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Monday, September 7, 2026

PROMO: Cressida's Circle

 




Steampunk Adventure Romance

Date Published: September 11, 2026



In a world overthrown by witchcraft, a giant love has been lost. Can Cressida be saved?

 

Mourning the loss of her husband, Cressida Troy is on her way to Earth. Her mission; to meet the Queen of England and cement relations between the Lunarians and humans to present a united front in the approaching war with the Martians. For Cressida, the mission has a much deeper and personal meaning. Being human, as well as the Lunarian Empress, Cressida is plagued by doubt and guilt and seeks redemption for what is seen by many as the betrayal of her species. Matters are complicated when she is kidnapped by the pernicious witch, Lady Neva, who is hell-bent on revenge against Queen Victoria. Armed with unlimited magical power, Lady Neva is planning to usurp the crown and rule both Earth and space.

Meanwhile Jacob McLeary, Cressida’s former fiancĂ©, is under the watchful and lascivious eye of Lavinia Branscombe, a Lunarian agent. Knowledge of the dark secret at the heart of the Lunarian society fuels Jacob’s loathing of the aliens, but with so much at stake, can love overcome the barrier of hate? Will Cressida find redemption?



EXCERPT

 

Like a child’s toy, the cradle of humanity filled the bridge windows with brilliant colour: blue, green, and brown, flecked with white, a gemstone set against the black velvet of space. If only people could know how insignificant this world was in the scheme of things, floating silently in the incomprehensible emptiness.

Pointless philosophising distracted me for only a moment. My heart trembled with anticipation. I was nearly home.

The Lunarian crew, in their natural form, goblin like, winged with leathery skin and large bright eyes, ignored my presence, as they should. Though they were experienced, with hundreds of trips behind them, piloting a spacecraft was not something to be taken lightly, especially with me on board creating the expectation that everything should be executed perfectly.

I would have put them at ease, but that would have been churlish of me, I realised. They wanted to impress me, and lowering expectations would have been like a slap in the face, a sign of patronising condescension on my part. Not an endearing action no matter how well intended.

I turned my thoughts back to the sparkling globe before us, and the people who awaited me. I’d read how the ancients believed that the souls of the dead fled their bodies and ascended to the moon, a way station before reincarnation, or their ultimate disposition in paradise or the underworld. Little did they contemplate that souls from that grey desert of a world would descend upon the Earth and conquer it.

I had to be careful how I approached not just the Queen, and her parliament, but most importantly the bureaucracy which ruled from the shadows and exerted more power than she could ever hope to wield. I hoped they understood we humans were a conquered species. Of course, behind the mask of cheerful bonhomie and expressions of respect as they delivered begrudging cooperation, there would be fear and hatred. From that febrile soup simple misunderstandings could bubble up and poison the nascent relationship.

The politicians had wanted a state visit to impress everyone with the importance of our relationship, and to thank me for using our power to save them from their European enemies. Though our reasons differed, I agreed with Her Majesty that ostentatious displays of pomp and ceremony were unnecessary. She wanted to maintain her image of the Warrior Queen and didn’t want to share the adoration of the crowds as the saviour of the Empire. She feared the loss of face if I was seen as an equal.

I wanted none of that either, feeling as disloyal as I did for my part in what was fundamentally the takeover of her empire. I requested a low-key, quiet visit. A gentle introduction back into human society. One in which I would not feel such a fraud. With Her Majesty’s relieved endorsement, my desire had carried the day.

The other vexed issue was the taking of her son the Prince of Wales by Lady Neva. I had to placate and convince her that we were doing everything we could to return him to her. Though she detested the Prince -- after all he had been intimately involved in several assassination attempts, and she had come so close to strangling him with her own hands -- he was her son.

Randolf, my bodyguard and general factotum on this mission, floated at my side. “My lady,” he said softly into my ear. “Amanda has prepared a meal.”

“Thank you, Randolf.” I had skipped breakfast, and as always, my body servant had correctly anticipated my needs. I was indeed feeling hungry.

Randolf was a handsome, powerfully built, athletic man. His bright azure eyes reminded me so much of Jacob’s. My body stirred, my nipples hardened, and my quim throbbed. He and his female counterpart, the stunningly beautiful Amanda, had pleasured me delightfully and often since we had left the moon, and I had gratefully surrendered myself to them. That train of thought pushed the need for food aside. I wanted to be pleasured again.

I took Randolf’s proffered hand, and we glided to the access chute that led “down” to the passenger quarters. His body heat pulsed through his tunic and through my gown to warm my flesh. He wore no pants, and his stiff cock swayed enticingly as he propelled himself before me. Amanda was awaiting us, naked and undeniably aroused, the nipples of her ample breasts pink and erect. I gave her an encouraging smile to confirm my thoughts were of a similar nature.

Being firm, she countermanded my desire with the advice that I needed sustenance. She offered a full English breakfast: steaming scrambled eggs, kippers, ham, bacon, and sausages, kidneys, mushrooms, and fried tomatoes. A feast for a multitude. With a petulant pout, I took a dainty bite of each and finished with a cup of tea and a slice of toast. I’d maintained a salacious gaze which lingered on her almond-shaped eyes and gave rise to a pink flush to her cheeks. When I’d finished, I gracefully dabbed my mouth with a napkin and took Randolf’s cock in hand.

“Keep the food warm, and join us,” I told Amanda. “I may eat some more later. My current appetite, though, is for the diverting pleasures of unbridled fornication.”

Making love when one has no weight, once the initial challenges are overcome, is a sublime enterprise, more like an ethereal ballet of the most intimate kind. Holding your partner in a close embrace, limbs entwined, his cock held snugly by one’s tight sheath, so that you become as one, spinning, rotating, pirouetting like a ballerina celebrating a mind-shattering climax.

 

About the Author

Aussie Mikala Ash used to be a mild-mannered training & development consultant by day, and a wild sci-fi and paranormal adventure writer by night. Now she is a brazen full-time writer and nature photographer who is concentrating on having among other things, “… bags, and bags of fun!” Mikala can be found on Facebook and on Twitter.


Author on Twitter


Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok: @changelingpress




RABT Book Tours & PR

Blog Tour: Dark Waters Series

 




Black & African American Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Fiction

Date Published: 06-06-2023

Publisher: KCIN Entertainment Group, LLC



Books 1 & 2 (Book 3 releases September 8, 2026.)


The Dark Waters series follows the rise and fall of one of Philadelphia's most powerful families.

Judge Keenan Waters and his family have spent decades building a legacy of power, influence, and respect. But behind the perfect public image lie buried secrets, betrayal, and deadly consequences that threaten to destroy everything they've built.

As loyalties are tested and relationships crumble, the Waters family is pushed closer to the edge of ruin. With shocking twists and intense family drama, the Dark Waters series keeps the readers turning pages until the very end.

Perfect for fans of Black & African American Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Fiction, the first two books are available now, with the shocking conclusion, Dark Waters 3, arriving September 8, 2026.

 



Excerpt

Keenan Jr., Taylor, and Kennedy step inside when the front door swings open. Lillian wipes her hands on her apron and walks out of the kitchen to greet them in the foyer.

Keenan Jr. wraps his arms around her. “Hi, Mama. Dinner smells amazing.”

Lillian hugs him back tightly, her smile bright and genuine. “Hey, baby. Thank you. I’m making all your favorites.” She squeezes him tighter. “I’m so glad y’all are here.”

“Me too, Ma.” He glances around. “Where is Dad?”

Her smile disappears, and she tightens her lips before she responds. “He’s upstairs getting dressed.” She sounds so upset.

Taylor steps forward next, offering a polite hug. “Hi, Mrs. Waters. The table looks lovely.”

“Aww, thank you, sweetheart.”

As Keenan Jr. tends to Kennedy, Taylor lowers her voice. “Are you okay? Last night, before I left—”

“Shh.” Lillian cuts her off quickly, looking toward her son. “Not now.”

“But I was really worried about you.”

Lillian doesn’t respond. Instead, she turns her attention to Kennedy, lighting up. “Kennedy, is that you? Grandma has missed you so, so much.”

The little girl runs into her arms, hugging her neck. “I missed you, too, Grandma! I love you.”

“Grandma loves you, too, baby.” Lillian kisses her cheek, then puts her down and holds out her hand. “Come with me. Grandma’s gonna put you to work, pretty girl.”

In the kitchen, Lillian ties a little pink apron around Kennedy that says Cooking with Grandma. The three generations—Lillian, Taylor, and Kennedy—work together with big smiles, preparing the second batch of candied yams.

Naomi enters the house next, happy to see Keenan Jr. sitting at the dining room table. She grins. “I know that’s not my handsome big brother sitting there.”

Keenan Jr. gets up to greet her with a hug. “What’s up, baby sister. I missed you.”

“I missed you, too!”

Naomi joins the women in the kitchen, hugging everyone before pitching in.

Saint and Porsha arrive hand in hand, looking picture-perfect in matching shades of blue. Saint’s voice rings out from the front door. “Hey, wassup, y’all.”

Hearing him, everyone streams into the foyer, lighting up with joy.

Lillian pulls him into a tight hug. “Is that my other baby? Come here, Saint, and hug your mama!”

Saint grins. “Hey, Ma. I could smell dinner from the driveway, and it smelled so good.”

“Thank you, baby.”

The family greets Porsha warmly, and their affection is genuine. Saint’s deception about this pregnant girl he’s claiming as his own is working. No one seems to suspect a thing.

Naomi teases him as they hug. “Yasss, my partner in crime is finally here. Hey, brother.”

“Hell yeah, I’m in the house!” Saint laughs, then eyes her playfully. “Damn, Naomi, you’re looking good tonight.”

Naomi smiles. “You look good too, little brother.”

Keenan Jr. joins the banter, throwing an arm around Saint. “He better look good. He’s always working; that’s why we can never reach him. And don’t forget, Saint, I’ll see you next week to work on your grant.”

“Cool, big bro. I’ll be there.”

The siblings joke and laugh with each other as Kennedy climbs into Saint’s lap, giggling. Lillian watches from the dining room doorway, her heart full—until she hears Keenan Sr. coming down the stairs. Her cheerful smile fades.

Keenan Sr. enters the dining room, greeting the family with his booming voice. “Now the party can start. You’re all here. I’m so glad to see each of you.”

The family all hugs him, except Lillian, who remains in the doorway. She silently observes as he takes his place at the table. When the oven timer dings, she excuses herself. “I’ll be right back. The bread is ready.”

“I’ll help you,” Taylor says, following her into the kitchen.

Keenan Sr. addresses the table, his tone cheerful. “It’s wonderful to have everyone here tonight to celebrate with Lillian and me.”

When Lillian returns with cornbread and rolls, Keenan Sr. takes her hand tenderly. “It was thirty-five years yesterday since we said our vows, and we couldn’t be happier to share this joyous milestone with the people we love most. Right, Lillian?”

Before she can respond, the doorbell rings. Keenan Jr. and Saint start to rise, but Lillian waves them off. “No, no, boys. Sit. Y’all start your dinner. I got the door.”

She returns moments later with a manila envelope in hand. Standing beside Keenan Sr., she addresses the table. Her heart pounds in her chest, but her face remains calm and unreadable.

“Keenan was right earlier. We are so glad all of you are here tonight to share our thirty-fifth wedding anniversary with us.”

Her eyes drop to her husband, her smile vanishing. “We’ve had good times, Keenan. Bad times, too. But we made it… until now.”

Porsha excuses herself quickly, taking Kennedy with her to the restroom.

Lillian then waits for the room to quiet before continuing. “You are a liar and a cheat, Keenan. You sit here acting like everything is perfect, but you didn’t bother to tell them that you spent our actual anniversary with that whore in Chestnut Hill!”

Keenan Sr. stiffens. “Lillian, would you sit down? This isn’t the time.”

Her voice rises. “When is the time, Keenan? Last night, you were with her. You came home this morning smelling like pussy and went into court that way! You even walked into this house reeking of—”

Keenan Jr. tries to intervene. “Mama, please—”

“Don’t you ‘Mama’ me! Your daddy came home smelling like pussy and didn’t even speak to me!”

Naomi interjects, “And y’all say I’m drama.”

Lillian cuts her off. “This ain’t about you, Naomi, so stay out of it!”

Keenan Sr. glares at her. “You are impossible, Lillian. A goddamn madwoman.”

Unfazed at how mad he is, Lillian slams the envelope onto the table. “That’s a divorce decree. My attorney worked on it all month. Now, you’re done here, Keenan.”

The room falls silent. Keenan Sr. looks around, his face twisted with anger and disbelief as Lillian’s voice cuts through the tension. “Get up, go upstairs, pack your things, and get out of my damn house! For good.”

The family stares around the table at each other, dumbfounded, as Lillian finishes. “Go, Keenan. Now!”


 About the Author

Nick Haskins is the author of the Dark Waters series, as well as novels She's Obsessed, Betrayed, My Husband's Wife, and On the Edge of Heat.

Known for his suspenseful storytelling and unforgettable characters, Haskins has spent more than a decade building a catalog of contemporary drama and suspense that has attracted readers across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

Born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, where he still resides, Haskins began his publishing career in 2011 and has remained committed to independently producing professional, reader-focused books. In addition to writing novels, he is creating film and visual media projects based on his work.

Haskins continues to connect with readers while developing new stories to expand his publishing catalog.


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RABT Book Tours & PR

PROMO: Turtle Lake

 


 


Crime Thriller / Suspense

Date Published: 09-07-2026

Publisher: Mission Point Press



Turtle Lake is a gripping tale of revenge, survival, and the intricate interplay between human nature and the natural world. The story follows Jim Peters, the comptroller at Ramsey Motors, who uncovers a corrupt scheme by the company and its insurer, U.S. Underwriters, to defraud employees of their retirement and insurance benefits before moving operations overseas. Infuriated, he devises an elaborate extortion plan to expose their corruption and protect the employees through a spectacular plot that ends up achieving national headlines. To accomplish his plan, Peters uses simple, everyday methods and lessons learned from alpha predators in the natural world.


About the Author


Bob Milne has been hailed throughout his 60-year career as one of the best ragtime/boogie-woogie piano players of all time. A solo concert performer, he traveled all over the world playing for dignitaries and celebrities as well as small town audiences. He was given the title of National Treasure by the Library of Congress and deemed an Ambassador of Music by the U.S. Department of State.

Bob’s extraordinary musical abilities were the subject of numerous brain studies, which have inspired a popular RadioLab podcast.

Little did they know that Bob was also a talented writer.

For years he wrote articles about his saloon-playing days for music publications. Many of these stories were compiled into a book called The Journeyman Piano Player: Adventures in Gracious Dining. Bob has written reams of poetry, some of which became lyrics to songs that he composed. The longest piece of poetry he ever wrote was the lyric book for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, a grand opera he composed and orchestrated.

Mr. Milne has been fascinated by nature his entire life. At a young age he realized that instincts are present in all species of birds, mammals (including humans), and literally every living thing in nature. He has used this information countless times over his lifetime to predict what the human species will do in future situations.

Bob is now retired from the long piano tours and is enjoying his woodland home. Today he spends his time studying nature in the woods. Signed copies of his book may be purchased through his website.


Contact Links

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Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/TurtleLake

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RABT Book Tours & PR

PROMO: Fluent in Faux Pas

 




A Guide to Accidentally Getting Everything Wrong


Memoir, Non-Fiction

Date Published: September 7, 2026



Two degrees. Zero English.

A night shift in an abandoned psychiatric hospital.

You learn to laugh. Fast.

Arriving in England for a fresh start, the author quickly discovers that the English language is a minefield of polite confusion, baffling idioms, and linguistic traps. Without the vocabulary to express who she is, daily life becomes a high-stakes game of translation roulette at the absolute bottom of the career ladder.

Spanning decades through the beating heart of the British workforce—from factory lines and catering at Heathrow to securing film sets and government buildings—her biggest opponent isn't the long hours; it's the English dictionary.

Navigating professional environments with a mismatched vocabulary leads to spectacular, unintentional blunders. From mixing up sound-alike words to translating idioms far too literally, every shift becomes a lesson in how easily things get lost in translation.

Yet, behind the comedy lies a deeply personal struggle: the quiet isolation of startincover. When pressure peaks, remarkable encounters and a profound return to faith offer a path to true transformation.

Fluent in Faux Pas is a warm, witty, and wonderfully honest memoir—a celebratory story of resilience and an inspiring reminder that the best parts of life are often found when we are completely lost in translation.


About the Author

 

 Daniela Hristova arrived in the UK with an English vocabulary consisting of little more than "teabag" and a background as a multi-media journalist, actress, and singer who had spent years working in television, radio, newspaper, and stage in her home country. With a diverse professional journey that later ranged from wielding a mop to building a career in leadership and court security, she has navigated life's twists with a steady faith, a sharp eye, and a wonderfully dry sense of humor. Channeling her unique experiences and cultural blunders into the written word, she has penned a witty tribute to the resilience it takes to start over. When she isn't writing or tackling new adventures, she enjoys spending time with her family and her dog, Dea. Fluent in Faux Pas is her debut memoir.

 

Contact Link

BookBuzz


Purchase Link

Amazon



RABT Book Tours & PR

Saturday, September 5, 2026

PROMO: The Human Language

 




Develop psychological safety, improve your relationships, transform your life. Launching The MECAnism, a practical framework


Non-Fiction, Self-Help, Business, Parenting, Mind/Body/Soul, Inspirational

Date Published: September 2026

Publisher: Serapis Bey Publishing

 


TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE WITH THE WAY YOU SPEAK

As human beings, we have a deep need for social connection, yet our primitive fight-or-flight response can be a major barrier to achieving it, leading to misunderstanding, conflict and disconnection.

Fortunately, there is a solution.

The Human Language delivers a compelling message. By replacing our habitual, learned patterns of communication we can experience greater understanding, empathy and connection in our relationships, transforming our lives.

Through easy-to-follow chapters, this book introduces The MECAnism, to calm your instinctive reactions, gain emotional clarity and develop psychological safety. It gives you the practical tools and techniques to listen, speak and act in your daily life with compassion, for yourself and others, enabling you to meet your needs with confidence.



"I will recommend using The Human Language 1000 times. It helps me verbalise my feelings and work through moments of overwhelm. There are applications across all areas of life.It can, and will be, a transformative book."

Pam Bryant, Oxford, UK

"Penny uses just enough science to help the reader understand why they behave the way they do while focusing on simple techniques to get to the heart of change.

The Human Language should be required reading for anybody who has to work or live with other people, which is most of us."

Diana D'Ascoli, Philadelphia, US


About the Author

 

 Penny Newton-Hurley is the founder of CommPassion Ltd. She has worked with large private organisations in the UK and globally, and in the public sector across the areas of government, military, healthcare and education for more than 30 years. CommPassion provides training in interpersonal communication skills, resolving conflict between individuals and building psychological safety within teams for higher workplace and relationship performance.

In 2025, her company launched their first four online courses, taking their expertise and experience from the world of business directly to individuals in all areas of their lives. This book reveals the details behind her courses and supports the learning of improved communications skills.

Communication has been a fascination for Penny since childhood, when she spoke with her father in Morse Code! After a few exciting years spent working in International Marketing, Penny had an opportunity to be involved in the nascent field of Internal Communication where she began to understand the importance of humanto-human connection in the workplace. In 2005, she was introduced to the teachings of nonviolent communication. From that moment on, it became her purpose to spread this message as far as possible, a mission to change the way we talk and listen and communicate with each other; to change the way the world speaks.

Today, she is a trainer of compassionate communication techniques, Workplace Mediator, Certified Psychological Safety Facilitator with the Fearless Organisation; as well as a UK Samaritans Listening Volunteer. Penny holds a BA (Combined Honours) in Modern Languages (French/Spanish) with Politics, Economics and Linguistics.

 

Contact Links

Website

Instagram: @pennynewtonhurley

Facebook: Penny Newton-Hurley

LinkedIn: Penny Newton-Hurley

TikTok: @pennynewtonhurley

YouTube: Penny Newton-Hurley



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RABT Book Tours & PR

Friday, September 4, 2026

Blog Tour: Uprising

 




Book One of the Fitzjohn Duology


Historical Fiction with Speculative and Romantic Elements

Date Published: 09-01-2026

Publisher: Literary Wanderlust



England, 1381 AD: Blanche Fitzjohn is an outcast in her small coastal village. Not only is she the illegitimate daughter of John of Gaunt, the man responsible for her neighbors’ over-taxation, but she possesses strange abilities: hearing sound from miles away and smelling people’s emotions.

She takes solace in her studies with the local wisewoman and in her friendship with Geoff, a groom at the local manor. Until the day Henry of Lancaster, Blanche’s half-brother, brings her news of an arranged marriage to Sir Thomas Prescott, Constable of the Tower of London. Although she smells cruelty on him, Blanche agrees to marry Thomas in the hopes that her influence may help better the lives of Geoff and all England’s villeins.

But soon, the peasants’ discontent turns to revolt. Though her heart is of the people, Blanche’s nobility makes her an enemy to the rebels. To save herself and Henry from the executioner’s ax, Blanche must use every power at her disposal, even those she once considered a curse.


 






Uprising, Book One of the Fitzjohn Duology

Chapter Six Excerpt



Something shifts, like summer’s green leaves transforming to autumnal gold. Speaking with Geoff about my marriage hurts like I’d never expected, a deep ache. The moon thrums, and an owl, perched in a nearby tree, shifts as she searches for prey. My temples throb.

“It seemed…” he begins again. “It seemed he didn’t want to marry you, after you…” I glare and cross my arms before lifting my face. He continues: “I thought perhaps you could get out of it because…”

“Because of what?”

“Because, ye’re…”

“What, Geoff, what am I?”

His mouth opens like a fish above water, and he doesn’t bother to shut it. In the tree, the owl flaps her wings and leaps into the air.

“Ye’re…” The tips of Geoff’s fingers flutter. “Well, I don’t know what you are, Dandy. Ye’re just…yerself. And I thought—”

“You thought he wouldn’t want me?”

His face falls. “He’s not like you, Dandy. That’s all. He’s not a good man. I heard him talking, when it was just the men…”

He drops his eyes and his cheekbones redden.

Neither of us seems to know what to say next. After a full minute of silence, he lurches forward and grasps my shoulders, crushing me to his chest. “Blanche, just consider.”

I gasp and have to steady myself. But within seconds, tears come to my eyes, along with a calming release of tension. I grip his forearms, inhale his familiar scent. He’s always smelled of horses, with a hint of bread dough and sugar from the manor kitchens he’s constantly raiding. There’s something different tonight. I sniff. It’s crisp, yet soft. Evergreens in winter, covered with fresh snow.

He buries his nose in my hair. “You could refuse,” he says, voice a gentle rumble against my face, “and stay with yer mother. She’d be angry, yes, but she wouldn’t throw you out. They can’t drag you to the church. For a marriage to be real, you must consent.”

Consent. The word ripples through me. It makes me see that I want more, from Maman, from my father, but most of all from Geoff. I need something I can’t identify, something I can’t express.

“If I marry Thomas…” My muffled voice breaks. “It will make the duke happy. He’ll…” I tense, regretting my words.

“He’ll what?”

I can’t answer, can’t tell him that by marrying Sir Thomas, I hope to earn my father’s love. To replace…something.

The moon moves behind a cloud and the trees shift, branches releasing a shower of rain. Geoff drops one hand to the small of my back and lifts the other to my cheek. His palms are warm, and I slide my own to clench his upper arms. When my fingertips brush hardened muscles, I almost snatch my hands back. Before tonight, I still thought of Geoff as a child, the lanky villein who could ride any horse, no matter how fierce. Now…my mouth goes dry, but I can’t resist running my hands up the length of his arms, letting them rest on his shoulders. The skin beneath his tunic is damp with sweat.

Corded muscles tense and stretch beneath my fingers, sending little jolts through me. He stoops, chin brushing my temple.

I touch the notch of his throat with my fingertips. He freezes. Tiny curls of dark hair peek above his collar, tickling my fingers. He lets his face linger on mine, and I feel him inhale.

A pleasant warmth spreads through my belly, then down. Something’s happening, something I don’t understand. I should run, should leave. But I don’t. Another breeze drifts through the tree branches, and he pulls me closer, pressing me to him.

I feel him, all of him, from feet to chin, in a way I never have. A tingling, heavy warmth settles on me, and I feel Geoff’s own need pressing against my belly.

It should make me uncomfortable, but I find myself pressing back, wanting more. Wanting it all.

I’m not well-versed in what happens between a woman and a man—that’s one area of my education Maman neglected—but I’m not completely ignorant. I know Geoff and I stand on a cliff, gazing into a deep ravine. One more step, and we’ll both be lost.

I’m still touching his throat, suspended in our odd dance beneath the shuddering tree branches, when he bends further. I close my eyes and focus on the sensation of his stubbly chin against my face. He exhales, and a shiver runs down my spine.

“Dandy…” he murmurs.

The owl swoops to snatch a mouse from the forest floor in sharp talons. Her screech is like a battle horn, ricocheting with painful deliberation in my skull, joined by the mouse’s squeal. My eyelids snap open and I step out of his embrace.


About the Author

 

 J.E. Rizzo is a life-long history fanatic and writer of historical fiction, and her work can be found in Vanity Fair, The Boston Globe, The Guardian, The Tudor Times, Tudor Life Magazine, Scary Mommy, and Ultrarunning Magazine. Rizzo won Manuscript Academy’s Agent Choice Award in 2024, and her article Past and Precedence: Abortion Law in the Middle Ages and Its Use to Overturn Roe v. Wade won History Inquiry’s Medieval History Writing Challenge.

By day, Rizzo works in Human Resources—a field offering more than ample opportunity to observe the follies and fancies of humankind. Before her career in HR, Rizzo worked as an opera singer, a professional baker, and a dog walker. These days, when not writing she can be found running ultramarathons through the forests and mountains of New England, knitting, reading, sewing, baking, or performing any number of (what some might call) old-lady hobbies. She also keeps busing caring for her two children and forty-seven houseplants, making her husband carry heavy things and cook her gourmet meals, and rehabilitating her rescue dog and semi-feral ginger cat.

 

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RABT Book Tours & PR

Blog Tour: The Hero of Pamplona

 




And Other Mostly True Stories


Memoir

Date Published: June 12, 2026

Publisher: MindStir Media




What makes a life worth remembering? Is it danger—or joy? Triumph—or deception? Sometimes it’s all of them, tangled together in moments that refuse to fade.

The Hero of Pamplona and Other Mostly True Stories is a memoir told through twenty-two vividly rendered short stories drawn from the extraordinary life of Len Wechsler. Spanning decades and continents, these deeply personal reflections move effortlessly from New York to Los Angeles, Paris to Pamplona, Lisbon to Tangiers—each place leaving its mark, each moment carrying emotional weight.

With the voice of a philosopher, the instincts of a filmmaker, and the honesty of someone who has lived fully, Wechsler explores friendship and betrayal, risk and reinvention, longing and belonging. These are stories shaped by youthful bravado, artistic pursuit, cultural collision, and the quiet reckonings that come with time.

Sometimes humorous, sometimes haunting, and always human, this memoir invites readers into a life lived on the edge of experience—where truth and memory blur, and where the author believes one simple thing: if a story touches him, it may touch you too.

Whether you read it as travel memoir, coming-of-age reflection, or a meditation on identity and chance, The Hero of Pamplona and Other Mostly True Stories is a journey worth taking.

 



Excerpt

Preface

In Paris, adoring fans yelled “allez le trieze.” Go number 13. I was number 13. When I was fourteen, my ninth-grade teacher said I made her vomit. At twenty-one, I was the hero of Pamplona. I was almost raped in Tangiers, Morocco. I hated my name, except when Flossie said it. Twenty-one years ago, I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Believe the diagnosis, never the prognosis.

The first time I thought about writing stories was over
twenty-five years ago when I was living in Portugal. I wrote the stories in my head while sitting in a cafĂ© in Lisbon’s Rossio Square drinking an espresso as I watched dawn touch the tops of 400-year-old blue, yellow, and pink buildings. And that was the problem. Once I had the stories in my head, the excitement was gone and the motivation to put the story on paper was lost.

When I returned home to Los Angeles, a storyteller friend suggested I submit a story to a venue called Spark Off Rose. On April 4, 2011, I read “The Hero of Pamplona” aloud to an audience of one hundred people at a theater in Venice, California. That was it. I was hooked on storytelling.

In the end, I gathered these stories for two reasons. The first is that doing so made me smile, and as I wrote, I was reminded once again to never take the good times for granted. The second reason is because of a line in a letter my father sent to me a few years before he died. “The spoken voice is wonderful, but the written word has a special permanence.”

Perhaps one of these stories will bring a smile to the face of someone I know, or even to the face of someone I don’t know. Maybe a story will resonate with a reader and encourage that reader to write his or her own story.

The Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa wrote about people who are “but a series of marginal notes in the book of life.” Are the people in this book “marginal notes in the book of life?” Not if you know them—and that’s the point. Everyone has a story. The key is to take the time to listen.

 


About the Author

Len Wechsler is a writer, filmmaker, and lifelong storyteller whose work spans continents, cultures, and creative disciplines. Raised in New York City and educated in the Midwest, Wechsler studied philosophy at the Sorbonne in Paris before earning a master’s degree from New York University. His early adult years were marked by adventure and movement—from playing professional basketball in France and Italy to traveling across Europe and around the Mediterranean.

In the United States, Wechsler taught in both New York and California before launching a filmmaking career in the mid-1970s. He was among the earliest filmmakers to capture the raw beauty, risk, and exhilaration of surfing and skateboarding on film, later transitioning into screenwriting for feature films. His creative life continued overseas when he lived and worked in Portugal for thirteen years as a teacher and theater director.

More recently, Wechsler co-wrote a stage play exploring the underbelly of Los Angeles, which debuted in New York City. A member of the Writers Guild of America West, he now lives in California, where he continues to write—and still plays basketball when he can, even if the three-pointer no longer falls as easily.


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