Discover A Change In Plans by Mike Martin

 

A Day in My Life: Eddie Tizzard from the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series by Mike Martin

(Eddie Tizzard is Sgt. Windflower’s best friend in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or Mounties)

What is your full name?  Eddie Tizzard

How old are you? 30’s

What is your profession? Mountie

Do you have a significant other? Yes

What is their name and profession? Carrie Evanchuk, Constable, RCMP

Do you have any children? Yes, two

Do you have any siblings? Yes, two sisters

Are your parents nearby? My Dad lives in Grand Bank

Who is your best friend? Winston Windflower

Do you have any pets? No

What town do you live in? Marystown, Newfoundland

Do you live in a small town or a big city? Small town

Type of dwelling and do you own or rent? Rent a house

What is your favorite spot in your home? Kitchen

Favorite meal and dessert? Almost anything. Except vegetables. No vegetables, please

Do you have any hobbies? Too busy with tow small children

What is your favorite vacation spot? Las Vegas

What music do you listen to? Old fashioned Newfoundland music

Do you have a favorite book? Don’t read much. 

What is your idea of a really fun time? A night out with my girl. Dinner and dancing. We haven’t done that in so long I forget what it was like. 

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it? Eat Dessert First

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with? Pro and I work with an excellent team of RCMP officers.

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like? Breakfast with my son and now my daughter while Carrie sleeps in and then off to work. Back home after work to play with the kids, help get supper ready, watch TV and fall into bed.

If PROFESSIONAL, What does a typical day look like when you are on a case?

Lots of interviews and meetings and phone calls with lots of coffee. If I’m lucky we get regular snacks and I really try and never miss a meal. 

Food, family, friends and a few dead bodies…

RCMP officer Winston Windflower’s rare afternoon off gets interrupted when a hit and run turns into murder and he must pull together a team of Mounties from Newfoundland to resolve the crime. Following the money and fentanyl— and bodies—Windflower and his team join forces with police officers in southern Ontario to take down an international drug-smuggling ring.

Windflower must face personal doubts and fears when fellow Mountie Fil Romano is kidnapped. While the higher-ups at HQ make plans to give safe passage to the drug lords in return for Romano’s life, Windflower worries Romano will get caught in the crossfire. Windflower again looks to his friends and allies for help in the difficult hours and days ahead. 

╰┈➤Book Details

• Genre: Mystery
• Sub-genre: Cozy Mystery/Police Procedural
• Language: English
• Pages: 278
• Paperback ISBN: TBA

A Change in Plans is available at Amazon.

╰┈➤Here’s What Readers Have To Say!

“When a Mountie is kidnapped, it further complicates matters. As the tension keeps increasing, the action reaches a fever pitch. This author knows how to keep the plot moving swiftly to keep readers hooked. You will enjoy spending time with Windflower, a hero who’s clever, brave, and endlessly resourceful.” – Steven Finkelstein

“Readers cannot help but enjoy this series. Even though there are some nail biting, adrenaline pumping things going on, it is balanced out by the personal parts of the story. Yes, Windflower could be chasing down a killer or a drug dealer, but he is always grounded with his wife and two daughters, his friends and his community. I personally enjoy when he does his smudging and reconnects with his deceased Auntie and Uncle and gives back to the earth.” – Cozy Mystery Book Reviews

╰┈➤Read if you love…

 Mystery 

̷̊̊̊̊̊ International Drug-Smuggling Ring

Kidnapping 

Dead Bodies

Canadian Mounties to the Rescue

Edge of Your Seat Excitement

Excerpt:

Summer was nearing its end in the small town of Grand Bank on the eastern shore of Canada. Winston Windflower, husband, father and RCMP officer, was enjoying some quiet time while his wife, Sheila Hillier, and their two girls, Amelia Louise and Stella, were in St. John’s for their annual back-to-school shopping spree. He was alone except for his four-legged friends. Lady, an eight-year-old collie, was still frisky and ready to go for a walk as always. Molly, the cat, was ageless and just about lifeless as she sat in her bed waiting for the next treat to fall in front of her.

It was a fine, sunny day as Windflower looked out of their home onto the Atlantic Ocean. Because it was so nice, he had taken the afternoon off for picking berries. The summer had been unusually hot and sticky, and that meant the berries were out a little earlier than usual. His fervent hope was that his special picking spot had not been disturbed by early pickers trampling down bushes and limiting the harvest.

If things went well, he could pick a gallon of berries in a couple of hours, and if he was super lucky, Sheila would make something fabulous with the blueberries when she got back. Maybe a pie or even one of her blueberry specialties. Windflower salivated when he imagined all of that deliciousness. He grabbed a couple of Tupperware containers and a bottle of water and then headed for his favourite spot.

There was a congregation of berry pickers at the closest picking location, just past the clinic. Bent over, they paid him little attention. He didn’t mind being ignored. The area was too busy and crowded for him. He took the trail down by the brook and then up the hill to the lookout. He paused for a moment to take in the majestic view of Grand Bank. Windflower glanced over the brook to the town and the wharf, all the way to the craggy outcrop that the locals called the Cape. Then he continued on up over the hill and towards the other side.

He veered off the path about halfway down and was very pleased to find his desired location calm and untouched. He said a silent prayer of thanks to Creator and began his task. Some people would have thought of this as work, but Windflower found berry picking both meditative and spiritual. It reconnected him to the land and made him think of his early days growing up on the reserve in Pink Lake, Alberta. His Cree family would all go berry picking for the day, bringing a lunch and a kettle to make tea.

He soon had one container filled and was working on the second when his pocket buzzed. He checked the number on his phone. It was Corporal Samira Gupta, his right-hand assistant, calling from the bigger community of Marystown. He had made arrangements with his boss, Superintendent Ron Quigley, that he would take the job as acting inspector for the region as long as he could stay in Grand Bank and have an assistant in Marystown. Gupta filled her role perfectly.

“What’s up, Corporal?” asked Windflower.

“Sorry to bother you,” said Gupta. “Betsy said you were off. But I thought you should know. We had a hit and run in Marystown. Over near Walmart. A woman in her forties is in hospital. Sergeant Tizzard is on the scene.” Eddie Tizzard was one of Windflower’s long-time friends and co-workers. They’d been working together for the last 10 years in one way or another.

“That’s a dangerous area,” said Windflower. “How is the woman?”

“She was unconscious when they brought her to the hospital in Burin,” said Gupta. “But no other information so far.”

“And the driver?”

“We’re working on it. Tizzard has a team doing interviews from the scene.”

“It’s busy around there. Somebody would have seen something.”

“That was our thinking, too,” Gupta agreed. “If we don’t get anything back soon from the canvass, we’ll do a media hit.”

“Perfect. Keep me posted.”

Now that his reverie had been disrupted, Windflower packed up his stuff and headed back down to his car. He was driving towards home when he noticed the driver of a passing car flashing their headlights at him. He slowed down and pulled over and then went to see if they were okay. As he got closer, he squinted to see Moira Stoodley, co-owner of the Mug-Up Café, the best and only diner in Grand Bank, in the driver’s seat. She was also the wife of his best friend, Herb Stoodley, who was tutoring him in two very diverse subjects—classical music, about which Windflower knew next to nothing before he met Herb, and trout and salmon fishing, which he thought he had mastered but now realized he was only a beginner.

He assumed Moira had stopped him to say hello or to pass along a message from her husband. But it was much more serious.

“I saw Mike Winger, that crazy-looking guy, back on the road,” said Moira. “It looked like his wheelchair had tipped over. A few young fellers were helping him get back up. But he looked in bad shape. Had a cut over his forehead. I asked him if he was okay. He told me to mind my business and went on home. You might want to check in on him.”

It wasn’t exactly his job to look after wandering locals, but it had become expected of the lone police officer in the community. He may have the high and mighty title of acting inspector, but his day job consisted of part-time social worker, youth counsellor and senior companion when he wasn’t solving crimes or directing the limited amount of traffic that Grand Bank produced.

Helping citizens in distress certainly fell into his ‘other related duties’, and Mike Winger seemed to be in constant need of assistance of one kind or another. Mostly of his own doing.

Windflower knew a little about the man from his many interactions with him. Winger was an American and a veteran of the Gulf Wars. After he left the military, he got certified as a refrigeration mechanic and started wandering around, first in the United States and then into Canada. He ended up in the Grand Bank area working for fish plants and discovered a place where nobody really knew him but welcomed him anyway.

Mike Winger finally felt at home. He bought a house and found a girl who eventually moved in.

His life seemed perfect until… the crash that changed his life. His girlfriend was killed instantly as his car slid off the highway to avoid a moose one late spring morning. He was left with one leg paralyzed and the other badly damaged. Stuck with his feeling of loss and grief, he turned to alcohol and then drugs. Then he became mean and isolated. His scooter was his only escape, but even that turned out to be another source of problems.

Windflower had rescued him and the scooter more times than he could remember. From ditches by the side of the road. From a farmer’s field. From the pub, more than once, when he had been asked to leave, none too politely. One time from the cemetery, although Windflower wasn’t exactly sure how that happened. Mike Winger was certainly one of Windflower’s pet irritants in Grand Bank. But since neither of them were going anywhere soon, they had figured out how to survive, if not get along, together.

– Excerpted from A Change in Plans by Mike Martin, Ottawa Press and Publishing, 2026. Reprinted with permission.

About the Author

Mike Martin was born in St. John’s, NL on the east coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a long-time freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand.

He is the award-winning author of the best-selling Sgt. Windflower Mystery series, set in beautiful Grand Bank. There are now 17 books in this light mystery series with the publication of A Change in Plans. 

A Tangled Web was shortlisted in 2017 for the best light mystery of the year, and Darkest Before the Dawn won the 2019 Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award. All That Glitters was shortlisted for the LOLA 2024 Must Read Book of the year award.

Some Sgt. Windflower Mysteries are now available as audiobooks and the latest Darkest Before the Dawn was released as an audiobook in 2024. All audiobooks are available from Audible in Canada and around the world.

Mike is Past Chair of the Board of Crime Writers of Canada, a national organization promoting Canadian crime and mystery writers and a member of the Newfoundland Writers’ Guild and Capital Crime Writers.

Visit Mike’s website at https://sgtwindflowermysteries.com. 

Connect with him on social media at:

╰┈➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore 

╰┈➤ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mike54martin 

Sponsored By:

Tour Stop & Giveaway: What Remains After by Pauline J. Grabia

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Pauline J. Grabia will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

SOME STORIES DO NOT END WHEN THE DANGER PASSES.

Beth Clark has not returned to her hometown in decades, since the childhood she survived there nearly destroyed her.

When her estranged mother dies, Beth comes back to rural Alberta for a funeral that feels carefully rewritten. The eulogies are tidy. The past is sanitized. But inside the abandoned bungalow where she and her brother once lived, Beth finds objects that shatter the illusion—and awaken memories of abuse, neglect, and the systems that failed to protect her.

When Beth's younger brother is critically injured in a sudden accident, the present collides with the past. Keeping vigil at his hospital bedside, Beth is drawn back into the summer that changed everything: the violence in their home, the silence of those who should have intervened, and the foster family whose quiet faith offered the first real safety either child had known.

Told across dual timelines, What Remains After is a literary psychological suspense novel about trauma and memory, belief and betrayal, and the long, unfinished work of survival. It asks what it truly means to forgive—and what remains when the truth is finally spoken.

Read an Excerpt:

Coverville Baptist Church smelled musty and old, like the memories trying to escape the recesses of Beth’s mind. That’s all that remained now of her mother. Like her life, nothing at the church had changed in over forty years. It had simply aged, with splintered oak pews and grubby carpets that had been there when she was growing up.

It was unnaturally quiet in the church, which she remembered used to almost roar after a service with the lively voices of congregants discussing the sermon or what was coming up in their week. Children used to run around, shrieking and squealing in both joy and frustration. Now, it was still. Eerily so.

Beth ignored the stares from the other mourners who had arrived early for the service. When she tried to meet their gazes to say hello, they looked briefly, with pity, before looking away. She stopped looking at people. She had only arrived when she had to so she could find Otto and talk to him before it started. He wasn’t in the lobby. Maybe he was in the sanctuary.

She waited in line at the guest registry, attended to by one of the funeral directors. When it was Beth’s turn, her hand trembled as she picked up the ridiculous feathered pen and hesitated before writing down her name. Should she use her married name or her maiden name? Her ex would have a conniption if she wrote down his, and she was changing her name back anyway, so she entered “Elizabeth Clark.”

When Beth had seen her mother’s obituary on Facebook, she’d realized that, despite her hesitation, she would go to the funeral. The only other attendees were townsfolk—mostly members of Virgie’s church—and family. She suspected that most came out of curiosity rather than grief. Beth’s reasons were less clear. Her hatred for her mother had lessened over the years, but had never completely gone; still, she felt an odd urge, almost a duty, to attend. She told herself it was just an excuse to see her brother, Otto, not the urn.

About the Author

Pauline J. Grabia is a Canadian novelist whose work explores trauma, memory, faith, and the moral consequences of silence. Writing under the Stories of Consequence banner, she is drawn to stories that face difficult truths without spectacle and seek light without sentimentality. What Remains After is a literary psychological suspense novel rooted in rural Alberta and shaped by questions of survival, forgiveness, and what endures.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulinejgrabia/
Website: https://paulinejgrabia.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/70032333.Pauline_J_Grabia

Amazon: https://amazon.com/dp/1834384516

Guest Author Day with Kelli A. Wilkins: Celebrating Pride Month

 

Celebrate Pride Month with A Secret Match – A Spicy Summer Romance

By Kelli A. Wilkins

www.KelliWilkins.com

Hi everyone,

To celebrate the start of the summer months, I’m starting a “Summer Romance Series” of blogs. And since June is Pride Month, I’m kicking off the series with a look at my gay romance, A Secret Match. It’s a sizzling contemporary novel set in the world of professional wrestling.

Before we get started, let me answer the question lots of folks may be asking: “Why do you write gay romances? You’re not a man or gay.” I generally respond with: “Why shouldn’t I? I wrote a vampire romance, and I’ve never been a vampire.”

 

But seriously, I’m a writer. And as a writer, I write whatever story comes to me, whether it’s a contemporary, historical, paranormal, or gay romance. My romances are about people who meet, fall in love, and overcome obstacles to be with each other. This basic philosophy applies whether the characters are same-sex, different sex, or space alien and earth girl. Love is love and romance is romance. I’m not married to one specific genre or heat level. I go where the story and the characters take me.

 

So, how did A Secret Match come about? I’ve been a wrestling fan forever, and A Secret Match is a follow-up (of sorts) to my other wrestling romance, A Deceptive Match. That book is about a straight couple (Vin and Danni) and Everett (the main character from A Secret Match) is Vin’s best friend). I fell in love with Ev so much while writing A Deceptive Match that I knew he needed his own book. And I knew it wouldn’t be an easy one.

 

Ev is a gay professional wrestler who has lots of insecurities and personal issues to overcome. Although he’s been in a long-term relationship with his boyfriend, Josh, he’s kept their involvement a secret. Aside from Josh, nobody except Vinnie and Danni know he’s gay. Ev has a hard enough time dealing with his sexuality on a personal level, and on a professional level—forget it.

Naturally, I put the screws to Ev—right in the first scene. When the book opens, Josh and Ev are having “going away” sex, and all seems well—until they have a major argument. Josh is tired of being kept in Ev’s “walk-in closet” and wants Ev to come out (at least to his friends and family).

But Ev refuses for several reasons. His wrestling persona is a heartthrob who women fantasize about, and he needs to maintain his image if he wants to keep his job. Obviously, coming out would threaten his livelihood. Will fans accept a gay wrestler? How will his boss react? Part of him wants to keep everything just as it is because that’s safe. But another part of him longs to stop hiding the truth. After a heated exchange, Josh gives him an ultimatum and walks out.

Ev is distraught and turns to his best friend and fellow wrestler, Vinnie for advice. Danni and Vinnie play a crucial role in Ev’s story—both in his personal journey—and in the ring.

The head of the wrestling organization, Nick August, tells Ev he has to go along with a “steal my woman” angle involving Vinnie and Danni. As part of the storyline, Ev has to kiss Danni in front of a live audience. This is the turning point in the book. Ev is torn between living a lie and being true to himself—and in the spur of the moment, he comes out on live TV.

From there, all hell breaks loose.

Ev instantly regrets what he’s done and is afraid he’s just tanked his career, some of the other wrestlers aren’t thrilled with the news, and Nick August is beyond furious. But in true wrestling fashion, the fans think it’s all a “work”—until Ev comes out again. This time, he’s out and proud.

When I was writing, I knew Ev and Josh would be apart for about a third of the story, but I wanted to give readers a peek into their lives before the break-up. I decided the best way to do that was through flashbacks. Over the course of the book readers learn how Ev and Josh met, see their first kiss, and more. When Josh and Ev reconnect, readers know all about them and realize they’re meant to be together.

A big part of the story centers around Everett dealing (or rather, not dealing) with his sexuality and his (un)willingness to be open about who he really is. Back when I wrote the book, there were very few (if any) openly gay athletes. Having to keep his secret added a level of internal conflict for Ev. I focused on his anguish over being caught between two worlds: his job and his secret life with Josh. Everett can’t balance the two and worries about what the other wrestlers would think of him coming out.

 

As Ev tells Vin (while discussing the issue of gay athletes in sports): “… a gay baseball player doesn’t have the type of physical contact with other guys like we do. There are all sorts of issues—changing in the locker room, showering together… Can you imagine some of the things that would go through the guys’ heads when I tried to put a hold on them? You think they wouldn’t freak out when I touched them if they knew?”

 

Vin’s reply: “You won’t know if you never take the risk.”

 

And risk Ev does. After he comes out (twice, in fact—I loved writing those scenes!), he discovers a different side to himself, embraces who he is, and even faces down intolerant fans and homophobic coworkers. 

 

A Secret Match has everything a good wrestling storyline needs: action, heroes, heels, drama, humor, sexy wrestlers—and in this case, some pretty hot love scenes. It takes readers (and the characters) on an emotional roller coaster ride. And the book is not just for wrestling fans. The wrestling world is merely a backdrop for a tender romance and a look inside Ev’s mind.

I enjoyed showing Everett on his journey of self-acceptance. He’s a bit of a cocky wise-ass, but he’s definitely a fun character to write for. I was glad to give Ev and Josh the happy-ever-after ending they rightly deserve, because no matter what, love is love, and that’s all that matters.

 

Here’s the book summary and link.

 

A SECRET MATCH

Everett Kinkade is a world-famous professional wrestler and the sexy heartthrob of millions of adoring female fans. But Ev has a secret he doesn’t dare share with anyone. He’s gay.

After years of being Ev’s secret lover, Josh is tired of hiding in the shadows and wants Ev to openly acknowledge their relationship. Coming out is the last thing Ev wants and fears it will ruin his career.

One night in a moment of truth, Everett outs himself on live TV. There’s no going back, and his announcement sparks a firestorm of problems—both personally and professionally. He’s forced to come to grips with who he really is while facing down a manipulative boss and a tag-team out to destroy him.

Torn between living a lie and losing the man he loves, Ev has risked everything… can he find a balance between his career and his heart?

Read reviews and order your copy of A SECRET MATCH  here:
https://www.kelliwilkins.com/a-secret-match

I hope you enjoyed this “Summer Romance Series” blog. Visit my site www.kelliwilkins.com to learn about all of my books, read more blogs, and get links to my social media.

June is Pride Month. Let’s all celebrate Love this summer.

Happy Reading,

Kelli A. Wilkins

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short stories, 24 romance novels, and 9 mystery/thriller/horror ebooks. Her romances span many genres and settings, and she likes to scare readers with her horror, mystery, and thriller fiction.

Her latest book, The Route 9 Stalker, was published in January 2026. This mystery/thriller is set in Central NJ and follows Detective Jim Rourke on a disturbing new case. Meet him for the first time in The Route 9 Killer.

Kelli's 24th romance, For Love’s Sake, an epic historical/fantasy romantic adventure, was published in January 2025.

​

In 2024, she released Surreal Escapes, a collection of 7 speculative/spooky stories. Anything can—and does—happen in this anthology.

Follow Kelli on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and visit her website/blog www.KelliWilkins.com for a full title list, social media links, and more.

 

New Release Spotlight: Nobody's Quest by Alyssa Day

 

Get ready as Alyssa Day has a brand new romantasy book series coming with book 1, Nobody's Quest, out today!!

All the buy links HERE

This is book 1 in the new series: The Nobody Chronicles.

The goddess needs a nobody. The prince needs a miracle.

Soli Graymind might be both.

Soli has spent most of her life being invisible—an indentured servant, a library mold-scrubber, the girl no one sees unless she’s in the way. So, when the king’s guards show up with swords drawn, she assumes it’s a mistake.

It’s not.

Moments later, she’s standing in the throne room while the king tells her she’s been chosen to retrieve a set of ancient keys—only the keys can save the goddess and stop the chaos beyond the palace walls. Because the world isn’t waiting to be saved.

It’s already burning.

And beside him stands Prince Kaelen: devastatingly beautiful, mercilessly cold, and certain Soli won’t survive the hard journey ahead.

He’s probably right.

But Soli's survived a lifetime of hard everything. She may be a nobody—no training, no real power, and no idea why she was chosen—but she refuses to be expendable. Even if the quest ahead is anything but simple. When assassins, monsters, and impossible choices fracture the fragile alliance slowly building with the Prince, Soli realizes she can’t hide in the shadows anymore.

Because, for the first time in her life, she has something to lose…

A high-stakes romantasy filled with slow-burn romance, found family, and a heroine who never expected to be anyone’s first choice.

About the Author:

ALYSSA DAY is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of romantasy, paranormal romance, and mystery novels whose books have sold more than a million copies and been translated into many languages, although she’s holding out for Klingon. She has lived with and battled chronic depression for her entire life and finally admitted it to her family—and the world—in 2014. Life is better now, because depression lies and tells us we’re alone.

We’re not.

Alyssa (as Alesia Holliday) is a diehard Buckeye from The Ohio State University who graduated summa cum laude from Capital University Law School in Ohio and practiced as a trial lawyer for several years before coming to her senses and letting the voices in her head loose on paper. She has lived all over the country and all over the world, including the Philippines, Turkey, and Japan.

When she’s not traveling to new adventures, she lives in Florida with her Navy Guy husband, spends time with her two amazing kids, and rescues dogs.

Especially pugs.

Website

Goodreads Author Page

Coming Soon from Carrie Ann Ryan: Kiss Me Forever

 

Kiss Me Forever

Montgomery Ink Legacy Book 10

Contemporary Romance

All Buy Links HERE

Falling for your enemy is bad. Falling for the man you only call your enemy is worse.

Reece Fox is a decade older than me but I’m his boss. And if the man growls at me one more time, he’s going to learn the true meaning of the Montgomery temper. Yet I can’t stop thinking of him.

After losing my fiancé, I’ve sworn off men, but when Reece does the one thing I never thought he’d do—ask for help—I can’t walk away.

Brooklyn Montgomery is too young for me. She’s not only my boss, but my friend’s family. The definition of forbidden. We both know this. But I can’t keep my hands off of her. When we finally give into the heat between us, there’s no going back.

Only when a little girl shows up at our work, she changes our world completely with one word:

Dad.

Kiss Me Forever is an age gap, workplace, surprise single dad contemporary romance featuring Brooklyn and Reece. Each book can be read as a complete standalone. An HEA is guaranteed!

Sneak Peek Excerpt:

“Brooklyn?” Raven asked, her voice soft.

“Then get him what you think he likes. I don’t know.”

“We have a good daily coffee, I’ll make sure he gets that.” She winked as she said it, and I felt bad. Reece had been nice to me all day, even if he called me Freckles and growled about it. I needed to get over whatever was going on.

I stood off to the side people watching as I waited for my coffees. Latte on the Rocks had grown in business over the years and even during the slower times, there were still countless people coming and going. Raven came forward, coffee carrier in hand, and I reached out to help her.

“Thank you. Seriously.”

“It’s my job. I also put in an iced praline latte for Reece, because I think he might like that too. Just in case. And a few Danishes because I’m me and I can’t help it.”

“I love you. Thank you.”

“I love you too, boo.” She hugged me tightly, and since my hands were full, I couldn’t hug her back.

The Montgomerys all hugged and touched and loved one another. But this hug was different. I knew it, she knew it, but there were no words needed.

After all what did you say to a person who wasn’t a widow, because they didn’t have names for fiancées left behind? Duke hadn’t even given me a name or a title before he had decided to end his life. I could be angry with him for that. And sad. And destitute. And every other word you wanted to use to talk about what you said to the person left behind.

Everybody walked on eggshells when it came to me, and I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to say to get them to stop doing that. I set everything carefully in my truck, grateful that Raven had packaged it so tightly, and headed down the highway one exit to our office. I was probably running late, but they would just have to wait. After all, I was bringing coffee.

Reece opened the door for me as I walked in, and I smiled up at him, determined to be nicer. “Thank you. Sorry I’m late. I got us coffee.”

“Looks like it. I think Lex got some too,” he whispered.

I cursed. “I probably should have texted the group chat. We’re a little off without Jamie.”

“Let me help you,” Reece said as he pulled everything from my hands without even bothering to let me answer. Typical Reece.

“Thank you,” I bit out, and we made our way to the front desk.

Lexington smiled up at me and pointed to the coffees that he had also purchased. “You’ve got the better ones, so we can all be caffeinated. Thank you.”

“I should say thank you. But did you just get me black coffee?” I shook my head, a smile playing on my face.

“Maybe. I was distracted.”

Considering the hickey on his neck, I knew exactly who had distracted him, and I did not want to think about that too carefully. I ignored him and handed everyone their drinks.

When Reece looked down at the two with his name on it, he glared at me.

“I didn’t know what you’d want. You seem like a black coffee kind of guy.”

“Yes, but I’m going to have this praline iced latte just to annoy you.”

“That sounds about right.” I shook my head, sipped my delicious sugary drink, and stared at the men in front of me.

Two of them were family, two of them not, but we had all been working together for years at this point. They didn’t treat me any different than one another, and for that I was grateful. I just needed to remember that.

“Ready to head to the conference room and get this over with?” I asked, wondering why they were all staring at me.

“Sounds good to me,” Lex said. Before we could move though, the door opened, and two older people walked through, as another man in a dark suit followed them.

I frowned, looking down at my phone quickly to make sure that I hadn’t missed an appointment.

“Hi, how can I help you?” Dash, ever the people person, strolled up to them, hand out. “I’m Dash Montgomery.”

The man who looked like a lawyer, briefcase in hand, shook Dash’s hand. “Hello. We’re here to see Mr. Fox.”

Reece stiffened at my side, and I set down my coffee, ready to do what I didn’t know, but it felt like Reece might need someone.

That’s when I noticed there was a little girl standing by the older couple, her dark hair wavy around her shoulders, and a glare on her face. But I saw the fear in those eyes, and what the hell was going on? The girl had to be what ten, twelve?

“I’m Reece Fox,” Reece said as he took a step forward. That’s when I realized Reece’s gaze was on the girl as well, and it looked like his face had lost all color.

“So you’re Reece Fox,” the girl snapped.

The pause nearly broke me, and I wanted to open my mouth to say something, but Reece merely tilted his head, his face still pale. “That’s me. And you are?”

“I’m Bella. I guess I’m your daughter.”

Discover Love Across Time By Beth Ford & Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddes Fish Promotions. Beth Ford will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Ashley and Thomas, a medieval knight, are in 1377 England, escaping from present-day immigration authorities intent on capturing Thomas. Having fled to the past to ensure their togetherness, Ashley is faced with adapting to fourteenth-century life, while Thomas, new to his title as Baron after his older brother’s death, is called to Parliament, encountering enemies there and at court as he struggles to build his own alliances.

Ashley's work at a monastic hospital is deemed “miraculous” but draws unwanted attention as potential witchcraft. Meanwhile, becoming embroiled in a political movement, she realizes too late it’s a plot against the King.

How can Ashley conform to social expectations, counter the plot, and still keep her relationship with Thomas, in all the turmoil?

Read an Excerpt

The scene at Newgate was much different than when they had left only a couple of hours before. The crowd of everyday travelers had dispersed, and de Landys’s men had been reinforced, though a few of them lay on the ground with arrows through their chests. Most of them stood with their backs to Ashley and her group, intent on countering the King’s men, who were heaving against the gate to break it down.

The two knights who had agreed to accompany her paused. Ashley glanced up at de la Garde. “This is your moment, Sir Matthew. Your future reputation will depend on what you choose to do now.”

Sir Matthew set his mouth in a grim line. He glanced at his fellow, who nodded at him. They roared past her and attacked the men from behind, slashing swords into backs and necks. Ashley used the distraction to dash into the gatehouse, where she paused only to slide the torch into a handy sconce on the wall. The King’s men were still tied up. She would have to trust that their loyalty to the King held true. Ashley knelt and used her dagger to cut through the ropes, starting with de Mantel.

“What’s the situation?” he asked as soon as he was free of his gag.

“The King’s men are on the other side of the gate. We’ve reinforced them from inside.”

“You? Are there any fighting men in your reinforceme

nts?”

“Yes. Two.” The bloody body of one of the traitors fell into the gatehouse doorway. Ashley forced a smile even though the sight made her gag. “See?”

About the Author

Beth Ford writes historical and time travel stories that transport you in time. She is the author of the novels In the Times of Spirits, Love Between Times, Love Across, Time, and After the Spirits Come: A Continuation of Dickens's A Christmas Carol. She also writes the Cassie Woods, Reporter historical mystery romance novella series. Her work has also appeared in a variety of literary journals. She lives in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

Website: http://bethfordauthor.com
X: https://x.com/BethFordAuthor
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bethfordauthor.bsky.social

Please use the following code on your post: