Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale 2023

Hi, everyone. Two of my titles will be free of charge on Smashwords for the entire month of July. Click the highlighted link to get your copies. Should you read and enjoy my work, I hope you will leave reviews at your favorite sites.

Rose in Bloom (Contemporary, friends-to-lovers romance)

Rose Davis always prided herself on being sensible. But when she loses her job, she takes an uncharacteristic leap of faith and agrees to spend six months living in Wisteria Cottage, just outside of the tiny village of Shalbourne, England. It will give her the chance to fulfill her secret dream of writing a book, and an opportunity to figure out next steps.

What she doesn’t reckon with is Welsh gardener Gareth Llewellyn. With his long hair and scruffy beard, he’s definitely not Rose’s type. And yet, there’s something about him …

Pocketful of Stories (Short Fiction Collection)

As comfortable as your favorite jeans, these short stories are perfect for a break in your day.

Each tale is its own adventure. With settings as varied as Paris, London, and Memphis, Tenn., and peopled with characters both historical and fictitious, you’re sure to find something delightful.

This book includes the award-winning short story, “Ghosts of Tupelo.”

Winter Promotion: After-Action Report

Hi, everyone. Well, here we are on the second day of 2022 — which also happens to be my birthday.

As I always do after a promotion, I thought I would share some statistics. I made all of my short fiction available free of charge during the holiday period. I’ll have the “sales” numbers as usual, but I did something different this time: I tallied where the sales took place.

So, first things first. Seventy-three selections were made all together. Clytie’s Caller was, as it has been since I released it, far and away the most popular download. It’s a sweet Regency romance novella, and that genre is perennially popular. Here’s how it all fell out, with numbers:

Clytie’s Caller – 21
Flowers of Europe – 7
A Light Across the Lake – 7
Through the Opera Glass – 6
His Beloved Infidel – 5
It Happened in Memphis – 5
Down on the Corner of Love – 4
Hard-Boiled Blues – 4
Last Stop: Storyville – 4
Two Days in June – 4
Yellowjack and the River Man – 4
The Rock Star in the Mirror (Or, How David Bowie Ruined My Life) – 2

Here’s the geographic breakdown:

United States: 41
Country not listed – 11
Ethiopia – 11
Germany – 8
Canada – 4
Malaysia – 2
United Kingdom – 2
India – 1
Philippines – 1
Spain – 1

I have to say, Ethiopia gave me food for thought. The average income in Ethiopia works out to about $170 USD/year. That means there is not a lot of money for books. That a reader there would take the time to select 11 of my titles was huge.

If you selected one of my books this time, I do hope you will enjoy it and leave a positive review at your site of choice. Thank you, as always, for being such great readers and friends.

Year-End Gift For You: All of My Short Fiction is Free!

Hi, everyone. Once again, I’m participating in Smashwords’ Year-End Sale. I’ve made all of my short fiction free as a gift to you, including the entire Pocketful of Stories series. Here are the links, blurbs, etc.

---

Around the World in 80 Pages: Ten short stories of various genres, each taking place in a different location. With subject matter ranging from paranormal to historical fiction, urban fantasy to literary fiction, there is something in this sampler for everyone. 

The Rock Star in the Mirror  (Or, How David Bowie Ruined My Life): Joe is a small-town Oregon guy. He’s madly in love with Lynnie … who has a huge crush on David Bowie. Joe will do almost anything to get Lynnie’s attention, but there are always consequences.

Through the Opera Glass: Author Sharon E. Cathcart took up a challenge in 2012: to write flash fiction and full length short stories based on various prompts. Each story features one or more characters from In The Eye of The Beholder: A Novel of the Phantom of the Opera or its sequel, In The Eye of The Storm. Brimming with historical detail, the stories in this collection range in place and time from 19th Century Persia to post-World War II San Francisco.

His Beloved Infidel: Farukh and Catherine are colleagues at Paris’ World Language Institute. He is Persian; she is American. Can their newly-discovered love survive the strain of Iran’s Islamic Revolution? Set against the backdrop of real-world events, this inter-ethnic romance tells the story of ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events.

Clytie’s Caller:  Bath, 1816. Clytemnestra Preston has become so terrified of life that she refuses to leave her room. Not even her family can convince her to take her place in Society again. Doctor Samuel Whittington, late of His Majesty’s Army, may be her only chance for a cure … and romance. Can Sam convince Clytie to open the door, and her heart? 

 

Last Stop: Storyville: Riding a New Orleans streetcar is an everyday occurrence for Tulane freshman Jimmy Arceneaux (Bayou Fire). But one evening, things are different.

Yellowjack and the Riverman: Yellow fever. Voodoo queen Marie Laveau. A long-lost relative’s homecoming. The Underground Railroad. All of them are part of Alcide Devereaux’s (Bayou Fire) continuing story.

A Light Across the Lake: Return to Paris’ glamorous Opera Garnier, and the world of the award-winning Seen Through the Phantom’s Eyes series! A Light Across the Lake is the tale of apprentice set builder Lucien Dubois, who is determined to see what lies in the fifth cellar. Will his exploration raise the ire of the infamous Opera Ghost?

Down on the Corner of Love: Being a civil rights activist isn’t easy in rural Louisiana. Raine’s found herself ostracized and alone because she’s a woman who speaks her mind. Fed up, she leaves her country world behind for beautiful San Francisco. There, Raine meets a new best friend, Jo, who is free-spirited and living life to the fullest. But Jo’s in more danger than Raine realizes.

Two Days in June: Starvation. Fear. Fighting in the streets. It’s June 1832, and Paris is once again at war. The students of the Sorbonne rise up against those in power, believing that right and the people are on their side. But King Louis-Philippe has other plans.

Flowers of Europe: Thaddeus Flowers, American inventor and charming rake, is chasing adventure and romance across Europe. English scientist Arabella Abingdon is always one step ahead of him. Join the excitement in these steampunk-tinged historical tales that take you from Hyde Park to the Place des Vosges. 

It Happened in Memphis: Evie Boudreaux has a knack for seeing history in action. Why? Because she sees ghosts. Come along on a visit to Tupelo and Memphis, and see the earliest days of rock music through Evie’s eyes! 

Hard-Boiled Blues:  Two dead bodies. Two policemen, one in New Orleans and one in Memphis. Not all crimes have easy solutions in the Jim Crow South.  It’s enough to make you sing the blues.

The promotion runs through January 1, 2022, and you’ll find formats for any eReader. Happy holidays to you!

Sample Saturday: “Flowers of Europe”

Hi, everyone. Today’s snippet is from Flowers of Europe, the two-part, steampunk-flavored tale from my Pocketful of Stories series. This sample comes from Part One, Flowers of London. Enjoy!

---

Thaddeus Flowers awoke in a bed not his own, head pounding. He’d definitely taken too much ale at the White Horse last night, and was not entirely sure where he was. The pub was in the Seven Dials, but he might be anywhere from there to Chelsea.

Raking his fingers through his dark hair, Thad sat up slowly. The dull light filtering in through the curtains showed a respectable enough room; his clothes were draped across a chair … on top of what looked like a petticoat.

Oh, dear god.

Thad looked at the sleeping figure next to him. The young woman’s auburn hair was spread across the pillow, her face serene in sleep.

A pretty girl. I wish I remembered her name!

With movements that were far too practiced even for his own liking, Thad slid out of bed without disturbing the redhead. All clothes except for his boots were donned quietly. Once outside the room, and the house, he would put on his boots and walk away.

As he’d done so many times before.

Of course, that had been in America. Thad had promised himself that he’d be better behaved once he moved to London. But the women all seemed to adore his handsome face and charming accent … and so, here he was again.

Tiptoeing out of what seemed to be a respectable boarding house, Thad paused to slip on his boots and get his bearings. There was Covent Garden, and Drury Lane. So, not far from Seven Dials at all.

Very well, then.

---

Want your own copy of Flowers of Europe? Here are the back cover copy and purchase links.

Thaddeus Flowers, American inventor and charming rake, is chasing adventure and romance across Europe. English scientist Arabella Abingdon is always one step ahead of him. Join the excitement in these steampunk-tinged historical tales that take you from Hyde Park to the Place des Vosges.

Amazon (geo-targeted link will take you to your country’s site); Angus & Robertson (Australia); Apple Books; Barnes & Noble; BOL (Belgium & Netherlands); FNAC (France); Gandhi (Mexico); Kobobooks (available for 2400 SuperPoints if you are part of the program); La Feltrinelli (Italy); Livraria Cultura (Brazil); Mondadori (Italy); Overdrive (via your local library); Porrua (Mexico); Rakuten Japan; Scribd; Smashwords.

Winter Promotion After-Action Report

Hi, everyone. First, thanks to all who selected my titles during the Smashwords promotion that ended yesterday. Here is how it all went.

No one selected any titles that were discounted at 50 or 75 percent. Many selected titles that were free of charge. In order of popularity:

With 27 selections, Clytie’s Caller was the most popular title. In second place, with seven selections apiece, came Through the Opera Glass and It Happened in Memphis. Down on the Corner of Love and Brief Interludes had six selections each. Five people chose Flowers of Europe. Two Days in June, Hard-Boiled Blues, Yellowjack and The River Man, and Last Stop: Storyville, each garnered three new readers. Finally, 2010 Hindsight, Les Pensées Dangereuses, and His Beloved Infidel were each chosen once.

While it’s obvious that a lot of people enjoy the sweet, Regency romance of Clytie’s story, it looks like the most popular works were those in the Pocketful of Stories series. Thirty-four people added those titles to their libraries.

Thanks to all who chose my titles. I would love it if you were to review them and share your thoughts on your favorite site. Much appreciated.