Ghastly Ghouls and Haunted Houses
September 28, 2026 by Alina K. Field in category Quarter Days by Alina K. Field, Writing tagged as ghost stories, Halloween, historical romance, Holiday story collections
I’m Back with another Quarter Days Post
It’s only the end of September, but pumpkins are everywhere in stores. Just in time for carving Jack o’ Lanterns, or for folks who don’t celebrate the scary season, in time for that harvest table display.
I’ll be celebrating Halloween with a ghostly new release: The Duke, the Diamond, and the Ghastly Ghoul.
This year, the group of writers I regularly publish collections with decided to forgo Christmas and stretch our muses’ wings with ghost stories. And voila, Moonlight Madness, a Bluestocking Belles Collection is now available to preorder for the October 15th release.
Not one ghost, but two!
In The Duke, the Diamond, and the Ghastly Ghoul, a young duke visits one of his properties, a haunted abbey that his disreputable predecessors steered clear of. He’s determined to prove that ghosts aren’t real and the story of a missing diamond is a hum—until a strange lady appears on his doorstep, and the spirits of Wotton Abbey, a young noblewoman and a monk from the Abbey’s past, awaken seeking to right past wrongs.
I like working with story prompts (like a duke, a diamond and a ghastly ghoul) and these three came to me via a friend’s Facebook game at a release party. You know the type of game: choose an item from a column based on some biographical fact like the first letter of your name, your month of birth, etc. Fun and silly, but when these items came up, I said to myself, I’m going to write that story!
Being that I’m more geared to Hallmark movies than the Halloween movie franchise, my story and the others don’t fall into the horror category. They won’t give you nightmares!
The Stories
Here’s a bit about the entire collection:
Jude Knight – Moonlight Becomes You in which a lady sees, but cannot hear, a ghost who attempts to warn her about a man who will die if she doesn’t find him soon.
Alina K. Field – The Duke, the Diamond, and the Ghastly Ghoul in which a house party at a haunted abbey brings together a duke, a ghost-hunting lady, and two ghosts determined to right old wrongs.
Aileen Fish – Mad about the Marquess in which a lady known for communing with the dead is forced to bring unwanted messages to the marquess next door from his dead father.
Rue Allyn – True Love’s Kiss in which a hunter seeking his kidnapped son in the forest stumbles upon a fairy with a similar mission. Together they may succeed if they stop squabbling.
Caroline Warfield – Not Again, Harry in which a lady takes shelter in a creepy old house only to find haunting, prowlers, strange artifacts, and a man from her past. A wish-granting mouse complicates it all.
Sherry Ewing – Finding My Way To You in which a ghost meets a determined lady who leaps at a chance to alter his past in spite of his efforts to convince her to leave the past where it belongs.
Barbara Monajem – The Haunted Hoyden in which two friendly ghosts help a lady to rescue a handsome, wounded man—who proves to be just what she needs to escape a dastardly plot.
Elizabeth Donne – Always With You in which a man pressed-ganged into service in the Royal Navy promises his wife he will come back to her. Whether it’s in this life or the next remains to be seen.
Here’s the universal preorder link for Moonlight Madness: https://books2read.com/u/4Dwnjr
Authors, do you find writing prompts helpful for generating story ideas? Let us know in the comments!
Happy autumn, everyone. I’ll be back in December for another Quarter Days post.
(Image of ghostly lady is from Depositphotos.com)
0 0 Read moreA Whole New Plan Book Release is This Month
May 12, 2026 by Denise M. Colby in category The Writing Journey by Denise Colby tagged as book launch, Denise M. Colby, historical romance, New book releaseMy next book, A Whole New Plan, releases this month and there’s a lot to celebrate. It’s my fourth book in my Best-laid Plans series to be released within a two-year window. I’m excited to add to the story world I’ve built and introduce the point of view of yet two more people. The release date is May 26, 2026.
You can pre-order the e-book for $1 savings until release day on Amazon.
A Little About A Whole New Plan
I love these characters and how they interact. It was fun to build friendships with the other characters and the way they developed organically. I can’t wait for everyone to get to know Will and Lydia more and read their story.
Lydia is the third teacher out of five that traveled west together to teach in California. She’s really a Pinkerton agent posing as a school teacher. She likes to work alone.
Will is the Pastor in Washton. He’s Luke’s best friend (from When Plans Go Awry) and Sarah’s brother (No Plan at All).
There’s also a dog in this story that may or may not be loosely based on our black lab, Ace. I asked ChatGPT to make him fluffy and have him chasing sheep and a baby cow. This is in the opening chapter of the book. I felt it captured Fido’s energy pretty good.
This story answers many unanswered questions left in previous books that I wasn’t sure myself what the answers would be (you can thank my critique group, who encouraged me to answer them). There’s a bit of a mystery and suspense in here as well. I never planned on writing suspense, but I’m finding it a fun to write.
Celebrate The Release of A Whole New Plan
I’m offering two signed copies in a GoodReads Giveaway. The last day to enter is May 31, 2026.
Goodreads Book Giveaway
A Whole New Plan
by Denise M. Colby
Giveaway ends May 31, 2026.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
There’s a lot of other things happening this month and next as well to celebrate A Whole New Plan’s book release. Several guest blog posts, a reviewers tour, and a 99 cent sale on my other three e-books from May 26-June 1. I’m also doing a book signing at Barnes & Noble in Brea, CA (my local store) on May 30, 2026 from 2-4pm.
Please join with me as I celebrate A Whole New Plan’s book release.
A wounded Pinkerton agent. A cautious pastor. When danger threatens, only faith—and God’s perfect plan—can show them the way forward.
California, 1870. Pastor William Baker built his life on steady faith and safe choices, but the arrival of Lydia Spencer upends everything. Independent, outspoken, and hiding a limp from a recent injury, Lydia is unlike any woman he’s ever known. And she has no interest in church—or in sharing her secrets.
What Will doesn’t realize is that Lydia is a Pinkerton detective, undercover as a schoolteacher while tracking a dangerous crime boss. She’s determined to protect her friends in Washton… even if it means keeping her distance from the kind, steadfast pastor who sees too much.
When strange thefts strike the ranch and a frightened boy appears with ties to their past, Will and Lydia are thrown together in a search for truth—and find themselves fighting not only for justice, but for a future neither had planned.
Full of faith, mystery, and romance, A Whole New Plan weaves a story of healing hearts and unexpected love amidst God’s perfect design.
If you want to learn more about the Best-laid Plans series, and the order of books, check out my March blog post.
0 0 Read moreAdventures in AI
December 28, 2025 by Alina K. Field in category Quarter Days by Alina K. Field tagged as AI, Alina K. Field, historical romance, Marketing, Regency romance, writingHappy holidays, and Happy New Year! I’m back for another Quarter Days post.
A Controversial Subject
First things first: I know that the use of AI is a controversial topic among authors and other creators. I’m not one of the folks who use it to plot, write, edit, or create book covers or audiobooks.
For one thing, the slick, smarmy AI generated prose from scammers that arrives in my inbox is a deterrent–easily identified as machine-made. Here’s one message from November 17th regarding my recent release, Her Impeccable Scoundrel:
As we enter the most uplifting time of the year, I hope this season brings you joy, renewed inspiration, and continued success as you craft elegant, emotionally rich historical romances that captivate devoted readers. After reviewing Her Impeccable Scoundrel, [emphasis mine] I was struck by its refined tension, nuanced character development, and the deeply human struggle between duty, trust, and long-buried emotion. Blythe’s fight to reclaim her reputation and protect her inheritance combined with Graeme’s complex return, carrying both guilt and longing creates an irresistible Regency narrative filled with redemption, vulnerability, and slow-burning romance. It is exactly the kind of elegant, emotionally resonant story our seasonal campaign aims to highlight.
(Note that there is a seasonal campaign coming up, for which payment by author will likely be required.)
Release day for Her Impeccable Scoundrel was November 18th. Hmm, how did the AI bot read it before sending this message?
No doubt you authors reading here have received messages like this from book clubs, famous authors, marketers and unsolicited reviewers. If you haven’t heard of this new scam, Writer Beware has several posts on the topic.
This Quarter’s New Releases
It’s been a busy few months with new releases, two fun projects with the Bluestocking Belles, plus a full length novel in the Wicked Widows League multi-author series.
Love’s Perilous Road, a Bluestocking Belles Collection with Friends
Release Day, October 31, 2025
Travel, houseparties, smugglers, spies, a ghost–and a mysterious highwayman. Who is the infamous Captain Moonlight? And how many lives will he change–for good or for ill?
It’s the autumn of 1817 and Sir Peter Somerville and his lady are hosting a house party at their estate near Brighton, while a pesky highwayman plagues the surrounding byways.
Includes my novella, Sir Westcott Steals a Heart.
Purchase link: https://books2read.com/u/mqx0W6
Her Impeccable Scoundrel
Release Day, November 18, 2025
A widowed countess emerges from her year of mourning battling the dark legacy of her husband and dreading the arrival of the straitlaced scoundrel whose interference years earlier led to her unhappy marriage, a young man who was once her friend: her late husband’s heir.
Called back to England to take up his late cousin’s title, diplomat Graeme Blatchfield is eager to see his cousin’s widow and learn for himself whether the rumors about the woman he once held a childish infatuation for are true. Forced by matters of the estate to spend time together, he soon discovers the vulnerable and lonely woman underneath the society mask. Can he get her to forgive him—and more?
Buy Link: https://books2read.com/HerImpeccableScoundrel
Merry Belles, a Bluestocking Belles Collection with Friends
Release Day December 20, 2025
Just in time for the holidays, seven charming stories of romance from award-winning and best-selling authors:
- A murder brings a lady and her lost love together, just close enough to heal old wounds.
- A young lady must foil a friend’s betrayal to have her Yuletide wish for love come true.
- A widowed lord’s new housekeeper tames his rowdy boys and pierces his lonely heart.
- A lady determined to find her wayward young son finds herself stranded with the persistent earl trying to woo her out of widowhood.
- Will restoring a family manor together help two people acknowledge a secret attraction and claim a future together?
- A soldier’s wife is determined to find her missing husband, even if she must walk the length and breadth of England with her children in a wheelbarrow.
- Home from the wars, a soldier is shocked to learn that his fiancée plans to wed someone else. Can he reach her in time to prevent the nuptials?
Includes my novella, Lady Loughton’s Last Wager
Buy link: https://books2read.com/u/mvRGPj
Hope your holidays are going well! Wishing you many blessings for the New Year, and I’ll see you at my next Quarter Day post.
Jina Bacarr Featured Author
December 1, 2025 by Jina Bacarr in category Apples & Oranges by Marianne H. Donley, Featured Author, Featured Author of the Month tagged as Boldwood Books, Featured Author of the Month, historical romance, Jina Bacarr, New relaase, The Stolen Children of War
About Jina Bacarr
I discovered early on that I inherited the gift of the gab from my large Irish family when I penned a story about a princess who ran away to Paris with her pet turtle Lulu. I was twelve.
I grew up listening to their wild, outlandish tales and it was those early years of storytelling that led to my love of history and traveling.
I enjoy writing to classical music with a hot cup of java by my side. I adore dark chocolate truffles, vintage anything, the smell of bread baking and rainy days in museums. I’ve always loved walking through history—from Pompeii to Verdun to Old Paris. The voices of the past speak to me through carriages with cracked leather seats, stiff ivory-colored crinolines, and worn satin slippers. I’ve always wondered what it was like to walk in those slippers when they were new.
You can follow Jina on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Pinterest
Goodreads
Bookbub
Jina also has a column here on the 11th of every month: Jina’s Book Chat.
The Stolen Children of War is emotional historical novel from Jina Bacarr, bestselling author of The Orphans of Berlin—available now.
It is 1943 in Nazi-occupied Paris, and nobody is safe. Nobody, except perhaps one small group of people, who’ve always existed outside the law…
At Le Cirque Casini, the trapeze artists still fly. The strong men still perform amazing feats. The sad-faced clowns still make people laugh, even in a city with a broken heart. The Nazis do not trouble them, as long as they keep the people happy and entertained.
But what the Germans don’t know is that there are circus performers with secrets of their own. And when Lia – a performer known for her bravery on the trapeze – finds herself with nowhere else to go but back to the circus she’d left 18 years ago – she does so with two small orphaned Jewish children in tow, who she’s sworn to protect.
As the circus’s numbers swell with people desperate to hide, and threats come not only from the Nazis but from one who seeks to kill someone amongst them, Lia and the other circus-performers know they must do everything in their power to protect the vulnerable.
But who better—than those who would risk their lives every day for entertainment—to save the lives of others?
A gripping, powerful and captivating novel of World War Two, perfect for fans of Kristen Hannah, Fiona Valpy and Dinah Jefferies.
A Few of Jina’s Other Books
‘No Plan at All’ Book Birthday
November 12, 2025 by Denise M. Colby in category The Writing Journey by Denise Colby tagged as Book Birthday, Denise M. Colby, historical romance, new releaseI have a book birthday! Well my book does. This month is release month for my next book, No Plan at All. So it is No Plan at All’s book birthday!
This is a prequel novella to my Best-laid Plans series and features Sarah (who is the woman who runs from Luke in book 1) and Alex, a Scottish lord who is hiding out as a peddler and an alias in California.
You can check out my blog on my website to learn a bit more about Alex (Meet My Scottish Hero)
It’s 1867. Two years before When Plans Go Awry.
No Plan at All is the book that I mentioned in my blog post about my writing research trip to England and Scotland. (All while launching book 2 in this series, A Slight Change of Plans).
I captured several ideas for a new series about Alex’s family while on this trip. But that will have to come after I finish this series. And I still have several stories left to write!
About No Plan at All
The theme verse for the book is Psalm 33:11. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.
My series is named the Best-laid Plans series and is all about how the Lord’s plans are better than our own, so you will see this theme weaved throughout. I chose this verse because God has a purpose for every single one of us, for now, for our future, and for future generations. Alex is a heir and so the two tie in nicely together.
No Plan At All hits these tropes:
Romance Tropes
- Strangers to Lovers
- Forced Proximity / Traveling Together
- Hidden Identity / Secret Nobleman
- Protective Hero
- Wounded Heroine
- Slow Burn Romance
Inspirational / Christian Fiction Tropes
- God’s Plan vs. Human Plans
- Redemption / Healing through Love and Faith
- Providence in Unexpected Places
- Self-Sacrifice / Service
Historical Romance Tropes
- Road Romance / Journey Romance
- Escape & Reinvention
- Cross-Class Romance
- Found Family
If you adore secret identities, runaway brides, and love stories woven with faith, this book is for you.
No Plan at All is available on Kindle Unlimited and e-book from Amazon and in print form from Amazon, Barnesandnoble.com, and Walmart.com
No Plan at All Book Blurb
Two strangers. One journey. A love neither expected.
Sarah Anne Baker never wanted to be anyone’s burden. But hours after losing the Godmother who raised her, she faces an impossible choice: marry her late fiancé’s brother—or flee. With fear of being trapped her driving force, she places her trust in the one man leaving town that night—the enigmatic traveling peddler known only as Mr. Smith.
Alexander Sinclair walked away from his noble title in Scotland to live a quiet, hidden life. Peddling wares from town to town has given him peace, free from the weight of expectation. Until a desperate young woman crosses his path. He can’t turn her away… no matter the cost.
Together, Sarah and Alex set out on a journey through loss, healing, and a bond neither expected to find. But as secrets surface and choices demand to be made, both must decide: cling to the lives they planned—or risk everything to embrace the future God has written for them.
A tender tale of courage, redemption, and love strong enough to change the course of two hearts forever.
Sometimes the best life is the one we never planned.
Marketing Plans for No Plan at All Book Birthday Month
For No Plan at All’s book birthday month I have a reviewer tour going on through JustReads. A few have posted already and they have been positive.
I also did a YouTube video interview with my publisher
I also offered a Goodreads giveaway during the last week leading up to release day. It was neat to offer something to my readers.
This month I will continue to celebrate No Plan at All’s book birthday month with blog posts, interviews, and more behind the scenes tidbits. I’m also working on the edits for the next book which is scheduled to be released in May 2026.
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