to share that future with someone else?

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A lifelong New Mexican, Jennifer Bohnhoff loves travel and history, so it should come as no surprise that many of her books are historical novels set in beautiful or interesting places.

She taught Middle School Language Arts and New Mexico History for years, but has left to become a full time author. She loves helping people reach that "ah hah" moment when they suddenly understand the connections between themselves, the past, eternity, and the world around them.

Mrs. Bohnhoff is the mother of three handsome men, the mother-in-law of three beautiful daughters and the grandmother of three very smart granddaughters and one grandson. She lives in the mountains of central New Mexico with her husband, Monstro the wonder dog, and a petulant stinker of a cat who cares nothing for her writing.

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Win a Poppy Swag Pack with a $25 Amazon gift card, poppy seeds,

 remembrance pins, bookmarks and more! 

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HAVE A HOLIDAY HEART!

Are you ready for Christmas stories? I read them all year, but start full throttle in November. HOLIDAY HEARTS has a new cover. Last year it was part of the contemporary Christmas anthology CHRISTMAS COMES TO DICKENS. This year I’ve released it as a single title on sale for only 99¢.

Here’s the description:

Laura Jordan plans a quiet holiday at home except for the time she might decide to spend serving dinner at the homeless shelter on Christmas Day. She loves her job at Callahan Group advertising agency and admires her boss. She’s careful not to show her attraction because she doesn’t want anything to jeopardize her position there. She’s aware of how quickly office gossip could ruin her reputation and career.

Ward Callahan is a wunderkind who started earning money online trading when he was in high school. At thirty-two, he owns a successful ad agency and is gaining industry recognition. He hasn’t had time for a serious relationship. When Laura starts working for him, he can’t get her off his mind.

When vicious remarks cause Laura to threaten a halt to their budding relationship, Ward is determined to set things right.

The url to purchase HOLIDAY HEARTS at Amazon is:

https://www.amazon.com/Holiday-Hearts-Caroline-Clemmons-ebook/dp/B09K4M291F

Enjoy an excerpt at dinner with Ward’s mom/Laura’s new friend. Each has a nickname used by his mom and they’ve just learned Eddie and Birdie are Ward and Laura:

Ward took the vase of flowers and set it on the counter then turned her to face him. “Thank you for taking care of Mom. You’ve been exceptionally kind. And Helen, too. I appreciate all you’ve done.”

She stared at the V of his collarbone. “Doris is a nice woman.”

“She counts you as a good friend.”

“I hope so because I count her as one.”

His grip tightened and he stepped toward her. “Please, don’t think less of me because I wasn’t here when she needed me. If she’d told me she was injured I’d have come home immediately.”

They stood so close she had only to lean a few inches to kiss him. She forced herself to meet his gaze. “That’s why she didn’t tell you. You have a business to manage and people depending on you. She knows you can’t be here all the time. Hopefully this was once-in-a-lifetime.”

“You’ve splashed water on your jacket. I hope it won’t ruin the fabric.”

“It’ll be all right.” She removed the jacket, revealing that the halter dress left her back bare to the waist.

He pretended to stagger and put his hand on his heart. “You mean that dress has hidden under that jacket whenever I’ve seen you at work? I’ll never be able to look at that ensemble without picturing the secret it hides.”

She was able to smile. “I like versatile clothes.” She put the jacket over her arm.

“You’ve messed with my mind.” He shook his head as if trying to clear his mind. “I have a huge favor to ask of you. It’s important that Vince and Helen go a few places together. If you’ll go along with me, I’ll explain later. Will you trust me?”

“I do trust you, Ward. But if I’d known you and Eddie were the same person, I don’t think I would have come tonight.”

“Why? You’ve made Mom happy.”

“You’re my boss. It’s not appropriate.” She couldn’t be like Celia and plot a trap.

“There’s nothing wrong with having dinner with a group of friends, even if one of them is your boss. The only conniving here has to do with Vince. I promise I’ll explain his story later.”

“If you’re sure.”

He took her hand. “Shall we join the others?”

 

If you didn’t read HOLIDAY HEARTS as a part of CHRISTMAS COMES TO DICKENS, I hope you’ll take advantage of the tiny price and read it now.

Stay safe and keep reading! 

Partner Pursuit by Kathy Strobos

 

 

Don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end of the post.

Partner Pursuit

New York Friendship Book 1

by Kathy Strobos

Genre: Romantic Comedy, ChickLit, Women’s Fiction with Romance as a central element

When a workaholic lawyer meets a fun-loving music marketing executive for opposites attract, friends-to-lovers adventures, which partnership will she choose?

 Workaholic lawyer Audrey Willems is not going to take any chances with her bid to become a partner at her New York law firm—especially with only six months until the decision.

Until she bumps into Jake—her new neighbor. Jake is a fun-loving music marketing executive who might just be The One.

He’s funny, caring, supportive—and able to kill water bugs in the bathroom.

But Jake will never date a woman married to her job. His father was a workaholic lawyer who never had time for family.

And she’s just got the case of a lifetime—the one she needs to win to make partner.  Working 24/7 at the office may not even be enough hours to pull off a victory.

If only she had not met him now.

Audrey is determined to prove that she can juggle work and romance—even if managing court cases, candlelit dinners, and bike rides around Manhattan is a lot harder than it looks.  She keeps canceling dates for yet another case crisis.

But when making partner is like a game of musical chairs and the last seat is a business-class alone, which partnership will she choose?

Goodreads * Books2Read

Chapter One 

Jacket on the back of the chair. Check.  

Desk light on. Check.  

Now, Ms. Willems, your mission, should you choose to accept it: Get out of the office on the sly. Audrey snorted silently at her own badly-played movie line. She stuffed the Save the Children t-shirt she’d gotten from a Central Park Zoo benefit in her Tory Burch brown leather satchel, added as many legal pads as could fit, and plumped the bag to look like it held at least four case files. She casually leaned the bag against the side of her desk, in view of her open office door.  

The excited chatter of the exiting assistants filled the hallway. She typed up the Popflicks engagement letter and then entered Popflicks as a new client into the law firm database. Yes. Her pulse quickened.  

The office was now quiet. She put an uncapped red pen in the middle of a legal pad on her desk. It looked like she’d be right back. The scene called for something more. If only she had a permanently steaming cup of tea. She poured a bottle of water into a glass.  

She should depart boldly, but leaving early was frowned upon by the partnership powers-that-be. They might even think she needed another assignment. She definitely did not. She had just landed Popflicks. She had stayed until 11 p.m. every night this week. Okay, so I’m not always very good at saying no. But now was not the time to say no to a partner—not when she’d been working so hard for seven years, her life on hold. Now that she was in the homestretch, she could practically see “Audrey Willemson, Partner,” embossed on her law firm’s business card.  

Kathy Strobos is a writer living in New York City with her husband and two children, amid a growing

collection of books, toys and dollhouses. She grew up in New York City and graduated from

Stuyvesant High School, Harvard-Radcliffe University and Columbia Law School. She previously worked as a lawyer. She left law to pursue her dream of writing fiction full-time and getting in shape. She is still working on getting in shape.

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$30 Amazon

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Two Many Sleuths by M. K. Scott

 

 

Don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end of the post.

Two Many Sleuths

The Painted Lady Inn Mysteries Book 12

by M K Scott

Genre: Cozy Mystery 

Can the Brits and Yanks team up to solve a murder?

What should have been an easy week for small town detective Mark Taber and his amateur sleuth and innkeeper wife, Donna Tolllhouse Taber goes awry when a local garden club member is shot. One of the inn guests, a Scotland Yard detective's insistence on helping could actually make things worse. Can ruffled feathers be smoothed before the killer strikes again?

Find out in Book Twelve of The Painted Lady Inn Mystery series, Two Many Sleuths.

**Only .99 cents!!**

Goodreads * Amazon

Don't miss the rest of the series here!

Amazon Series Page

M. K. Scott is the husband and wife writing team behind The Painted Lady Inn Mysteries. Morgan K Wyatt is the general wordsmith, while her husband, Scott, is the grammar hammer and physics specialist. He uses his engineering skills to explain how fast a body falls when pushed over a cliff and various other felonious activities. The Internet and experts in the field provide forensic information, while the recipes and B and B details require a more hands on approach. Morgan's daughter, who manages a hotel, provides guest horror stories to fuel the plot lines. The couple's dog, Chance, is the inspiration behind Jasper, Donna's dog.

Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$50 Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway